Monday, February 02, 2004
Something Lame About Robots
When Cassie looked in the mirror, she never saw the girl her mother always seemed to be complimenting. Her features were always larger than she last remembered. She would touch her nose and feel like Pinocchio, her eyes like oversized watermelon seeds and her hair was big enough to cover the state of Texas. Some days she would cry, holding herself in the bathtub.
At night, she would dream of being serenaded by a secret admirer, but when she looked out the window, it was just Allie, her cat, gaining the attention of the neighbor’s Persian, Louise. Hardly any Hollywood hunk. She was starting to get used to not being noticed though.
At school, Cassie was often jostled between the shoulders of jocks, nerds and the brains. They would walk through her if they could, she was sure. At lunch, she sat on the lawn with the eighth graders, her grade, but almost all the faces looked unfamiliar. She knew some kids from the bus, but she was too scared to say hello. Her friend, Joseph, always sat with her and would frown when he saw the look of desperation in her eyes. He never understood what Cassie saw in those other people. She used to have been just fine with him. Now she always seemed to be daydreaming about joining those other cliques out on the grass, instead of laughing at him while he drank his Jello-O through a straw. He had always liked making her laugh.
“Cassie, what do you see in those dicks?” Joseph asked, touching her knee to make her look at him. Lately, she has not liked looking him in the eyes. He missed it.
“Joe, I’m not sure but there must be something to them. Look at them laughing, smiling. They always look happy.” She looked at Joseph and sighed.
He reached for her hand, she took it, which surprised him, making him stutter his first words to her. But before he could correct himself, Mac Riley, came and kicked dirt on them, laughing as he strolled away.
Joseph took off his glasses, cleaned them on his t-shirt, and rubbed the dust off his jeans. His hand was sweaty from holding hands and the dirt turned to mud leaving streaks down the front of his jeans.
“Mac, you moron. How could I ever want to be part of your group?” Cassie said under her breath, her eyes on fire, as she dusted the dirt out of her hair. She looked at Joseph.
“Why do I do this everyday?”
“I don’t know. You tell me?” He smiled back at her.
Her head cocked to the side, thinking of an answer. Joseph had been asking her for months, but it didn’t come till now. She wanted something different. She wanted an adventure. She wanted danger. “I want danger, Joe. Those people are danger with a capital D.”
Joseph smirked back at her. “You want danger, eh?” He reached over and picked up Cassie’s uneaten chocolate pudding, stood up, walked over to Cheryl Heins, Mac Riley’s too-good-to-be-true girlfriend, and dumped it over her head. Blonde becoming brunette. Cheryl screamed, rattling the windows of the cafeteria. Her friends retaliating by throwing pickle slices, mustard packets and brownies. Joseph ran away, grabbing Cassie’s hand as he went past her. “Come on, this is danger.”
She smiled at the commotion around her. This was danger. As Joseph lead her to the school’s faculty parking lot, she could hear the cries of people on the hunt for Joseph McMurtry. Her heart was beating fast as Simmons Junior High became just a dot in the distance. She knew where he was taking her. The Junkyard.
Out of breath, she sat down on an abandoned tire. “Joseph, I can’t believe you did that. That was awesome.”
“You wanted danger and I gave you danger. Things probably won’t look good for me when I go back. Maybe we should run away.” Joseph said, his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.
“What did you say to Cheryl? I saw you say something.” Cassie stood up and grabbed Joseph’s hand again.
“Oh, something lame about robots.”
She laughed and smiled at him. “Joseph, you are so weird.” She shook her head in mock disgust.
“Cass, has anyone told you that your laugh is beautiful?” Joseph squeezed her hand.
She laughed again. She couldn’t help it.
¶ 4:53 PM
|
When Cassie looked in the mirror, she never saw the girl her mother always seemed to be complimenting. Her features were always larger than she last remembered. She would touch her nose and feel like Pinocchio, her eyes like oversized watermelon seeds and her hair was big enough to cover the state of Texas. Some days she would cry, holding herself in the bathtub.
At night, she would dream of being serenaded by a secret admirer, but when she looked out the window, it was just Allie, her cat, gaining the attention of the neighbor’s Persian, Louise. Hardly any Hollywood hunk. She was starting to get used to not being noticed though.
At school, Cassie was often jostled between the shoulders of jocks, nerds and the brains. They would walk through her if they could, she was sure. At lunch, she sat on the lawn with the eighth graders, her grade, but almost all the faces looked unfamiliar. She knew some kids from the bus, but she was too scared to say hello. Her friend, Joseph, always sat with her and would frown when he saw the look of desperation in her eyes. He never understood what Cassie saw in those other people. She used to have been just fine with him. Now she always seemed to be daydreaming about joining those other cliques out on the grass, instead of laughing at him while he drank his Jello-O through a straw. He had always liked making her laugh.
“Cassie, what do you see in those dicks?” Joseph asked, touching her knee to make her look at him. Lately, she has not liked looking him in the eyes. He missed it.
“Joe, I’m not sure but there must be something to them. Look at them laughing, smiling. They always look happy.” She looked at Joseph and sighed.
He reached for her hand, she took it, which surprised him, making him stutter his first words to her. But before he could correct himself, Mac Riley, came and kicked dirt on them, laughing as he strolled away.
Joseph took off his glasses, cleaned them on his t-shirt, and rubbed the dust off his jeans. His hand was sweaty from holding hands and the dirt turned to mud leaving streaks down the front of his jeans.
“Mac, you moron. How could I ever want to be part of your group?” Cassie said under her breath, her eyes on fire, as she dusted the dirt out of her hair. She looked at Joseph.
“Why do I do this everyday?”
“I don’t know. You tell me?” He smiled back at her.
Her head cocked to the side, thinking of an answer. Joseph had been asking her for months, but it didn’t come till now. She wanted something different. She wanted an adventure. She wanted danger. “I want danger, Joe. Those people are danger with a capital D.”
Joseph smirked back at her. “You want danger, eh?” He reached over and picked up Cassie’s uneaten chocolate pudding, stood up, walked over to Cheryl Heins, Mac Riley’s too-good-to-be-true girlfriend, and dumped it over her head. Blonde becoming brunette. Cheryl screamed, rattling the windows of the cafeteria. Her friends retaliating by throwing pickle slices, mustard packets and brownies. Joseph ran away, grabbing Cassie’s hand as he went past her. “Come on, this is danger.”
She smiled at the commotion around her. This was danger. As Joseph lead her to the school’s faculty parking lot, she could hear the cries of people on the hunt for Joseph McMurtry. Her heart was beating fast as Simmons Junior High became just a dot in the distance. She knew where he was taking her. The Junkyard.
Out of breath, she sat down on an abandoned tire. “Joseph, I can’t believe you did that. That was awesome.”
“You wanted danger and I gave you danger. Things probably won’t look good for me when I go back. Maybe we should run away.” Joseph said, his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.
“What did you say to Cheryl? I saw you say something.” Cassie stood up and grabbed Joseph’s hand again.
“Oh, something lame about robots.”
She laughed and smiled at him. “Joseph, you are so weird.” She shook her head in mock disgust.
“Cass, has anyone told you that your laugh is beautiful?” Joseph squeezed her hand.
She laughed again. She couldn’t help it.
¶ 4:53 PM
|
