SWORDFERN
Rooted, I used to think.

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Purgatory - Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019
Day Fifteen - Saturday, Feb. 09, 2019
Day Fourteen - Saturday, Feb. 09, 2019
Day Thirteen - Thursday, Feb. 07, 2019
Atonement - Thursday, Feb. 07, 2019


Sunday, Feb. 09, 2003 @ 1:55 am
80's Style



I faltered as I walked up to the door to press the buzzer. Who do I know here? They aren't MY friends. I only know them through her. And she wasn't invited because he dumped her. AND his out-of-town girl was there. I think I'll get in trouble if she finds out I went. Why did I get invited? I have never really talked to any of them. They know the superficial facts: work, play, school. They are all immigrants from either TO or Calgary. So, in fact, they are all strangers too.

I was nicknamed Patty. We all had alternate 80s kinda names. Made for interesting introductions of friends, when everyone keeps changing their names. So my dear mullet-clad Chaz offered me a beer.

I was sitting at the kitchen table for a long time. As people came in, they noted my 3-D parrot earrings and side pony tail and questioned the effort of my costume. Then I'd stand up and show them my high-rise tapered pastel pink jeans. Booya.

Boys wore muscle shirts and *really* tight jeans. Mini-skirted punk girls with big buckled elastic belts. Expo paraphernalia. Crimped hair.

We discussed the technology of NES - 8 bits! Someone had a pair of NASA engineered sunglasses. Darryl just traded his Trans Am for a panel van. We were jealous of Duane and his aquisition of his parent's gas card. A mirror was set up on the table complete with lines of coke (ahem: flour). Nancy brought homebaked cookies. "They are safe cookies." It's the 80's afterall.

Later in the living room he came to visit. He makes me laugh. He makes me very happy. The warmth he radiates consumes me. I imagined, as we talked about picture books, him leaning over to lick chocolate off my chin.

The soundtrack included Bachman Turner Overdrive, Ratt, Michael Jackson, Depeche Mode...

I was tying up my white Keds and he came to say goodbye. Where people normally hugs, he does the Cool Handshake thing. You know. That thing. And then the ex came by and was drunkenly telling me something about Americans while leaning closer and closer to my face and me and...

Chaz sleeps on an air mattress. He lugged 4 retro beater kitchen chairs up the hill from a Free pile. He shaved his beautiful thick brown hair into a mullet! And I still think he's absolutely perfect.


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