RICHIE - CHAPTER SEVENTEEN (Twitter Novel / Keitai Shousetsu)

i swear to god that it took her
one whole minute to smile i
mean seriously from start to
finish 60 seconds

breaking across her face like
a new sunrise or something
but i found out over time she
does everything slowly

even stuff that you cant or
shouldnt she has long dirty
blonde hair little spray of
nose freckles sleepy eyes

red and blue flannel shirt
faded jeans rainbow toe sox
a real slim slow slider she
talks like she smiles but
–richie-

is all she says richie rocks
back on his heels hands in
front pockets -whats up
leander- smiles pauses like
waiting for something

and whatever it is she wont
give it -not much to what do
i owe it- seems like its been
awhile but she wont say so

-ah nothing really fairview
is boring as hell-

leander shrugs -boxer isnt
much better i hope that it
was worth the trip over-
knowing that it was would
have to be

-yeah well this is dee dee
leander i had to get him off
campus- and i ask her -did
we wake you up-

and richie winces and leander
turns to me with those sleepy
eyes says -no i just always
look like this-

and it takes forever but that
smile finally breaks across
her face and i know im ok
richie says –are we coming in
or what-

and leanders head rolls on her
shoulders and she falls
backwards into a cartwheel
so slow it seems like gravity
gives her a pass

and richie big boots thuds in
i step over the threshold and
its like a different world in
there all of a sudden girl
world

everything inside is somehow
more colorful better-lit
sweeter-smelling softer than
everything that exists outside

its only the size of a regular
double at fairview but for
some reason seems 10 times
bigger longer more space

there are like blue and
purple tapestries hung
everywhere and they replaced
all the regular fluorescents
with

colored aquarium lights and
the music is soft and it hangs
in the air like the incense
traces

not like cheap weed-
eradicator incense like youd
smell in our dorm but
somehow lighter and idk
more romantic

a cardboard cowboy stand-up
is right in the middle of the
room by the windows guns
drawn and by his feet theres

this little red record player
with the speakers stretched
out to either side of his wildly
bowed legs and at either end
of the room

miles apart are their beds and
each one is like mounded
with pillows and comforters
and i just wanna

crawl in there in the soft and
the warm and like never
leave

but then the little fridge shuts
with a clank and im back and
leander goes -well weve got
3 cans of pbr thats it

-my roommate knows some
girls down the hall whove got
some vodka- she shrugs puts
her hands in her pockets

richie nods - you better get
that vodka this kids pretty
uptight we gotta mellow him
out a touch-

and i turn to him embarrassed
and go -fuck you- way too
loud and he looks at leander
and says

-see what i mean- and
leander raises her eyebrows
then stretches and says
-well i got some weed-

richie says -good well need
it- and she smiles sleepily
slaps her denimed thighs and
goes -it-is-decided- and
moves to the door

but stops at richie and says
quieter -its good to see you i
didnt know if you were
gonna come around anymore-

and richies all -yeah well
im full of surprises- and she
nods -yeah- and slips out the
door

leaving it open about halfway
and richie squats by the
record player and starts
pawing through the 45s

and im like -whyd you have
to say that shit about me-
and he doesnt look up but
goes

-dee dee if i knew you were
gonna get this bunged up
over nothing i never wouldve
brought you-

and this shuts me up so i just
kind of look around for a
minute then im like -is she
gonna get in trouble

-for having us here- and
richie says all irritated -did
she look worried-

but then he looks up from the
records -boxer is just like
fairview dee dee as long as
the money flows everybodys
happy

-as long as nobody falls out
the window and gets on the
news its just a party- he
smiles then for a second

-its just a party dee dee-