3:33 p.m.
Minnie was 14. She liked wearing bright red lipstick and getting high.
The stairwell was warm with brown carpet and cream walls.
The stairwell was warm with the smell of piss. Three year old boys on their playground and grown men with even less sense of themselves.
Minnie and Krystal sat on the second step of the first floor, so they had time to move if anyone needed up or down the stairs of the five-story apartment building.
Minnie and Krystal were on LSD.
"This sucks. I am high and this sucks," said Krystal, rubbing at her hair, head bent and sighing. "Amber is taking forever. Let's get outta here."
"No," Minnie said. "Amber paid for the acid. I'm waiting for her."
"Well, I am not,” Krystal wore her scowl, stood up , patting her legs, her purple jeans. "Maybe I'll go find Micky and Tommy."
"Have fun," Minnie smiled up at her. bitch...
Krystal smiled back at Minnie, too; and then she left.
4:36 p.m
Minnie and Amber had been friends since fifth grade.
They were walking downtown. They were loud and laughing, sometimes stopping on the sidewalk, to laugh so hard; knees bent inward. They laughed at the boy making pizza in the window of the take-out only place. He had a big nose. They laughed at the cracks in the sidewalk. They laughed at purple polka dots. They sang White Zombie lyrics, louder than their laughter.
“Look!” Amber pointed and into the alleyway behind the pizza place, hard packed brown earth and stone, they chased a black cat. Reasoned that it must be proof that they were witches. Because the cat’s eyes had flashed green. And they had long a go sworn to be known as the The Emerald Eye Witches.
They did not catch the cat. It slipped between gray dumpster and brick wall. The cat could not be coaxed to come out.
Minnie and Amber decided to look for some boys to chase instead.
This idea made them laugh more.
5:20p.m.
They were walking passed the pizza place again, almost to the shoe store, when Minnie noticed someone walking by them.
"Hey, Samantha,” Minnie sneered, and continued walking, then she stopped and looked back towards Samantha and her pretty blue dress walking away.
"Slut," Minnie said, loudly. "Samantha is a slut."
Samantha stopped walking and turned around; surprise.
"Samantha is a slut. Samantha is a slut. Samantha is a slut,” Minnie chanted, and then dissolved into giggles.
So did Amber.
Samantha's face crept red. She did not know what to say; her head filled with sharp confusion.
And then Amber said, "I hear you like it up the ass, little girl."
And the two girls laughed at again. Only louder. And began to chant
samantha is a slut
samantha is a slut
Samantha could feel something rising in herself, she could feel it rising in her bones and tickling the inside of her skin; causing fear. It rose to her throat, as Minnie started stepping towards her. She did not know what to do.
samantha is a slut
samantha is a slut
Samantha could suddenly feel Minnie’s breath on her face. And then Minnie pushed her. Samantha stumbled back, but kept her footing. White Keds scuffed from the sidewalk.
Minnie pushed her again and this time, Samantha felt herself go backwards and the scrapping of sidewalk on the backs of her thighs. She pushed herself along the ground, backwards, moving away from Minnie
As Minnie took a single step towards her, a single tear came down Samantha’s face.
Samantha had never called anyone a bitch before. "You're a witch!" she squawked and barely said. Tears came streaming down her face.
But Minnie just smiled and laughed at her.
"Tell everyone," she said, and then to Amber, "Let's go."
"I hear you suck that dick after it has been up your ass, too, you little slut, Samantha," Amber said, turning to follow Minnie, but she kept her eyes on Samantha.
Amber and Minnie laughed at that, too, but then they were walking away.
And Samantha still did not know what to do.
11:09 p.m.
"Sometimes, I love you so much, I would kill for you," Minnie said, then she hung-up the white phone back on the kitchen wall.
“You better not be on that phone, Miranda,” her father’s voice, loud and always angry from the living room.
“Fuck you,” she whispered to herself.
“No, Daddy,” she answered him, and then went downstairs to her room.
Minnie was 14. She liked wearing bright red lipstick and getting high.
The stairwell was warm with brown carpet and cream walls.
The stairwell was warm with the smell of piss. Three year old boys on their playground and grown men with even less sense of themselves.
Minnie and Krystal sat on the second step of the first floor, so they had time to move if anyone needed up or down the stairs of the five-story apartment building.
Minnie and Krystal were on LSD.
"This sucks. I am high and this sucks," said Krystal, rubbing at her hair, head bent and sighing. "Amber is taking forever. Let's get outta here."
"No," Minnie said. "Amber paid for the acid. I'm waiting for her."
"Well, I am not,” Krystal wore her scowl, stood up , patting her legs, her purple jeans. "Maybe I'll go find Micky and Tommy."
"Have fun," Minnie smiled up at her. bitch...
Krystal smiled back at Minnie, too; and then she left.
4:36 p.m
Minnie and Amber had been friends since fifth grade.
They were walking downtown. They were loud and laughing, sometimes stopping on the sidewalk, to laugh so hard; knees bent inward. They laughed at the boy making pizza in the window of the take-out only place. He had a big nose. They laughed at the cracks in the sidewalk. They laughed at purple polka dots. They sang White Zombie lyrics, louder than their laughter.
“Look!” Amber pointed and into the alleyway behind the pizza place, hard packed brown earth and stone, they chased a black cat. Reasoned that it must be proof that they were witches. Because the cat’s eyes had flashed green. And they had long a go sworn to be known as the The Emerald Eye Witches.
They did not catch the cat. It slipped between gray dumpster and brick wall. The cat could not be coaxed to come out.
Minnie and Amber decided to look for some boys to chase instead.
This idea made them laugh more.
5:20p.m.
They were walking passed the pizza place again, almost to the shoe store, when Minnie noticed someone walking by them.
"Hey, Samantha,” Minnie sneered, and continued walking, then she stopped and looked back towards Samantha and her pretty blue dress walking away.
"Slut," Minnie said, loudly. "Samantha is a slut."
Samantha stopped walking and turned around; surprise.
"Samantha is a slut. Samantha is a slut. Samantha is a slut,” Minnie chanted, and then dissolved into giggles.
So did Amber.
Samantha's face crept red. She did not know what to say; her head filled with sharp confusion.
And then Amber said, "I hear you like it up the ass, little girl."
And the two girls laughed at again. Only louder. And began to chant
samantha is a slut
samantha is a slut
Samantha could feel something rising in herself, she could feel it rising in her bones and tickling the inside of her skin; causing fear. It rose to her throat, as Minnie started stepping towards her. She did not know what to do.
samantha is a slut
samantha is a slut
Samantha could suddenly feel Minnie’s breath on her face. And then Minnie pushed her. Samantha stumbled back, but kept her footing. White Keds scuffed from the sidewalk.
Minnie pushed her again and this time, Samantha felt herself go backwards and the scrapping of sidewalk on the backs of her thighs. She pushed herself along the ground, backwards, moving away from Minnie
As Minnie took a single step towards her, a single tear came down Samantha’s face.
Samantha had never called anyone a bitch before. "You're a witch!" she squawked and barely said. Tears came streaming down her face.
But Minnie just smiled and laughed at her.
"Tell everyone," she said, and then to Amber, "Let's go."
"I hear you suck that dick after it has been up your ass, too, you little slut, Samantha," Amber said, turning to follow Minnie, but she kept her eyes on Samantha.
Amber and Minnie laughed at that, too, but then they were walking away.
And Samantha still did not know what to do.
11:09 p.m.
"Sometimes, I love you so much, I would kill for you," Minnie said, then she hung-up the white phone back on the kitchen wall.
“You better not be on that phone, Miranda,” her father’s voice, loud and always angry from the living room.
“Fuck you,” she whispered to herself.
“No, Daddy,” she answered him, and then went downstairs to her room.
Comments
Especially how the last part makes everything fit. :)
Minnie doesn't melt my heart the way Tommy does, but she does get under my skin --- and I root for her, too. You're really very good at this.
And curiosity gets the better of me --- What are you doing linking my tucked-into-bed site? Thank you? :-)
p.s. "Ducky's" a littlest girl-bird.
I am always happy to read your words.
And I am so excited for you right now.
Sing sweetly.
Q