I Love You Too

There are moments in life you don’t forget. Memories, like a child’s fingers clutched round plastic sheep and cows. The stable we had created and the makeshift farm. Ready for the dinosaur invasion.

There are moments in your life you don’t forget. Especially when they’re the last.

“You cannot do this. You cannot just leave. What about the girls? You can’t just split them up.”

Dada was upset. His voice was loud as he waved his arms. Addie had ordered her two cows in a row, and her three sheep ready for the taking.

I picked up my dinosaur.

“Three.” I whispered under my breath.

“Leave me the fuck alone Harold.”

“Two.” The dinosaur was raised, ready.

“You cannot stop me.”

“One.”

“I’m leaving.”

Boom. The yellow bricks toppled. Crushed under purple stomping feet. He ran through the farm, knocking over cows.

Addie had lifted one sheep, made him wobble side to side as attempted to run away.

“You cannot do this. You’re tearing our family apart.”

My dinosaur found it easy to chase after him. This one was my favourite. He was green with purple spots on his head and little bent arms, too small to reach anything.

That’s why he had to take the sheep with his mouth.

“Mum?” Addie’s sheep hovered mid-air, my dinosaur waiting ready to snatch. “Mum!” The sheep clattered to the ground, as the dinosaur froze. Forgotten.

It was my favourite of all the toys I had. Addie found him ugly, I thought it made him cuter. He had purple spots and dark red eyes. Eyes that watched now as my older sister was taken from me.

I called the dinosaur Cook. Dada told me not to give him a nice name but a name that struck fear in his enemies. But I didn’t want him to have enemies. And I didn’t want him to strike fear. Dada had laughed when I told him that, and rubbed my head.

I didn’t want him to strike fear. I didn’t want him to be evil. That was Addie’s idea. I liked him for his purple spots and red eyes. It was no fair he was seen as evil because of it. If anything he was misunderstood. Those watching red eyes with a small black pupil. They weren’t evil. They just saw everything. They saw now, the short dark brown bob that swished in the wind, the worn orange coat, and the left behind farm. They saw the sheep lying left behind in the ground, and the hot salty rain that fell. They saw as my Mum left us both behind.

It wasn’t his fault his eyes were red. It wasn’t his fault that they were too hard to blink, and his arms couldn’t reach. It wasn’t his fault that we weren’t wanted.

I LOVE YOU TOO

“No.”

The boy in front of me had blonde curly hair and pink tulips clutched in both hands that were held out far in front of him. Locked straight arms, and a military blue-eyed stare. Slightly past me, off my shoulder.

It took a second for my words to register. I saw when it did. The pink flush deepened across his face, his forehead.

“O-oh.”

I turned around. My friends were waiting.

I didn’t look back at him. Rejection is rejection after all. Softening it wouldn’t help and I’d only run the risk of making everything worse if he didn’t get the message.

Today had been too long. I got 64% in Maths only 18 above the class average. It wasn’t enough to get into a good college. It definitely wasn’t enough to get a scholarship. I was hungry, and my neck hurt. I hope Grace and Nneoma wanted to go get noodles. Maybe I could persuade one of them to pay for me again.

“You know you didn’t have to be so harsh. He seemed sweet,” Grace stared at me, “and did you see that bone structure, ugh those are some optimal genetics you know.”

They had not wanted to get noodles. Grace had wanted burgers, and Nneoma had wanted pizza. So here we were. At a taco place.

“These aren’t as good as the Giorgo’s pizzas you know.”

“You’re the one who said it didn’t matter,” I moved my mouth around the Taco, ignoring the raised eyebrow Nneoma sent my way over my lack of manners, I bet I could fit this whole thing in my mouth. Eat it straight in one bite. Maybe I could get another then... they had said it was all you can eat for students for the next 30 minutes. It’d be a shame to not utilise a wide mouthed strategy to maximise returns.

“Yes but I said it to be gracious. You idiots were meant to say that clearly since I’m the most gentleman-ly, we go where I want.”

“Why would we do that?” Grace spoke for me, as I nod emphatically, taco half out my mouth.

“So we wouldn’t be stuck eating somewhere none of us enjoy you dolt.” I would disagree with her but I’m 80% sure this was stuck in my mouth now.

“Dolt?” Grace was pushing a taco around with her fork sceptically. As she questioned it.

“Yeah, dolt. You know, imbecile, buffoon, moron.” My lips were hurting slightly. Yeah- I think I now can say it’s up to a 95%. This is stuck in my mouth.

“You’re a buffoon.” Grace replied, piercing the meat as she spoke, face still set in a frown.

“Oh my god,” She has her head in her now taco-free hands, “To think we are adults this year and you are both still so clueless.” Her eyes looked to me as she elaborates.

“Mph-’ey, G’ace was being clue’ess ’ot me. Why’m I ’etting ’agged ’own ’oo?” I meet her eyes, indignant.

“Dumb by association?” Grace proffered, finally lifting a bite to her mouth. “I mean that’d also affect you, you know.”

I look at Nneoma as she opens her mouth ready to say something before-

“Holy shit. This is good.” Grace was half moaning, “Mhmmm” she put another bite in her mouth, before abandoning the fork and lifting the whole taco to her mouth. No longer half moaning. Instead, full moaning.

Nneoma and I looked at her in shock as she proceeded to fill the half-empty Mexican restaurant with what can only be described as well explicit noises. To be fair this was a rather optimal distraction, as Nneoma came to her senses faster and hurriedly began shushing her, I turned to the side, ready to perform the taco-ectomy. Listening as Grace went louder and louder and-

“Can you stop having an orgy with yourself.”

Grace looked up. Then Nneoma. Then me, my hands over my mouth.

The voice came from a boy our age, but not one that went to our school. He had hair in braids across his head and a scar on his chin.

“Eh?” Grace, the beacon of eloquence and good manners offered up the sound, mouth half full. “Who’s this twa-”

“Okay.” Nneoma interjected. “I’m sorry, she’s British, different manners, we’ll try to keep it down, sorry for the-”

He sighed, it was dramatic and overly long. I knew without having to look Nneoma’s hand was squeezing against Grace’s knee in an effort to get her to not say anything.

“Fine. Just try and be more aware of your surroundings next time.”

He turned around heading back to his table. Cue Grace immediately kicking off opposite me. Perfect.

Time to execute the plan. My fingers wrapped around the salty shell, flawless so far.

“That pretentious, arrogant little twat.”

There was some form of leafy vegetable stuck in my throat. Uh oh.

“Who does he think he is?”

I was white knuckled on the table, eyes watering and chest seizing in my attempts to swallow the coughs.

“Telling me how to enjoy my food.”

I cannot breathe. This is it. The end is here.

“MY food. The food I paid for.”

I turn to the side, silently heaving it up.

“In a public establishment.”

Done. Problem solved. I lift my head up, smiling at the table next to ours with a young couple on a date. As I self fived for the otherwise flawless operation, wiping the tears from my cheeks, I looked up. The posh rude boy was staring at me, mouth agape in disgust. Before I could help myself I stuck out my tongue. Unfortunately it was only with my tongue already out did my eyes move to the left.

Blondie was there. Staring at me. Eyes wide like he had just realised who I was, and that I was here. We made brief eye contact before he flushed, looking back at his hands. There was another one. He had light brown hair, and dark green eyes. He seemed slightly broader shoulders than the other two but he was definitely our age. There was a small sauce mark on the edge his lips as he grinned brightly.

" Is freedom of speech dead and buried? Is my right to-”

Her voice was getting louder and higher with every sentence.

“Grace you were being really loud,” Nneoma tried to calm her. If anything it seemed to make her squawk more.

“He didn’t-”

“Grace let it go,” Composure, and moral superiority regained.

“What! Not you too. I thought you’d take my side, he was rude.” Grace exclaimed, arms waving frantically as Nneoma shot me a confused look.

“Yeah, but look who he’s with.”

Both their heads snapped round simultaneously as they leant dramatically forward.

“Subtly!”

They were not subtle. Their bodies were almost coming out their booths. I don’t know why they couldn’t’ve just turned their heads; there was absolutely nothing blocking their view. It was like they were actively trying to be as obvious as possible I swear-

Whack.

Whack

“Ow!”

“What was that for?”

“Be subtle youdolts.” I glared at them, napkin still weaponised rolled up in my hand.

“Oh my god it’s the sweet one you rejected!”

“His name is Karl with a K.” Nneoma interjected.

“You know his name?” I questioned as Grace kissed her teeth dramatically,

“I take back the sweet descriptor now. Twat by association.”

I looked at Nneoma. Nneoma looked at me. Her dark brown eyes meeting my grey ones. We couldn’t help the giggles that overtook us, it wasn’t really funny but that didn’t seem to matter. Nneoma’s pretty giggling was hidden behind her hand, as I cackled loudly body rocking back and hitting the booth.

“Isn’t Blonde in your chem class? Sorry I mean isn’tKarl with a K. In your chem class, he’s there when I wait for you at least.” Grace questioned, fingers forming air quotes.

“Yeah, he sits in front of me.”

“He transferred didn’t he, like mid-way through last year. He’s in my French class, he’s good. He’s from Denmark originally, I think. That’s a strong passport to have. I think he’s got an older sister who’s graduated already, don’t know what she does though. I know he likes to paint, and he gets the 22 bus... What?”

We stared at Nneoma, eyebrows raised. “Well, I think we’ve figured out who wants those Denmarkarian babies,”

“Danish.”

“Eh?”

“It’s Danish not Denmarkarian.”

“Have you researched that too? Obsessed much.”

“It’s common knowledge you’re just intellectually challenged.” Nneoma’s voice was high and squeaky as I mock gasped.

“How dare you. Choosing a man over your best friend. Wow. Grace are you listening to this fakeness. This fakery. This fraudulent behaviour. two years of friendship down the drain.” I pointed at the floor before lighting up at the sight of my taco again. “Oo forgot about this. Love of my life. I’d happily have these Tacos babies.”

“What a vehicle of mass consumption.” Grace grinned at me as she said it. Before it promptly fell off her face.

“Rich coming from the girl who was moaning so loudly about food, someone else had to come get her to shut up.”

She opened her mouth ready to object before-

“AHHHHHH”

A scream came from – well not to agree with Grace but – the table of twats.

“WHAT IN GODS GREEN EARTH IS THATTTT”