June Madison - PREGAME START
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The CDC expects the booster shot to be released for teens by the start of 2022.
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a meme about insomnia
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a 1-minute TikTok featuring a nice egg drop soup recipe
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bookmarked.
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that one NYT essay about a bad art friend. a writer making a Facebook group about her organ donation, another writer making a short story with said donor as the villain
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a meme about said essay
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Polls show the race for governor of Virginia is rapidly narrowing, following controversial comments made by the Democratic candidate on education.
She needed to find out more about this.
June Madison had found her crisis of the day.
She clicked the link attached to the tweet, and waited for the article to load. It was cloudy out, her data was a bit slow.
She looked up from her phone. Peered out from her booth seat, looked around the pizza restaurant. Looked outside the window.
Where was everybody?
She'd sent the text out to their little group chat a couple days ago, just asking if anyone wanted to have pizza after school this Thursday. Wednesdays and Thursdays were typically the slowest days of the week at her family's diner, and she wanted Wednesday to herself, so Thursday was what she had offered up.
They'd seemed a bit receptive to the idea, but no definite answers one way or another. So, there was the small chance that nobody actually planned on coming, and they'd all just said vaguely positive things to her request to humor her. So, if that were the case, then she'd have been sitting here for five minutes, waiting for nobody. That would have really pissed her off, if that were the case.
If that were the case.
The fabric of her mask adhered to her face with each inhale.
Only if. Someone would come. It'd be fine.
She looked down at her phone. Maybe someone had sent something to the group chat.
No messages. The article had loaded.
She began reading.
When The Moon Hits Your Eye
Open
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TheLordOfAwesome
- Posts: 745
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:37 pm
- Location: Washington
((Medea Parth continued from and we can be anything, even apart))
IIt wasn’t that often Medea made the effort to go out on her own initiative. Normally when she was home the only thing that could get her out was someone coming and dragging her out to hang. That would be the case here if it weren’t for one important caveat: June had invited her out. Now, she hadn’t hung out with June in some time. Her friend had sent out a message asking if she was free, and of course she was! So in this once of a blue moon, she had worked up the energy to make the journey to the land of pasta and breadsticks to see her long time friend.
Entering the restaurant, Medea began to navigate her way through the booths and tables, scanning their occupants on the lookout for June. Didn’t take that long, fortunately, as she spotted her friend on her phone sitting at a booth. Excitedly, Medea made her way over to June with a grin going from ear to ear.
“June!” She greeted her happily. “June! June! Junebug! I’m here!”
IIt wasn’t that often Medea made the effort to go out on her own initiative. Normally when she was home the only thing that could get her out was someone coming and dragging her out to hang. That would be the case here if it weren’t for one important caveat: June had invited her out. Now, she hadn’t hung out with June in some time. Her friend had sent out a message asking if she was free, and of course she was! So in this once of a blue moon, she had worked up the energy to make the journey to the land of pasta and breadsticks to see her long time friend.
Entering the restaurant, Medea began to navigate her way through the booths and tables, scanning their occupants on the lookout for June. Didn’t take that long, fortunately, as she spotted her friend on her phone sitting at a booth. Excitedly, Medea made her way over to June with a grin going from ear to ear.
“June!” She greeted her happily. “June! June! Junebug! I’m here!”
The Cook Political Report has moved this race to a toss-up.
Oh okay. It's fine. The election was a couple weeks away, the Democrats would have time to catch up.
Her fingernails tapped the wooden table surface in sequence. clackclackclack clackclackclack clackclackclack
A chime rang out, a pair of pajama bottoms shuffled into the restaurant.
She put the phone down, screen up.
"Medea!"
Her eyes grinned as she stood up and pulled her friend into a hug. June was stressed but, it was hard not to smile when Medea was around.
"How have you been?"
Oh okay. It's fine. The election was a couple weeks away, the Democrats would have time to catch up.
Her fingernails tapped the wooden table surface in sequence. clackclackclack clackclackclack clackclackclack
A chime rang out, a pair of pajama bottoms shuffled into the restaurant.
She put the phone down, screen up.
"Medea!"
Her eyes grinned as she stood up and pulled her friend into a hug. June was stressed but, it was hard not to smile when Medea was around.
"How have you been?"
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TheLordOfAwesome
- Posts: 745
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:37 pm
- Location: Washington
The hug was nice. Warm, comforting, familiar. Hugging one of her best friends was one of those feelings she’d never, ever forget. If it weren’t for the fact they wanted to get some good hanging out time in, she’d probably stand here all day holding June and just chat. Of course, that wasn’t exactly practical she knew. So after a few good seconds of hugging she allowed the hug to run its course and pull away, beaming at June with a bright smile.
“I’ve been doing good! Belphy says hi, by the way!” She exclaimed happily, moving to take a seat at the booth. “I’m so happy you invited me to come hang out! How are you? Are you doing okay?”
The blonde enthusiastically patted the seat next to her, beckoning June to sit right next to her.
“I’ve been doing good! Belphy says hi, by the way!” She exclaimed happily, moving to take a seat at the booth. “I’m so happy you invited me to come hang out! How are you? Are you doing okay?”
The blonde enthusiastically patted the seat next to her, beckoning June to sit right next to her.
"Yeah I'm doing fine," June chirped out.
She dithered in place for a moment. She'd somewhat liked her window-side seat, actually. But, she didn't want to act like she was avoiding Medea, so she obliged her, sat next to her.
She wanted to ask right away about the others, if she'd heard from them, but 'Yeah I'm doing fine' was a placeholder answer, and the both of them probably knew that. Medea probably knew that, maybe. 60-70% chance. But anyways, Medea was the type that actually meant 'How are you?' when she asked 'How are you?', and just moving past the question wouldn't sit well with her. She'd notice. So, after a few seconds too long of thinking, she came up with something.
"Mr. Ramos' class is killing me, really, but other than that, things are going normal for me, ha ha."
Hm. That'd sounded a lot whinier than she intended. The first thing she could think of for small talk was to complain.
It was fine, it was fine, Medea'd think nothing of it. Move on, move on.
"You give Belphy a couple little nuzzles for me, won't you?" Another giggle.
She couldn't resist.
"And, uh, have you heard from the others? If they're coming?"
She dithered in place for a moment. She'd somewhat liked her window-side seat, actually. But, she didn't want to act like she was avoiding Medea, so she obliged her, sat next to her.
She wanted to ask right away about the others, if she'd heard from them, but 'Yeah I'm doing fine' was a placeholder answer, and the both of them probably knew that. Medea probably knew that, maybe. 60-70% chance. But anyways, Medea was the type that actually meant 'How are you?' when she asked 'How are you?', and just moving past the question wouldn't sit well with her. She'd notice. So, after a few seconds too long of thinking, she came up with something.
"Mr. Ramos' class is killing me, really, but other than that, things are going normal for me, ha ha."
Hm. That'd sounded a lot whinier than she intended. The first thing she could think of for small talk was to complain.
It was fine, it was fine, Medea'd think nothing of it. Move on, move on.
"You give Belphy a couple little nuzzles for me, won't you?" Another giggle.
She couldn't resist.
"And, uh, have you heard from the others? If they're coming?"
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TheLordOfAwesome
- Posts: 745
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:37 pm
- Location: Washington
Medea beamed as June sat next to her, just being happy from the close proximity of her friend. She noticed that June had hesitated for a moment before sitting next to her. Medea might have been a bit on the lazy side but she was not unobservant, especially when it came to her friends. June probably wanted a different seat, but it still made Medea happy that June wanted to sit next to her. Even better was that she gave an answer to her question that wasn’t some placeholder answer! Not that she would have minded, but the effort was greatly appreciated.
The tone though sounded… a bit on the complaining side. Feeling a bit of concern, her smile went from beaming to polite. She was sure June was fine, but she felt the urge to ask her if everything was going okay. She quietly squashed that urge and simply nodded her head in understanding and tried her best to appear as though she didn’t pick up on it so June wouldn’t feel self-conscious.
“Of course I will give him nuzzles for you!” She said, beaming once again. “You should come over some time! I’m sure Belphy misses his auntie June.”
Then June asked her about the others and Medea’s smile faltered. She hummed in thought, trying to recall if any of the others had reached out to her before coming here.
“Nnnnooo?” Medea answered, tilting her head as she thought. “I don’t remember anyone saying anything.” She smiled. “But don’t worry! I’m sure they are on the way.”
The tone though sounded… a bit on the complaining side. Feeling a bit of concern, her smile went from beaming to polite. She was sure June was fine, but she felt the urge to ask her if everything was going okay. She quietly squashed that urge and simply nodded her head in understanding and tried her best to appear as though she didn’t pick up on it so June wouldn’t feel self-conscious.
“Of course I will give him nuzzles for you!” She said, beaming once again. “You should come over some time! I’m sure Belphy misses his auntie June.”
Then June asked her about the others and Medea’s smile faltered. She hummed in thought, trying to recall if any of the others had reached out to her before coming here.
“Nnnnooo?” Medea answered, tilting her head as she thought. “I don’t remember anyone saying anything.” She smiled. “But don’t worry! I’m sure they are on the way.”
"Okay that's fine."
They had other things going on. That was it. There were times she hadn't responded to their group chat, and it was just because she was on the dinner shift for her family's restaurant, or because she was washing dishes, or because she was doing her homework, and only ever, ever those reasons, all the time, always. It was never cause she had anything against them, so they didn't have anything against her. That was it. That was it. Not everything was about you, her therapist had tried to say with as much love and care in her tone as possible.
She thought she noticed a slight change in Medea's expression, tone, just earlier. Like she was calibrating her response to her.
Walking on eggshells.
And, she didn't have to do that. If she was concerned, she could just tell her. She didn't like it when people were scared of her. And if the rest of their friends didn't want to come, they could tell her that. If they didn't want her around, they could tell her that. They could just tell her that they were tired of her, that they just tolerated her, and then it would finally be fucking over, the bouncing your leg and the tension and the waiting would finally be over.
Her mask adhered to her face again and again, with each inhale. Not everything was about you. No one cared. No one cared.
A waitress came by, dropped off the menus, asked for drinks. June got tea, and Medea pop. The mask stuck to her face less and less, there was something else to focus on. And then the waitress left.
June looked at Medea.
"I'm paying, by the way. I'm the one that invited you, so, it's only fair."
She tried to convey a smile with her eyes.
She hoped she noticed that, at least.
They had other things going on. That was it. There were times she hadn't responded to their group chat, and it was just because she was on the dinner shift for her family's restaurant, or because she was washing dishes, or because she was doing her homework, and only ever, ever those reasons, all the time, always. It was never cause she had anything against them, so they didn't have anything against her. That was it. That was it. Not everything was about you, her therapist had tried to say with as much love and care in her tone as possible.
She thought she noticed a slight change in Medea's expression, tone, just earlier. Like she was calibrating her response to her.
Walking on eggshells.
And, she didn't have to do that. If she was concerned, she could just tell her. She didn't like it when people were scared of her. And if the rest of their friends didn't want to come, they could tell her that. If they didn't want her around, they could tell her that. They could just tell her that they were tired of her, that they just tolerated her, and then it would finally be fucking over, the bouncing your leg and the tension and the waiting would finally be over.
Her mask adhered to her face again and again, with each inhale. Not everything was about you. No one cared. No one cared.
A waitress came by, dropped off the menus, asked for drinks. June got tea, and Medea pop. The mask stuck to her face less and less, there was something else to focus on. And then the waitress left.
June looked at Medea.
"I'm paying, by the way. I'm the one that invited you, so, it's only fair."
She tried to convey a smile with her eyes.
She hoped she noticed that, at least.
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TheLordOfAwesome
- Posts: 745
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:37 pm
- Location: Washington
Medea carefully watched her friend, studying her intently. She could tell something was off about June. They had been friends long enough that she could pick up the subtle cues in her face, voice, posture, and mannerisms. She wasn’t exactly sure what it could be, but she knew there was something that wasn’t being expressed. She quietly weighed the pros and cons of asking — not wanting to come off as prying — as the waitress came and gave them their drinks. She gave the waitress a smile and politely thanked them before returning her focus to her childhood friend.
“Thanks for that, Junebug!” Medea said, beaming a carefree smile.
Tentatively she sipped her soda, her eyes flicking back and forth from June to the table. June was acting like things were okay, sure, but acting it is not the same as being it. Her concern for her friend started to grow, quickly out pacing her desire to not pry. That’s the thing with people you cared about, she thought, sooner or later you want to pry and make sure things were okay. After a few moments she allowed herself to drop her smile. She sighed, setting her drink to the side and folding her hands together in front of herself.
No time like the present.
“June,” Medea spoke softly. “Is everything alright? You have this… air about you. Like you got something on your mind. Tell me, truthfully, what is bothering you?”
“Thanks for that, Junebug!” Medea said, beaming a carefree smile.
Tentatively she sipped her soda, her eyes flicking back and forth from June to the table. June was acting like things were okay, sure, but acting it is not the same as being it. Her concern for her friend started to grow, quickly out pacing her desire to not pry. That’s the thing with people you cared about, she thought, sooner or later you want to pry and make sure things were okay. After a few moments she allowed herself to drop her smile. She sighed, setting her drink to the side and folding her hands together in front of herself.
No time like the present.
“June,” Medea spoke softly. “Is everything alright? You have this… air about you. Like you got something on your mind. Tell me, truthfully, what is bothering you?”
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MethodicalSlacker
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It wasn't every day that Mr. Keir let Marching Band go early, but K. wasn't going to pass up this rare opportunity to spend time with his friends instead of near-running 6-to-5 steps down the field for Mars, Bringer of War even if it came at the cost of a family emergency, which K. usually would have stayed afterwards to see if there was anything he could have done to help out given the sudden change of plans (there almost never was). After dealing with a few Freshman Problems, and one I-really-shouldn't-be-dealing-with-this Junior Problem, K. shoved everything he didn't need in his instrument locker and speedwalked (with hip movement for the extra inch or two on his stride) to Slice Slice.
He arrived looking no different than he would had he just stepped off the field, which is to say covered in sweat and panting like a dog who can't. K. moved his head slowly side to side like an Earthcam stream camera before he spotted the two—only two?—of them sitting in a booth by the window. K.'s eyes opened a bit and he nodded a yes before taking several steps (the first two still hip shaken until K. remembered) towards—for an instant, K. thought his—the girls.
[K. Emerson — Pregame Start]
"Yo," he said as he got there.
K. threw his arm back and swung the backpack off of his shoulders and onto the ground, where it landed with a resounding
"THUD."
Of all the the things K. had been able to leave in his instrument locker today, his clarinet was not one of them. K. kept the bag under the table and by his feet as he slid in next to Medea. It seemed like the two were in the middle of talking about something when he got there, but he didn't feel like it was worth bringing up. They might be looking for the out anyway or something.
"How's it going, are you two the only ones here yet or are the other four all in the bathroom or something."
He arrived looking no different than he would had he just stepped off the field, which is to say covered in sweat and panting like a dog who can't. K. moved his head slowly side to side like an Earthcam stream camera before he spotted the two—only two?—of them sitting in a booth by the window. K.'s eyes opened a bit and he nodded a yes before taking several steps (the first two still hip shaken until K. remembered) towards—for an instant, K. thought his—the girls.
[K. Emerson — Pregame Start]
"Yo," he said as he got there.
K. threw his arm back and swung the backpack off of his shoulders and onto the ground, where it landed with a resounding
"THUD."
Of all the the things K. had been able to leave in his instrument locker today, his clarinet was not one of them. K. kept the bag under the table and by his feet as he slid in next to Medea. It seemed like the two were in the middle of talking about something when he got there, but he didn't feel like it was worth bringing up. They might be looking for the out anyway or something.
"How's it going, are you two the only ones here yet or are the other four all in the bathroom or something."
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- A happy tingle ran down June's back as K entered. Offered an out.
"Later," she mouthed to Medea.
That might have been the wrong choice. To put it off for later was to make it seem like a big deal, to make it seem like something she had to allocate a specific time for to talk about. But she wanted time. It wasn't that she didn't trust Medea. She was always so good to her, she was. Just that,
How do you explain the main cause of your anxiety is a gubernatorial election in a state that neither of you have even been to?
Or that it'd been so, so long since you'd actually been in a physical restaurant with your friends that the parts of your brain that knew how to interact with other people had atrophied?
Or that you'd crafted out of whole cloth, again, a narrative in which your friends hated you?
How do you explain that one minute, the whole world's against you, and the next, you're out of the fog and you know that you have people care for you, but you feel like an idiot all the while?
How do you say all that without sounding like you're fucking crazy?
She didn't want explaining her and her feelings to be the problem of the day now, so it wouldn't. It could wait. It would wait. Today was the first time she'd been out since the pandemic started, at least two of her friends had set aside time in their day to be with her, and nothing would ruin that.
So, she turned to K, more blew air out of her nose than laughed at his joke.
"Just us three, unless the others are sneaking in through the kitchen or something."
"Later," she mouthed to Medea.
That might have been the wrong choice. To put it off for later was to make it seem like a big deal, to make it seem like something she had to allocate a specific time for to talk about. But she wanted time. It wasn't that she didn't trust Medea. She was always so good to her, she was. Just that,
How do you explain the main cause of your anxiety is a gubernatorial election in a state that neither of you have even been to?
Or that it'd been so, so long since you'd actually been in a physical restaurant with your friends that the parts of your brain that knew how to interact with other people had atrophied?
Or that you'd crafted out of whole cloth, again, a narrative in which your friends hated you?
How do you explain that one minute, the whole world's against you, and the next, you're out of the fog and you know that you have people care for you, but you feel like an idiot all the while?
How do you say all that without sounding like you're fucking crazy?
She didn't want explaining her and her feelings to be the problem of the day now, so it wouldn't. It could wait. It would wait. Today was the first time she'd been out since the pandemic started, at least two of her friends had set aside time in their day to be with her, and nothing would ruin that.
So, she turned to K, more blew air out of her nose than laughed at his joke.
"Just us three, unless the others are sneaking in through the kitchen or something."
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TheLordOfAwesome
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It bothered Medea that she didn’t get an answer as she could see that something was bothering June. She forced herself not to linger on it, instead smiling brightly at K as he sat down next to them. Her normal cheery mood resurfaced as she quickly wrapped K into a hug.
“K!” She cheered. “So happy to see you!”
She let her male friend go, leaning back into her chair.
“Well, hopefully they show up soon!” She said. “It has been a while since we all just hung out. I miss you guys a lot when I don’t see you.”
“K!” She cheered. “So happy to see you!”
She let her male friend go, leaning back into her chair.
“Well, hopefully they show up soon!” She said. “It has been a while since we all just hung out. I miss you guys a lot when I don’t see you.”
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MethodicalSlacker
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Oh wow, that hug was nice. Thanks, Medea. Always can count on her to cheer a fella up.
"I've missed you guys too," K. said. "Sorry, I've been busy with the band lately, and getting my applications together."
He smiled. It came out nervous, like he was unsure that he was missed, or that it mattered. After Medea let go, K. sunk back into the booth, sliding down into a more comfortable, reclined posture. He hoped that it didn't look like he was disappointed. Even if he was. Just a little bit.
"Maybe they'll surprise us when they bring out our order, or something," he added. Then, he realized something.
"I hope youse guys gotsta enough pizza for me, eh?" For that, K. put on a bit of a weird faux-Brooklyn, faux-Boston Italian accent.
In a normal voice now. "Or that I get to order."
"I've missed you guys too," K. said. "Sorry, I've been busy with the band lately, and getting my applications together."
He smiled. It came out nervous, like he was unsure that he was missed, or that it mattered. After Medea let go, K. sunk back into the booth, sliding down into a more comfortable, reclined posture. He hoped that it didn't look like he was disappointed. Even if he was. Just a little bit.
"Maybe they'll surprise us when they bring out our order, or something," he added. Then, he realized something.
"I hope youse guys gotsta enough pizza for me, eh?" For that, K. put on a bit of a weird faux-Brooklyn, faux-Boston Italian accent.
In a normal voice now. "Or that I get to order."
June grinned at the joke, half-amused, half-cringing. The accent was kinda embarrassing, but it was kinda funny, too? And if she didn't smile, then the joke wouldn't have landed, then, and there'd be this awkward silence that followed right after, and K would just awkwardly fidget in his seat and move on to the next thing, and that'd be embarrassing for all of them.
That was mean. Those thoughts felt a bit mean-spirited. Why was she being mean? Why was she a horrible person?
Okay, so she established that her friends liked her, because two of them were here. If it was just Medea, then it'd be easier for her to think that Medea was just obliging her, but it sounded a bit ridiculous to think of both Medea and K conspiring to oblige her or something. Conspiring, conspiracy, she was paranoid, constantly unceasingly anxious, sure, but she wasn't conspiratorial. She wasn't crazy. She wasn't.
And so, two of them were here. But, she'd just established that. When she had an episode, a spiral, it wasn't just flipping a switch and then everything was fine, it could never be that easy for her. Things felt fragile for a while after. She was more fragile. Just, she'd gotten angry once, so she could get angry again. Just like that. There was a crack in a glass and the slightest movement could propagate it. Everything felt so, so dangerous.
But this was just ordering pizza. The three of them were just ordering pizza.
Thank God for masks, honestly. She only had to work on keeping her eyebrows unfurrowed.
"You can choose yeah." She was fine with it. Was Medea fine with it? She was probably fine. "We've just ordered drinks, no pizza yet."
"How are the apps going by the way? Looking at in state or out?"
That was mean. Those thoughts felt a bit mean-spirited. Why was she being mean? Why was she a horrible person?
Okay, so she established that her friends liked her, because two of them were here. If it was just Medea, then it'd be easier for her to think that Medea was just obliging her, but it sounded a bit ridiculous to think of both Medea and K conspiring to oblige her or something. Conspiring, conspiracy, she was paranoid, constantly unceasingly anxious, sure, but she wasn't conspiratorial. She wasn't crazy. She wasn't.
And so, two of them were here. But, she'd just established that. When she had an episode, a spiral, it wasn't just flipping a switch and then everything was fine, it could never be that easy for her. Things felt fragile for a while after. She was more fragile. Just, she'd gotten angry once, so she could get angry again. Just like that. There was a crack in a glass and the slightest movement could propagate it. Everything felt so, so dangerous.
But this was just ordering pizza. The three of them were just ordering pizza.
Thank God for masks, honestly. She only had to work on keeping her eyebrows unfurrowed.
"You can choose yeah." She was fine with it. Was Medea fine with it? She was probably fine. "We've just ordered drinks, no pizza yet."
"How are the apps going by the way? Looking at in state or out?"
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TheLordOfAwesome
- Posts: 745
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:37 pm
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She was happy that K could make it, but she still felt that even if June wasn’t showing it she was still upset by something. Medea tried not to linger on it. Instead she focused on K as he made his joke in the faux-Italian New Yorker accent. Her smile twitched a little, unsure how to feel about it as he spoke. While she wouldn’t say it allowed, the accent seemed a tad all over the place. She knew he was not making a serious attempt, but still she knew it could use some work. Which reminded her that Chris Pratt was recently announced to be the voice of Mario in a Super Mario movie! Bit of an odd choice, she would admit, but she was sure he’d do a decent job. He was an actor, he could probably do a decent Mario-esque accent probably.
…What were they talking about? Oh, pizzas and applications!
“Whatever we order, I’d like no meat please! Or maybe we get half and half!” She said with a small smile.
Her thoughts turned to the idea of applications. She really had no real prospects for it, having not put too much thought on the matter. She knew Laci wanted her to consider college or university to maybe pursue a career in robotics or something but that didn’t really interest her. She liked to tinker but that was her hobby, not her career.
“Yeah, K! Where have you been looking?”
…What were they talking about? Oh, pizzas and applications!
“Whatever we order, I’d like no meat please! Or maybe we get half and half!” She said with a small smile.
Her thoughts turned to the idea of applications. She really had no real prospects for it, having not put too much thought on the matter. She knew Laci wanted her to consider college or university to maybe pursue a career in robotics or something but that didn’t really interest her. She liked to tinker but that was her hobby, not her career.
“Yeah, K! Where have you been looking?”
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MethodicalSlacker
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"Is that what you guys have been up to?" said K., looking across the restaurant to the window by the parking lot. "I get this question enough from my sister.
"But, well, on a joke, I looked at Emerson," K. said, "but I'm not really much of a theater kid. And they don't have band. UMass Amherst is probably where I'm going. They have band."
If he was going anywhere at all. K. was inclined to take a gap year or not even do any more school. He was feeling pretty much done with it. There was only so much you could learn in a classroom. At least UMass had a big Comm program, which meant a big excuse to sit around and watch movies all day. That's all there was to it, right? Watch a movie, talk in class about it, write a paper about social media for another class, rinse, repeat, get drunk, throw up, rinse, repeat. College!
Band probably would get in the way of staying up late or doing any of the things he'd been doing, but that was probably for the best. K. knew his habits were deeply unhealthy in a long term sort of way. He already dreaded the days he had to wake up super early when the band had to pile into a bus to go somewhere, and in college he imagined that the distances would get longer and the call times only ever earlier. So for at least the fall semester he was liable to lose a lot of what little he had for sleep. Maybe the band wasn't the right call after all. Maybe college wasn't. And so it goes, on and on, the spiral of do or don't.
"Maybe I can do UMass Lowell if that doesn't work out," he said, and shrugged. "I'm good with just cheese. Anyone else?"
"But, well, on a joke, I looked at Emerson," K. said, "but I'm not really much of a theater kid. And they don't have band. UMass Amherst is probably where I'm going. They have band."
If he was going anywhere at all. K. was inclined to take a gap year or not even do any more school. He was feeling pretty much done with it. There was only so much you could learn in a classroom. At least UMass had a big Comm program, which meant a big excuse to sit around and watch movies all day. That's all there was to it, right? Watch a movie, talk in class about it, write a paper about social media for another class, rinse, repeat, get drunk, throw up, rinse, repeat. College!
Band probably would get in the way of staying up late or doing any of the things he'd been doing, but that was probably for the best. K. knew his habits were deeply unhealthy in a long term sort of way. He already dreaded the days he had to wake up super early when the band had to pile into a bus to go somewhere, and in college he imagined that the distances would get longer and the call times only ever earlier. So for at least the fall semester he was liable to lose a lot of what little he had for sleep. Maybe the band wasn't the right call after all. Maybe college wasn't. And so it goes, on and on, the spiral of do or don't.
"Maybe I can do UMass Lowell if that doesn't work out," he said, and shrugged. "I'm good with just cheese. Anyone else?"