“I was 49… and 58.”
“How do you still remember this
shit?”
The four
sat sprawled over beds and couches in Lena’s guest room. Lena stared quietly up at the ceiling on one
of the beds while her friends discussed middles school sports. A Sam Adams Boston Lager dangled from her
right hand over the edge. Amy was once
again displaying her memory for novel detail as she sat cross-legged on the
floor against a couch.
“I don’t
know,” replied Amy. “I just do.”
“It’s a
pity you don’t remember names and dates from history. It would serve you better,” drawled Katie as
she rolled over onto her stomach.
“Yeah well,
they aren’t interesting.”
Katie shot
her a look that told the room she thought Amy was a freak and took a sip of her
beer.
“We aren’t
really doing anything, are we?”
All heads
turned to Lena.
“Are we?”
she asked.
“We were
talking I guess…” replied Meg
“But that’s
for you guys. I wasn’t here in middle
school. I don’t know who you’re talking
about.”
“So let’s
do something,” said Amy.
“What?” asked
Lena. “What is there to do?”
“We could
go on Craigslist Casual Encounters,” replied Katie.
“What?”
asked Lena, sitting up.
“You guys
don’t do that?” asked Katie. “Just for a joke, I mean. Not to respond to anything. There isn’t a single person on there who
isn’t disease ridden or a serial killer.”
“Can we do
that?” asked Meg.
“Why wouldn’t we be able to?” asked Katie.
“Because
we’re not eighteen,” replied Meg as she took a sip of her soda.
“Lena’s
furnished us with alcohol from her dad’s cupboard and all you have to do to get
on is click a button that says ‘Yes, I’m 18’.
It literally couldn’t be less difficult.”
“But –“
“Really
Meg?” asked Lena. “Since when does anything we do bother you?”
Meg
shrugged and sighed, curling a bit of her hair behind her ear.
“Great. Amy, get your laptop. We’re going on Craigslist.”
Amy slid up
from her position on the floor and left the room. Lena looked over and saw Meg’s obvious
discomfort. Her green eyes were cast
downward, staring at the lip of the Coca Cola bottle.
“Meg, you
good?” asked Lena.
“Yeah… I.
Yeah. I’m fine,” she replied.
“Lena,
where did you find these?” asked Katie, gesturing with her empty bottle.
“Are you
sure you want another?” asked Lena.
“Who are
you? Meg?” replied Katie.
Lena sighed
and stood. She left. She walked heavy in her heels, as though she
expected there to be more between her feet and the floor. Or as though by bringing her foot down so
hard she might be able to keep herself from running to wherever she was going.
The door closed with a bang behind her.
Katie fell
back onto her bed with a thump. “Fuck.”
Meg looked on quietly staring at Katie with a look of both concern and
intense curiosity. She ran her fingers around the lip of the
bottle as she watched Katie melt across the bed.
“When did
it get so hot?” asked Katie.
“When
summer came.”
“Don’t be a
smart ass. You’re not the kind of person
that can say that stuff.”
Katie
rolled over so that she could look at Meg.
“Who is the
kind of person who can say that kind of stuff?”
“Not you.”
Katie
rolled over again, apparently done with the conversation. The door swung open as Amy and Lena entered.
“We’re
back,” Lena said somewhat unenergetically swinging a six-pack.
Amy again
sat down in front of the couch as the others sat down around her so that they
could see the screen. She began typing.
“Where are
we looking?” asked Amy.
“What do
you mean, where?” asked Meg.
“She means
“what city?” Some are better than
others,” answered Katie authoritatively.
“Oh.” Meg
replied quietly.
“Let’s
start with here,” said Amy. “Let’s see who’s desperate in Westchester.”
“Sweet,”
replied Katie.
“You guys,
that seems a little mean,” said Meg.
“Really
Meg?” said Katie.
Meg sighed.
With a few
clicks Amy was on the Westchester Craigslist.
“Meg, they’re looking for you.”
Katie elbowed her.
“Shut up.”
“That’s all you Katie!” said Amy
“Yeah. I’m really into “wet, sticky,
slimy, and smelly” sex. Who thinks this kind of writing is a turn on for
anyone?” She replied, shoving Amy.
“Now that’s for me,” said Katie.
“Cynical, yes. Multilingual, no. He’s looking for Amy,” replied Lena.
“Eh.
I’m not into sideways hipster photos.
The photo makes him look cool, but the fact that he doesn’t know how to
rotate it tells me he doesn’t really know how to use a computer,” replied Amy.
“Oh shit,” said Lena.
“Well Meg. Who knew?” said Katie.
“That is not me,” replied Meg.
“She sure looks like you…” said Amy.
“Right, but it’s not,” said Meg.
“But… shit” said Lena.
“Shit is right,” said Katie. “I
didn’t know Meg hooked up with the kind of guy who posts pictures of himself
shirtless and muscle-y on Craigslist.”
“I don’t!” said Meg.
“Sure you don’t…” said Katie, as she
pointed to the next link.
“No!” said Meg as she slammed the
laptop shut.
“Watch it!” said Katie.
“I do not hook up with the kind of
guy who would post this on Craigslist. I
don’t even hook up. There is an
aggregate total of zero interest in what’s here. And, you know what, I’m done with this. I’m tired of Katie and her cynicism and her sarcasm. Good bye.”
She stood. No one protested. Meg looked at all three girls, grabbed a Sam
Adams Boston Lager, cracked it open on the edge of a table, and left.
“Where’d she learn to do that?”
asked Lena.
“Who cares?” said Katie.
Amy looked up as though she were
about to answer the question with I do,
but closed her mouth before she could say anything. She ran her hand through her hair, tucked a
little behind her ear and asked: “What’s next?”
“Oh come on, that one
sounds boring,” said Katie.
“Hey, it’s woman for
woman. Those seem rare,” said Amy.
“Seriously. Don’t click on that one,” said Katie.
“As the resident
authority, I say click,” said Lena.
“Who made you
authority?” asked Kaie.
“The fact that this is
my house and the fact that you’re drinking my dad’s beer” said Katie.
Amy had already clicked
and was skimming the post. “She seems
boring.”
“Let’s respond” said
Lena.
“Really guys, this is
boring now,” said Katie.
To:
gwpqp-3116240006@pers.craigslist.org
Subject:
Oral.
Attachments:
SAM_0991.jpg
Hey. I am interested. I’m in Putnam, white and 5’ 3’’. Not quite what you’re looking for, but may as
well be honest.
Hope
to hear from you!
-Amy
Ping.
Katie dived for her
phone.
“Woah. Why the overreaction?” asked Amy.
“I’m… just waiting for
my mom to text. She’ll be here
soon. I’d better go wait for her.
Outside.” Katie stood.
Deftly, Lena came up
from behind and grabbed the phone.
“Stop that!”
Lena opened the
notifications menu and glanced at the email her friend had received: Subject: Oral.
“Well Katie. Who knew?”
