I’m sitting in the backseat of a car with my left knee up underneath my chin and I’m just staring out the window. I’m so rarely a passenger; this feels foreign and makes me slightly sick. The music is loud, but it always is in a car with these people; the noise adds to my discomfort, and I switch positions right before we go speeding around a curve in the road, my side pressed against the door. I curse myself for not calling out “shotgun!” before Sara did. She has shorter legs than I do. I feel like a bloody ironing board back here.
We finally arrive at our destination, and I’m allowed to unfold my legs and stretch them out a bit. The drive wasn’t long – less than 10 minutes – but I feel as if I was stuffed in that olive of a car for forever.
My phone rings. I stay behind while the people I’m with go into the video rental place to answer it. I feel as if the other beings that are milling about eating ice cream are taking a break from slurping to stare at me. I walk towards the side of the small complex while talking into my phone. I always feel so damned self-conscious when talking on the cell phone in public.
I finish my conversation and join the people inside. There’s not much here I’m interested in; I think the ice cream was looking too good just minutes ago. It’s all I can think about. I wander about looking at this and that halfheartedly. They decide to get 3 movies. We pay and walk outside.
“You guys want to go to Cold Stone?” I ask. They agree. I feel immediately guilty.
you should just shout: "hello? hello? i can't talk to you right now, i'm in a public place!"
Posted by: j-a at August 5, 2004 2:10 PM