Luncheon On The Grass

#4 was empty, along with 10 and 11. And now the Richardson family would be the only ones left on the top floor. The Wilsons had just moved out and while it is always hard to keep tenants up on the top floor, Linda and Shane had not left because of the too-hot summers or the frozen-windows winters. In fact, the Wilsons had loved Apartment #9 very much. Painted carefully, before they moved in five years before, with giant circles of lilac and royal blue, they thought their home still jived and both had shed more than a few tears when they painted over the walls. Yes, The Wilsons had loved their apartment, but put simply, The Wilsons had purchased their new first home.
And now they would be throwing themselves a going-away barbecue because no one else had thought to. Three days after they had moved out.
And this little get-together would be held at the side of the building, in the green area, where of course, not much green was left. But the weather reports were making references to 'Indian Summer' again.
And Linda Wilson made sure to include all of this on the purple invitations, placed carefully into royal blue envelopes and slipped into mailboxes, on the 1st of November.

"Didn't they just move-out yesterday?" Tom said to himself. And then to every other tenant he met up with over the next day. He stood outside on purpose.
And the most common reply to his query was, "We are getting a free steak dinner."
But William Gordon said, "They some nice people. They had me up to there place once."
And Amy Marshall said she liked the Wilson's too. They were always friendly and smiling. And their living room was cool. They had her up to their house once. She was looking forward to the free meat too.
Amy Marshall went to the Food Bank, just so she would have something to bring to the party.
Aspen Reeves, the sometimes coverboy for paperback novels from #3, brought butter tarts, from his favorite downtown coffee house.
Tom brought the cigars.
And Amy Marshall brought cupcakes. Made with the help of her three-year old daughter.
And then the landlords showed up with dark red wine.

What If I Need Them Again Someday

"I am leaving," she said, but he got to them first.
"Give me my keys," she smiled sweetly at him. Damn. She still wanted to smile at him.
He laughed and smiled right back. "Not a chance."
"I don't want to be here," she replied. She meant it. "Give me my keys."
"But I already took back everything I gave you. You're shit out of luck." He laughed, right in her face.
She had agreed he could have it all back if he wanted, afterall, she knew.
And it had not bothered her. Even though she would really miss the Guns n' Roses album. It had not bothered her too much. To give back the things he had gave her.
She had not even thought of her car.
Or the fact that he owned half of it.
So while he laughed, she shook her head and when he was done, she said, "It does not matter. I did not own a car six months a go. I know how to get around this town." She reached down for the coat; near her feet. She put it on.
"You're not going anywhere." And his boyish smile believed his words.
And she thought, The arrogance.
But he felt it all slip away, when her hand reached the front door. "Come on. Why are you doing this?"
"Because you lie." She answered fast.
"Well, you don't have a car anymore. Stupid," he called her.
And she turned back to look at him and she smiled again because she wanted to. No, she agreed she did not own a car anymore, as she reached inside her bag and pulled out the little black book. "But you don't own this anymore either, now do ya?"

Punks

Minnie was 14. She liked wearing bright red lipstick and getting high. Minnie also liked to get drunk.
Phillip liked getting drunk too, but all his friends had plans.
"Minnie," he said to her, when he saw her going into the girls room, during class time. "Minnie, do you wanna come over on Saturday night?"
And Minnie sneered at him. "Fuck off, asshole," she said.
And she watched him as he did.

Minnie sat on her bed Friday night.
Listening to her mother. On the phone, in the kitchen. Still only coming out of her bedroom when she had to.
"Mom...Mom....I know, Mom...." She repeated, into the phone.
When Minnie could not listen to whining anymore, she reached over to her stereo and put on Fleetwood Mac as loud as she could. She listened to Go Your On Way and thought of Tommy.
When her mother came downstairs she noticed her, but pretended not to. Until her mother reached over and unplugged the stereo.
"What the fuck?" Minnie said.
And her mother replied, "Grandma is coming over tomorrow for supper. She thinks your presence there on Sunday would just upset everyone else."
Minnie did not bother to say another word to her mother. She leaned over and plugged back in the stereo. She hit tape deck #2. Slayer pierced the air.
Minnie picked up the phone book and found Phillip's number ten minutes later.
"Are we going to get drunk?" She asked him.
"Of course," he replied.

Minnie showed up at his house at three in the afternoon. He was still wearing the clothes he had slept in. And his hair was flat. Rubbing the sleep from his face, he said, "Lets start with a gin and tonic."
And Minnie agreed. "Whatever."
While he made the drinks, Phillip asked her how her how her weekend was going.

He showed her every room in the house.
Then he showed her the Nintendo. They played all the games.
They watched the evening news. Just in case his parents' flight went down.
Then they played some pool and the rum came out. And the rum did not agree with Minnie.
He rubbed her head and back, while she vomited in the toilet.
She looked in the gold frame mirror, after she rinsed out her mouth. And Phillip came up behind her and cupped her breasts.
"It's my birthday," he whispered to her.
"I am missing my Grandma's party to be at yours." She turned around, so he could kiss her.
In the morning, as she was leaving, Phillip said to her, "I do not believe the things they say you did, Minnie."
"You're not the only one, Phillip," she replied. "You're not the only one."