2. I've Never Seen 'Dirty Dancing' and I Never Will

The snow leopard and white.

I was wearing a white t-shirt. I felt the water splash on it, and thought nothing of the fact that my shirt was white. My chest was visible to myself and my other friend. I have this habit of closing my eyes every time somebody says hello to me. That’s what I did when the water hit, and I crouched into a ball too.

It was all in slow motion, and probably would’ve looked great in a movie. When I got out of my fetal crouch, I had on a mask that resembled a snow leopard. My shirt was dry and it was cold. I wasn’t in my friend’s parking lot anymore, washing his car on a hot summer afternoon. I was on top of a mountain, surrounded by snow and wind and falling ice. I knew I was dreaming, so I crouched on all fours and leapt down the mountain. Before I knew it, my mask-teeth sunk into the thigh of a mountain goat. I crunched down over and over, then stopped biting and just held on. I was being dragged down by the goat that was still desperate to get away. It made sounds that were familiar, but from where I don’t know. 

As I and the goat were reaching the end of the mountain, I woke up and felt wet. I was laying on the pavement. When I closed my hands into fists, my fingernails scraped against the ground and it hurt my ears and teeth. I sat up and put my head in my hands for a minute. ‘Rooks’ by Shearwater was suddenly stuck in my head, and I began tapping my foot. After a minute, I looked up to see my friend’s hand extended out towards me. I grabbed it and he pulled me up. He let go of my hand and I grabbed his again, after which I began crying a little bit. Then I pulled him into an embrace, let go, and asked him if we could finished washing his car before dark.

I looked at my phone and it was late. I looked up, wiped some tears from my face (not before letting some fall into my mouth, just to allow the taste to assure I was awake), and told my friend that I was leaving. He said Okay and I walked to my car. I reached into my jean pockets and pulled out my keys, pressed the button to unlock the doors, got in, and drove away.

When I got home, my parents were out. Even so, it smelled like cigarettes and sex. I always grimaced at the smell, but secretly adored it. I hoped one day that I could share the smell with a lover, and that he too would pretend to hate it.

The light was off in my bedroom, and I didn’t bother to turn it on. I got undressed and lay down on the floor. The Shearwater song was still fresh in my head, even though I had forgotten all the lyrics. I counted my friends in my head and went to sleep. I wouldn’t wake up until the next morning.

Author's Note

You'll probably notice by now that I leave many details usually seen as important out. Personally, I prefer to have many physical details left up to me when reading, so I do the same in my writing. Paint this as a picture of whatever you'd like. The setting is up to you.