It's getting better, isn't it? I think so...so much so I can't even bear to look at the older stuff at the bottom! I worry at what shocking errors I will find...maybe it's better that way; signs of progression!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
...baking
In his faded black hoody, horrendously baggy jeans and skater sneakers, Dylan stood in the 30º heat. Slouching from one foot to another, his chubby body was vertically challenged.
Arthur arrived on the scene dressed as one should for a summer's day. Sporting a white t-shirt, khaki shorts and very trendy flip-flops, he looked the business, despite having an early 20th century name. The contrast between the two teens was palpable in the extreme.
"Alright?" Arthur asked in a dulcet tone as he sat on a bench.
"A'ight." Dylan responded in a single syllable.
"Been here long, mate?"
"Nah. Coupla mins." Dylan lied, having no idea how long he had been really staring into the doorway of Greggs the Bakers. Arthur's stream of conversation had been headed off at the pass with 3 words. He thought long and hard about the next question as nothing was forthcoming from the mono-syllabic hoody.
"You must be sweating like a pig."
"I'm a'right, not that hot." A mixture of vowels and consonants almost blended into one word.
"Oh, right." Arthur observed that Dylan hadn't looked in his direction once. He wasn't just perusing a pasty, but the pretty petite girl serving cakes and baguettes. Arthur knew Dylan fancied Gail for as long as he could recall.
"Are you waiting for Gail?" Arthur smiled knowingly.
"Um, no." Dylan snorted and sucked his teeth.
"Still wanting to ask her out?"
"NO! I'm...just bidin' me time, innit?" he knew the words but didn't know what they meant. Dylan turned away, suitably embarrassed to be called out in public.
In the distance a church bell chimed; midday waits for no man. Arthur looked down at his watch instinctively. Within a heartbeat Arthur stood and headed towards the bakers.
Arthur waited; cool as cucumber and cress. Dylan looked on perplexed, shuffling in his sweaty socks and shoes. He watched Arthur get closer to Gail, ever closer. She knelt down to retrieve a small white box. As she rose, he leaned over the counter and softly kissed her on the lips. Dylan's eyes lit up from within the dark cavern of his hood, fuming with teen angst.
Arthur left the shop beaming.
"Woss in there?" Dylan steamed.
Arthur flipped the lid open to show a single cookie inside with red heart shaped icing.
"Why'd she give you dat?" his blackened fingernails stabbed at the box.
"Because she's my girlfriend now...mate." Arthur said, as matter of absolute undeniable fact.
"Wha?" Dylan threw back his hood as confusion and turmoil reigned supreme.
"Snooze you lose, fella. As our English teacher said 'you can take a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.'" With that, Arthur gave Dylan the box, bit into his cookie and walked away.
Dylan had no idea what that meant or what had just happened but he knew that his summer was now completely ruined.