Today at work I received a telephone call from a Stephanie XXX who said she had seen my photo in City Weekend and did I remember her from junior high school? We went to Lewis & Clark junior high together, I guess, though I have no real recollection of her. Her name sounds somewhat familiar perhaps. Considering that junior high was the worst two years of my life, I think I blocked mostly everything out except for my fondness of the Dinosaur Jr. CD “Without a Sound,” my crush on the quiet soft-mustached Tom Wherrett, and my ability to sink freethrows better than anyone else on the “A” team. I was a lanky, insecure little thing with a brimming, fragile heart, and I was easily bullied — especially by the popular boys who targeted me, perhaps because at 5′9″ at the age of 12, I was somewhat intimidating to them. Or maybe it’s just because I was a total dork with a really bad hair cut.
Then, later tonight, while sitting in my living room obsessing over newly acquired music, I heard a noise and crept into my kitchen, which is at the front of the apartment. A tabby stray darted from the stairs of my bedroom howling, or whatever noise it is that these cats make, on its way out the door. In my shock at seeing the damn thing, I screamed my bloody lungs out. However, I recovered from this experience much more quickly than I did when one evening a month ago a rat fell onto my umbrella and tumbled stunned to my feet.
Ha-ha:),a total dork with a really bad hair cut…Who can believe that, dealing with YOU NOW?….a RAT???that’s horrible…
Mira
January 23rd, 2007