Girl

A short story about a girl.

Girl

By Miles B.

 

She was a happy girl, for the most part. Life was green, friends were close, and family was warm. She read secondhand books, paid her rent, and experienced car troubles (as most twenty-something’s do). She loved the smell of blueberry pancakes in the morning, although she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had them. She often awoke to the comforting aroma of coffee in the morning, even though she hated the bitter taste. Her father had brewed it, and now her roommate brewed it.

 

And she was happy, for the most part.

 

“Well that’s your opinion,” she mumbled as she hit the snooze alarm for the third time. “Alright, alright, you win.” Left foot first, Aimy swung herself out of bed and dragged her feet to the bathroom to turn on the faucet

 

“Good morning!” The roommate chirped.

“Hmph” said Aimy, proceeding to splash warm water onto her face.

“I work ‘til five today, but do you wanna grab dinner later?”

“Mmm” She nodded. The bathroom door shut and Aimy turned the shower to full heat, full blast.

 

* * *

 

She was in Trader Joes, browsing the vino selection. The wooden clock above her was the old kind, with ticking hands and only four numbers. It read at the acute angle of 10:55. Aimy knew it was AM, although the clock refused to say.

 

“The Naked Grape,” she said quietly, eyeing a simple looking bottle of white wine. It was a screw cap. It was a pinot. It had three circles and a leaf on the label. She plucked the bottle from the rack and proceeded to the checkout stands. She also found a plastic bag of banana chips on the way.

 

“Hello.” The cashier smiled at her. He was probably her age. Maybe older.

She smiled back.

“Big day?” he laughed, gesturing to her carefully picked purchases. She looked back at him, and then glanced over to her total. She paid with a credit card.

“Well enjoy!” He continued as the machine spit up a freshly printed receipt.

“You too.” She mumbled, and crumpled the piece of paper in her pocket.

 

* * *

 

It was a sunny day in the city, and the park was nice. Aimy felt anonymous behind her aviators as she made her way to the center of the freshly mowed field. She didn’t have a blanket, but she dropped her bag onto the dry grass and sat down next to it, pulling out the bottle.

 

“Crrrk” the bottle went as she twisted it open.

 

She watched a man playing with his dog. He wore black gym shorts and running shoes as he chased around a black and white boarder collie. Aimy liked to imagine the dog had two different colored eyes. One green and one blue. It would run, chase, and fetch a faded tennis ball, then wait for the man to throw it again. The man would run around too.

 

She looked up. Clouds drifted lazily in the sky. She missed the days when she could see faces or shapes, even whole kingdoms in their white fluffiness. Now the wispy blobs simply sauntered in and out of existence, never quite staying the same shape or in the same place for very long. Some clouds looked higher up than others.

 

Her bottle was getting lighter, and it was getting easier to drink while lying down. She crunched on a few banana chips.

 

* * *

 

She awoke later. It was dusk out but she could still see. A metal cap rested painfully beneath her side. She gathered her belongings, and tucked her crushed banana chips back into her purse, and recycled her green tinted bottle as she left the park to walk home.

 

“Where were you?” She heard as she got back to her apartment.

“At the park.” She replied.

“I tried calling you for dinner but you didn’t pick up, so Chris and I just grabbed something quick after work.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Why didn’t you pick up?”

“Hmm?”

“Why didn’t you pick up when I called?”

“Oh I guess I left my phone here.” Aimy shifted her weight and dropped her gaze.

“Hm. Well you look like you got some sun.” Her roommate said.

“Yeah, I think I fell asleep for a bit.”

“Okay, well I’m going to take a shower, but we should go out tonight. I don’t have work until three tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.” Aimy replied.

 

And she was happy, at least for the most part.

Author's Note

I was experimenting with a new, stripped down style. In my head I have a vision for her actions or the themes I want to express, but I'm not sure if they translate.