Life on Banana Street
Pizza
The next day of settling in was rough. Everywhere I went, Mandy followed. She was kinda fat too. I asked people around campus what she was like. They called her Butt Walker. Why? I don’t really know. All I did know was I missed Gabe. Already. I wanted to call him but no one was allowed off campus until we got our schedules. They were calling people alphabetically through the loud speaker of the rooms. Finally, they called the H’s. I headed to the administrative office all the way across the school along with some other people. I’m glad Butt Walker’s last name started with a B: Buckwalter. After about 15 minutes of standing, looking at the wall, they called my last name and yes, I was first. “Adeline Brittany Hersh?”
“Here.” I walked up there and they handed me stacks of stuff that I didn’t even know what some of it was, but that’s why I’m in college. Then, I walked all the way back to the dorm and saw something utterly disgusting. Mandy was…let’s just say with a girl. “Oh God!” I shielded my eyes with my papers.
“Care to join us?” Mandy asked.
“No thank you. I’ll be going now. Bye.” I ran out of the room and walked around the campus. And you know who I saw? Jeff. “Jeff?”
“Addie! Long time, no see!”
“We just saw each other at my party…”
“Oh yeah…”
I laughed. “Wow Jeff.”
“What? Us Asians forget stuff like that.” I was so tired I just kinda fell into him.
“Whoa.” He pushed me back up.
“Sorry. I’m just tired.”
“Why don’t you go back to your dorm?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Why not?” He asked.
“Lezbo,” I mumbled.
“What? You’re a lezbo? Actually, that’s kinda hot…”
“No! I’m not a lezbo!”
“Then why did you say lezbo? Ohhhh. I get it…”
“Chyeah.”
“So Addie, you get your schedule?”
“Um yeah! I was in the same line as you!”
“You were?”
“Yeah, but you were already gone when I got there.”
“Where’s your dorm?” He asked.
“Over there.” I pointed to the door with the sign ‘Do Not Disturb’ on it.
“Oh really? Mine’s near the administrative office.”
“That explains it…” He smiled and hugged me.
“Ok?”
“Sorry Ads, I just missed you.” I decided it was ok and returned the hug. After all, he was my friend.
“Hey Addie, you wanna go get some pizza tonight?”
“Not like a date or anything right?”
“No. Just friends.”
I looked up at him. “Yeah, sounds great.”
He returned the smile. “Alright. I’ll come by your dorm at…” he looked at his watch. “Around 7:30?”
“Yeah! That’s a good time.”
He laughed. “Nervous?”
“No!”
“Yeah, I’ve seen it before. All those white girls afraid of the asianist.”
I laughed. “What?”
“Yeah, you know you like that.”
“Right…”
He chuckled. “Ok, I’ll let you go.”
“Ok.” I went back to the room and by then, the girls were gone. I changed into my green tank top and gray Capri pants with Billie’s belt he gave me. I looked at the clock. 6:00. I decided to walk around campus and see who I knew. I walked down one hallway and it looked like the Ghetto hallway. There was a black guy out there and he looked nice so I thought I’d say Hello. “Hi.”
“Yo, I’m Compton Ass Terry.”
I laughed. “I’m Addie.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Same here.” I smiled.
“So, why did you come down these parts?”
“Just wanted to explore the campus. Thought I’d start here.” He smiled a smile that looked like a smile of a high person with a smile.
“Yo, you mind if I join ya’s in yo dor’?”
“Um, actually, you can’t because I have to get ready to go out with my friend and-”
“You’re gonna get freaky wit him ain’tcha?”
“No! We’re just going out for pizza. I already have a boyfriend.”
“So why ain’tcha goin wit him?”
“Because he’s in California.”
“Why you’s here?”
“Collage.”
“Why ain’tcha go ta California collage?”
“Because I’ve always wanted to go here.”
“What so diffy here ‘n’ thur?”
“Nothing. Just wanted to come here.” He smiled that smile again. What was wrong with him?
“Well…thoughtchoo hadda get ready.”
“I do.”
“Den why ain’tcha?”
“Fine! Do you want me to go?”
“Nah. I like you’s.”
I smiled. “Good to know. Well, I’ll be going now.”
“Aight.” I hurriedly walked back to my room and realized I had already gotten ready. Wow. Well, I’ll just stay here and…relax. I woke up to beating on the door. I looked at the clock. Crapolla! It was 8:45. I overslept…
I opened the door and there was Jeff. “Sorry, I fell asleep.” [i just realized the significance of this line]
He laughed. “Yeah I can tell.” He reached out and touched my head.
“Whoa!” I pulled his hand back.
“What? I was fixing your hair. It’s all funkified.”
“Oh.” I laughed a weird laugh. “I knew that.” I got my brush and, you know, brushed it.
“So, are you ready to go?” He asked.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Alrighty then.” We walked out the door and into the pizza parlor down the street.
-Pizza Parlor-
The waiter sat us down at a table and took our drink orders. “What would you like to drink tonight, ma’am?”
“Um tea please. I don’t drink Coke.”
“Ok…And for you sir?”
“Uh can I get a Dr. Pepper?”
“Of course.”
“Ok.”
“Alright I will be right back with your drinks. You can go over to the pizza parlor over there and pick out your pizza.”
“Thank you,” I said. He smiled and went back into the kitchen area. Jeff and I walked over to the pizza parlor where it looked like a Subway…but with pizza.
“What can I get for you, ma’am?” Asked the lady behind the counter.
“Mushroom…Hamburger…Canadian Bacon…and extra cheese.”
“Alright.” They made it right before my very eyes. “Here you go! And for you, sir?”
“Pepperoni…bell peppers…onion…and extra cheese.”
“Alright. Here you go!” We sat down at our table and our drinks were already there.
“Wow, this is great,” I said.
“What?”
“This. Reuniting with you again.”
He smiled. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool.”
I looked at my watch. “Oh shit!”
“What?” He choked on his pepperoni.
“It’s 9:00! They probably won’t let us back in the campus!”
“No, we got until 9:30 to be back.”
“Oh, well we better wrap it up.”
“If you hadn’t slept past 7:30...”
“Well sorry! I was tired.”
“Yeah ok. You just didn’t want to go on a date with a Sex God.”
“Jeff! What the hell?”
He laughed. “I knew that would getcha.”
“It scared me.”
“He He.”
A few minutes later, we were done and we paid the waiter and left. We got to the campus and are stomachs dropped ever lower. The doors were closed. “Jeff! I thought you said the doors closed at 9:30!”
“That’s what I was told! Don’t take it out on me!”
“Ugh. Well I guess we just sit out here.”
“Nope.”
“What do you mean nope?” I said.
“There’s someone right there.” I looked in the glass doors and there was an assistant person looking thingy coming our way.
“Yeah, but how’s she gonna know we go here?”
“We got ID’s Addie…”
“Oh yeah!”
The lady opened the door and said, “Can I help you people?”
“Yeah we need in.”
“Do you go here?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Then why were you out of the building?”
“We went to go get some food.”
“Oh, well, didn’t someone tell you that you weren’t allowed out until Friday?”
“No.”
“Oh, ok. Can I see some ID. Just to make sure?”
“Yeah.” We pulled out our ID and showed her.
“Alright. Well, now that someone has told you, don’t let me catch you two out here again.”
“You have our word,” Jeff said. She let us past her and we went up to our dorms and went to the crazy hallway party.
“Here.” I walked up there and they handed me stacks of stuff that I didn’t even know what some of it was, but that’s why I’m in college. Then, I walked all the way back to the dorm and saw something utterly disgusting. Mandy was…let’s just say with a girl. “Oh God!” I shielded my eyes with my papers.
“Care to join us?” Mandy asked.
“No thank you. I’ll be going now. Bye.” I ran out of the room and walked around the campus. And you know who I saw? Jeff. “Jeff?”
“Addie! Long time, no see!”
“We just saw each other at my party…”
“Oh yeah…”
I laughed. “Wow Jeff.”
“What? Us Asians forget stuff like that.” I was so tired I just kinda fell into him.
“Whoa.” He pushed me back up.
“Sorry. I’m just tired.”
“Why don’t you go back to your dorm?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Why not?” He asked.
“Lezbo,” I mumbled.
“What? You’re a lezbo? Actually, that’s kinda hot…”
“No! I’m not a lezbo!”
“Then why did you say lezbo? Ohhhh. I get it…”
“Chyeah.”
“So Addie, you get your schedule?”
“Um yeah! I was in the same line as you!”
“You were?”
“Yeah, but you were already gone when I got there.”
“Where’s your dorm?” He asked.
“Over there.” I pointed to the door with the sign ‘Do Not Disturb’ on it.
“Oh really? Mine’s near the administrative office.”
“That explains it…” He smiled and hugged me.
“Ok?”
“Sorry Ads, I just missed you.” I decided it was ok and returned the hug. After all, he was my friend.
“Hey Addie, you wanna go get some pizza tonight?”
“Not like a date or anything right?”
“No. Just friends.”
I looked up at him. “Yeah, sounds great.”
He returned the smile. “Alright. I’ll come by your dorm at…” he looked at his watch. “Around 7:30?”
“Yeah! That’s a good time.”
He laughed. “Nervous?”
“No!”
“Yeah, I’ve seen it before. All those white girls afraid of the asianist.”
I laughed. “What?”
“Yeah, you know you like that.”
“Right…”
He chuckled. “Ok, I’ll let you go.”
“Ok.” I went back to the room and by then, the girls were gone. I changed into my green tank top and gray Capri pants with Billie’s belt he gave me. I looked at the clock. 6:00. I decided to walk around campus and see who I knew. I walked down one hallway and it looked like the Ghetto hallway. There was a black guy out there and he looked nice so I thought I’d say Hello. “Hi.”
“Yo, I’m Compton Ass Terry.”
I laughed. “I’m Addie.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Same here.” I smiled.
“So, why did you come down these parts?”
“Just wanted to explore the campus. Thought I’d start here.” He smiled a smile that looked like a smile of a high person with a smile.
“Yo, you mind if I join ya’s in yo dor’?”
“Um, actually, you can’t because I have to get ready to go out with my friend and-”
“You’re gonna get freaky wit him ain’tcha?”
“No! We’re just going out for pizza. I already have a boyfriend.”
“So why ain’tcha goin wit him?”
“Because he’s in California.”
“Why you’s here?”
“Collage.”
“Why ain’tcha go ta California collage?”
“Because I’ve always wanted to go here.”
“What so diffy here ‘n’ thur?”
“Nothing. Just wanted to come here.” He smiled that smile again. What was wrong with him?
“Well…thoughtchoo hadda get ready.”
“I do.”
“Den why ain’tcha?”
“Fine! Do you want me to go?”
“Nah. I like you’s.”
I smiled. “Good to know. Well, I’ll be going now.”
“Aight.” I hurriedly walked back to my room and realized I had already gotten ready. Wow. Well, I’ll just stay here and…relax. I woke up to beating on the door. I looked at the clock. Crapolla! It was 8:45. I overslept…
I opened the door and there was Jeff. “Sorry, I fell asleep.” [i just realized the significance of this line]
He laughed. “Yeah I can tell.” He reached out and touched my head.
“Whoa!” I pulled his hand back.
“What? I was fixing your hair. It’s all funkified.”
“Oh.” I laughed a weird laugh. “I knew that.” I got my brush and, you know, brushed it.
“So, are you ready to go?” He asked.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Alrighty then.” We walked out the door and into the pizza parlor down the street.
-Pizza Parlor-
The waiter sat us down at a table and took our drink orders. “What would you like to drink tonight, ma’am?”
“Um tea please. I don’t drink Coke.”
“Ok…And for you sir?”
“Uh can I get a Dr. Pepper?”
“Of course.”
“Ok.”
“Alright I will be right back with your drinks. You can go over to the pizza parlor over there and pick out your pizza.”
“Thank you,” I said. He smiled and went back into the kitchen area. Jeff and I walked over to the pizza parlor where it looked like a Subway…but with pizza.
“What can I get for you, ma’am?” Asked the lady behind the counter.
“Mushroom…Hamburger…Canadian Bacon…and extra cheese.”
“Alright.” They made it right before my very eyes. “Here you go! And for you, sir?”
“Pepperoni…bell peppers…onion…and extra cheese.”
“Alright. Here you go!” We sat down at our table and our drinks were already there.
“Wow, this is great,” I said.
“What?”
“This. Reuniting with you again.”
He smiled. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool.”
I looked at my watch. “Oh shit!”
“What?” He choked on his pepperoni.
“It’s 9:00! They probably won’t let us back in the campus!”
“No, we got until 9:30 to be back.”
“Oh, well we better wrap it up.”
“If you hadn’t slept past 7:30...”
“Well sorry! I was tired.”
“Yeah ok. You just didn’t want to go on a date with a Sex God.”
“Jeff! What the hell?”
He laughed. “I knew that would getcha.”
“It scared me.”
“He He.”
A few minutes later, we were done and we paid the waiter and left. We got to the campus and are stomachs dropped ever lower. The doors were closed. “Jeff! I thought you said the doors closed at 9:30!”
“That’s what I was told! Don’t take it out on me!”
“Ugh. Well I guess we just sit out here.”
“Nope.”
“What do you mean nope?” I said.
“There’s someone right there.” I looked in the glass doors and there was an assistant person looking thingy coming our way.
“Yeah, but how’s she gonna know we go here?”
“We got ID’s Addie…”
“Oh yeah!”
The lady opened the door and said, “Can I help you people?”
“Yeah we need in.”
“Do you go here?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Then why were you out of the building?”
“We went to go get some food.”
“Oh, well, didn’t someone tell you that you weren’t allowed out until Friday?”
“No.”
“Oh, ok. Can I see some ID. Just to make sure?”
“Yeah.” We pulled out our ID and showed her.
“Alright. Well, now that someone has told you, don’t let me catch you two out here again.”
“You have our word,” Jeff said. She let us past her and we went up to our dorms and went to the crazy hallway party.