Learning the Ropes

Just as I pulled a pair of Vans on, I heard an impatient horn blare. Obviously done by my best friend. I rolled my eyes at her (yet again), grabbed my wallet keys and phone, locked up my top floor apartment and stepped into the elevator to go down to my best friend. As I got out of the elevator, I heard her beep again. Yeah, yeah, I thought, I’m coming. I rolled my eyes at her again (I really need to get them checked), and jogged out of my apartment building towards her car. I opened the passenger’s door, climbed up into her SUV and shut the door behind me.

“Keep your knickers on, Mad,” I grinned.

“Can’t help it.”

“Pfft.”

“Where do you want to go today?” she asked.

“Dunno.”

“It was your idea to hang and you don’t even have a plan for the day?”

“No. I figured we’d come up with something when we started hanging.”

“You mean, you want me to think of something?”

“Pretty much. I don’t care where we go. I went to the library yesterday,” I said.

“Wait, wait...woah...why did you mention that?”

I shrugged and looked out the window as she drove away. “Thought you should know.”

“Okay, what’s on your mind?”

“What?” I asked innocently, “nothing!”

“Don’t lie, Mitchell. It’s a bad habit.”

I rolled my eyes. “What makes you think I’m not telling you the truth?”

“Everything, c’mon. I’ve known you for years, Mitchell. I can tell when you’re lying.”

“How can you tell?”

“Stop avoiding questions, Mitchell, and answer my damn first question: what’s on your mind?” she asked.

“Eh. I’m just in a bit of a weird mood.”

“Why?”

“At the library yesterday, I bumped into someone...and I just feel like I recognise him, but I don’t know where from. It’s eating me alive because I want to know where he’s from...and then maybe get to know him.”

“Do you have any idea where you met him?”

“No idea. No fucking idea. I’ll just have to search for him until I find him.”

“Let’s start at the library?”

I wrinkled my nose and replied, “Nah. He’s not likely to be at the library a second day in a row.”

“Yeah right. Where do you wanna go then?”

“Dunno. Somewhere. If you take me to the library again, I’ll get more books out and then I won’t be able to read all of them within four weeks and I’ll break my arms, or somebody else’s arms, by taking them all back.”

She rolled her eyes. “That won’t happen.”

“Uh huh. Yeah, it will. I got nine books yesterday. I don’t need anymore.”
___

My friend finally found a place for us to hang out that wasn’t the library; the park. Once I got out of her car, I ran straight to the swings...which were full of little kids. I scowled as she came up next to me.
“Why are you upset now, Mitchell?” she asked.
I scowled again. “Because you think I’m just a prissy bitch. You think I overreact to everything.”
“Well, you kinda do.”
“I do not!” I frowned, “what do I overreact to?”
“This, for one thing.”
“I’m not making a big deal!”
“Uh, yeah you are. You’re childish and stubborn too.”
“Stop! You’re meant to be my friend, not my fucking critic. If you don’t wanna hang out, just say so...don’t be a bitch.”
“We’re two of a kind though, darling.”
I raised an eyebrow. “How?”
“Because we’re both prissy little bitches!”
I raised an eyebrow again. “I’m not a prissy little bitch. I’m a prissy little diva.”
“Yeah,” she rolled her eyes, “because there’s a big difference with bitch and diva.”
“Hey, at least I admitted I’m prissy.”
“Okay,” she declared, “this is boring.”
I nodded. “Uh huh. Find a park where all the swings are free.”
“Or we could go to a bar.”
“Or we could go to a bar,” I agreed, “should we drop your car off and get a taxi instead?”
“That, is a very good idea.”