Phase XIII: Transition Phase Theta (Straining The Chains of Adolescence)
The trees whizzed past the train like little snakes that would slither away when predators approached. Two girls sulked in their graffiti stained seats, feet firmly placed atop them, despite the weakness of the signs politely requesting them to do otherwise. They were both dressed in tracksuits, even though their stature indicated no predilection for sport. They doubted whether they ever picked up a ball in their lives - and if they did, they’d have no idea what to do with it. There they sat. The train slowed and beeped, spat out its passengers only to let more on, its jaws closing as it gathered itself together for yet another journey. Maria turned off her Game Boy in a huff.
“What?” whined Katarina.
“Nuffing. I’m bored.” sighed Maria.
“You’re stupid too, but you don’t see me complaining.”
A comment quickly regretted when Katarina struck her leg.
“Ow! Anyway, I’ve got some goss for you.”
“Is it that one with you and Billy behind the…”
“No, stupid, it’s a different one.”
Katarina prepared to lap up Maria’s exaggerations and outright fabrications, as Maria readied her lungs for an all out assault on respectability and coherence. Maria was a peculiar communicator. The juicier the gossip, the more she sped up, and the less Katarina could understand.
“Orrite, so there was Jim right, and he works for AVC right…”
Katarina interjected. “What do they do?”
“I dunno…he works in an office. Office stuff. Anyway, he was told by his boss to take out some people…businessmen for drinks. They said they would pay him back, but told him ‘don’t rack up more than five hundred dollars.’”
“Right.” Katarina said, puzzled.
“Yeah, so they had some drinks, and some more drinks, and Jimmy got drunk.”
“Yeah?”
She stroked the air to emphasize. “Blynd. It was funny.”
“Were you there?”
“Nah, but Nick was.”
“Oh yeah, go on.”
“As I was saying, they were drinkingandJimmygotdrunk. The business people saw his credit card and they startedtobuymoredrinks!”
“So, what happened?”
“Jimmy got his bill last month, and they racked up about one thousand five hundred dollars.”
“Did he freak?” Buzzed Katarina.
“Yeah, of course! He was so cut. Then he went to his boss, the guy who looks after payments and shit like that.”
“Did they pay him back?” Maria retaliatorily hit Katarina on the chest.
“Stop interrupting me, stupid! I was about to get to that. He went and showed them this bill. He said to them ‘you know, I took these guys out on my spare time and shit, you’re a multimillion dollar company, just take care of it for me’ and they said ‘nahwe’renotgonna payyouthatmuchbecausewetoldyounottorackupthatmuch’ and they got into a huge fight about it.”
“Did he have to pay it all?” Katarina enquired as the door beeped above her.
“Yeah! A thousand of it anyway. You should have seen the look on his face but. All his friends were giving him shit for it.”
“Poor guy. I think Jimmy’s cute.”
“Shut up, I saw him furst but.”
The pair got up in readiness to alight; exiting the train to spin more lies and add excitement where there was none again, and again, and again...
“What?” whined Katarina.
“Nuffing. I’m bored.” sighed Maria.
“You’re stupid too, but you don’t see me complaining.”
A comment quickly regretted when Katarina struck her leg.
“Ow! Anyway, I’ve got some goss for you.”
“Is it that one with you and Billy behind the…”
“No, stupid, it’s a different one.”
Katarina prepared to lap up Maria’s exaggerations and outright fabrications, as Maria readied her lungs for an all out assault on respectability and coherence. Maria was a peculiar communicator. The juicier the gossip, the more she sped up, and the less Katarina could understand.
“Orrite, so there was Jim right, and he works for AVC right…”
Katarina interjected. “What do they do?”
“I dunno…he works in an office. Office stuff. Anyway, he was told by his boss to take out some people…businessmen for drinks. They said they would pay him back, but told him ‘don’t rack up more than five hundred dollars.’”
“Right.” Katarina said, puzzled.
“Yeah, so they had some drinks, and some more drinks, and Jimmy got drunk.”
“Yeah?”
She stroked the air to emphasize. “Blynd. It was funny.”
“Were you there?”
“Nah, but Nick was.”
“Oh yeah, go on.”
“As I was saying, they were drinkingandJimmygotdrunk. The business people saw his credit card and they startedtobuymoredrinks!”
“So, what happened?”
“Jimmy got his bill last month, and they racked up about one thousand five hundred dollars.”
“Did he freak?” Buzzed Katarina.
“Yeah, of course! He was so cut. Then he went to his boss, the guy who looks after payments and shit like that.”
“Did they pay him back?” Maria retaliatorily hit Katarina on the chest.
“Stop interrupting me, stupid! I was about to get to that. He went and showed them this bill. He said to them ‘you know, I took these guys out on my spare time and shit, you’re a multimillion dollar company, just take care of it for me’ and they said ‘nahwe’renotgonna payyouthatmuchbecausewetoldyounottorackupthatmuch’ and they got into a huge fight about it.”
“Did he have to pay it all?” Katarina enquired as the door beeped above her.
“Yeah! A thousand of it anyway. You should have seen the look on his face but. All his friends were giving him shit for it.”
“Poor guy. I think Jimmy’s cute.”
“Shut up, I saw him furst but.”
The pair got up in readiness to alight; exiting the train to spin more lies and add excitement where there was none again, and again, and again...