[lj idol] introduction | "I'm all out for the war..."
“Hi!” I say. I smile widely, too widely. I pull it back in as I remember my teeth aren’t exactly straight, the skin around my eyes not as elastic as it once might have been. “I’m-”
He cuts me off. Shakes his head in a manner I have little difficulty interpreting. “Oh, I know who you are,” he states, like it’s fact. “There’s no mistaking it.”
All of my insides pause; I can feel the tip of my tongue against the back of my front teeth. This could go one of a number of ways… It always does after all.
You’re Lucy’s sister, he might say. The older one. Not the oldest one though, the middle one. You look just like her, you know! Do you miss her? I hear she’s living on the mainland these days. In Sydney, yes? What about you? Still at home? Still studying? Still working at the pharmacy on weekends? Well, it was nice seeing you.
Tell her I said hi, he’ll invariably finish, already turning, already starting to walk away, not even waiting for me to confirm that I will.
Or if not that, then this. Perhaps…
You’re David’s daughter. And there’ll be pity, learned, like he knows that’s how he’s supposed to sound when he talks to me. I used to be a friend of your dad’s, back in the day. Boy oh boy, the stories I could tell. It’s hard to believe it’s been twenty years since… well, since then. What’s your mum up to these days?
A lot of people miss your dad, you know? he’ll probably add. Like he’s just being nice. Like maybe I’m not one of them. Like there’s no possible way on Earth I’m the one person that misses him the very most…
And sometimes, depending on the location, it’s this. This one might be my favourite.
You’re Jack’s girlfriend, he’ll proclaim. I’m not. I never have been. I don’t want to be.
I won’t bother to offer up a correction, it’ll be less awkward that way. I’ll just smile, not too wide this time, not with my crooked teeth and my wrinkled face. I’ll just smile, small, and say I have to go.
It’s all true.
None of it’s true.
I’m Leesa.
“Hi.”
***
He cuts me off. Shakes his head in a manner I have little difficulty interpreting. “Oh, I know who you are,” he states, like it’s fact. “There’s no mistaking it.”
All of my insides pause; I can feel the tip of my tongue against the back of my front teeth. This could go one of a number of ways… It always does after all.
You’re Lucy’s sister, he might say. The older one. Not the oldest one though, the middle one. You look just like her, you know! Do you miss her? I hear she’s living on the mainland these days. In Sydney, yes? What about you? Still at home? Still studying? Still working at the pharmacy on weekends? Well, it was nice seeing you.
Tell her I said hi, he’ll invariably finish, already turning, already starting to walk away, not even waiting for me to confirm that I will.
Or if not that, then this. Perhaps…
You’re David’s daughter. And there’ll be pity, learned, like he knows that’s how he’s supposed to sound when he talks to me. I used to be a friend of your dad’s, back in the day. Boy oh boy, the stories I could tell. It’s hard to believe it’s been twenty years since… well, since then. What’s your mum up to these days?
A lot of people miss your dad, you know? he’ll probably add. Like he’s just being nice. Like maybe I’m not one of them. Like there’s no possible way on Earth I’m the one person that misses him the very most…
And sometimes, depending on the location, it’s this. This one might be my favourite.
You’re Jack’s girlfriend, he’ll proclaim. I’m not. I never have been. I don’t want to be.
I won’t bother to offer up a correction, it’ll be less awkward that way. I’ll just smile, not too wide this time, not with my crooked teeth and my wrinkled face. I’ll just smile, small, and say I have to go.
It’s all true.
None of it’s true.
I’m Leesa.
“Hi.”
***