Where are you going?
Loni looked down at her favorite yellow shirt where the chocolate syrup had landed squarely in line with her belly button.
“Oh my gosh,” she mumbled to herself. Grabbing an old tissue from her pocket, she gave it a quick spit and tried to rub it out, but only smeared it more. She leaned against her locker wishing she the day would be over, and she could teleport back home to her bedroom and fluffy down comforter where she could bury her head for the next few consecutive days until Monday rolled in again.
“Hey sunshine!” Reberta, her best friend, came to a quick stop beside her. “What tragedy has befallen on you today?”
“I ate lunch.”
“Just that?”
Loni pointed to the now expanded ring of soggy chocolate that inhabited her shirt.
“And on your favorite shirt, no less,” Berta shook her head. “I have an extra in my bag, it can be all yours for a simple price.”
Loni raised her eyebrows.
“You have to come with me tonight.”
“Where are you going?” Loni asked suspiciously.
“To Rusty's.”
“Are you reading poetry again?”
“Of course.”
“And there's no where else you can do this?”
“You know that's the only place in town with an open mic night that let's minors in.”
Loni sighed. Normally she would support Reberta no matter what, but Rusty's was where the love of her life worked on the weekends. Of course, he didn't know this.
“I think Aiden's off tonight,” Berta said with a hopeful look.
“Shhhh! Don't say his name so loud,” Loni looked around the vacant hallway. In a much lower voice she asked, “How do you know?”
“I overheard him talking with Billy about what he was doing tonight. If he was working, he wouldn't have any plans.”
The logic seemed reasonable enough.
“Alright, give me the shirt.”
Reberta smiled and pulled out a bright orange and green tie-died t-shirt from her backpack and handed it over. Loni looked from the shirt back to Berta and back to the shirt again.
“What?”
“This is the ugliest shirt I've ever seen.”
“Uglier than that chocolate stain?”
“You have a point.” She walked the short distance to the girl's bathroom and changed, thankful that they were about the same size. Glancing in the mirror on her way out, she noticed the colors brought out a bit of green in her eyes and a spark of hope ignited. Maybe the rest of the day wouldn't be a disaster after all.
“Alright,” Berta said putting her hands on Loni's shoulders, “Two more classes and then we're free for the weekend. We'll meet at the light pole 6:00.”
“Yes,” Loni said. “Six o'clock, you, me and poetry.”
Thanks for sharing this with me! For more info about freewrites, please visit @mariannewest!
Much love,
Stacie D
