Peanuts
He gave her a brown bag of peanuts, in that empty newborn auditorium. They sat side by side and swung their legs like little kids.
"I ate bandaid once." she said.
"I ate dirt once." He replied politely.
"Everyone eats dirt silly."
She patronized well.
The peanuts snapped and crackled, they weren't quite salty enough but she smacked and licked her paper lips with determination.
"Why'd you eat a bandaid?" He asked, knowing it was the right thing to do.
She shrugged, "Because I could. Why not?"
"No dare? No story? Nothing? Jesus!" He cracked his knuckles, a habit which he knew she didn't like, but it was music to sooth for him, and she almost gagged.
"You're a useless, hopeless slob." She said with dignity.
"I am." He held equal dignity.
"Oh darling, you're positively useless."
He smiled, his sweet and sour smile, “Of course, and you are…?”
“We should get ice cream.”
“Later, I’m too lazy to get up.”
His name was Muffins, and her name was Twinkle-Toes. Muffins was a druggie, a bouncer and one hot guy. Toesie was a simple doll, blonde on top of the head and fire on the inside of the head, she took off her clothes while guys and gals watched and loved every minute of it.
“Dontcha got anything stronger than peanuts?” She asked after a while, licking her fingers slowly, rubbing them along her tongue.
“I got a cigarette butt.”
She frowned, “Nah. I’ll wait to get back to my room.”
“You got a drink in your room?”
“Ah no, no you aren’t going back to my room.”
“Whatever.”
The sun was setting behind the auditorium now, this is what they’d come to see. They were watching the last light of that day baptize the surroundings. They would sometimes go out together, just to get away for a bit. Twinkle-Toes and Muffins weren’t really friends, they didn’t call themselves anything in fact. They just walked places together when they were bored. Everyone has those days, when you have nothing to do. So they’d go walking places, pick up peanuts or ice cream.
“Let’s pretend we’re normal people, eh Muffins?”
He snorted, “What do normal people even do? Do you know? ‘Cause I sure as hell don’t.”
“I don’t know.” Her voice got sad, “Let’s go down. Window shop. Pretend we’re a normal couple, doing nice couple-y things.”
“It’s almost night.”
“I can see that…”
“Well then let’s mosey on down to the harbor. We can do...what is it you said? Couple-y things.”
“Ice cream?”
“Ice cream. You’re on.”
Muffins shaded his dark eyebrows with a felt fedora, on his toned arm was Toesies manicured hand, her nails a delicate shade of pink.
“Two cones, vanilla, one with caramel.” He said, acting tough like he did when the sun came down.
Twinkle-Toes smiled at him, she found his act amusing. He looked just like a little boy at play. Like a gangster in a Humphrey Bogart movie.
Her’s was carmel.
“I got a box of macaroons waiting for me.” Muffins said.
“That’s dinner?” She asked, scandalized.
“Yeah, usually is. I don’t have much time.”
“Honey you’ll have to let me buy you dinner some night.”
Muffins smirked. “Some night.”
Muffins handled her easier than most, she supposed this was because he didn’t want anything from her. Which was nice for a change, which is why they didn’t call themselves anything. Not even friends. Acquaintances, if anything at all. Muffins was a nice arm to lean on, he was a nice guy who bought her snacks when she probably shouldn’t have them. She did have a figure to keep up.
“You gotta admit.” Muffins said, “It’s a nice night out tonight.”
“I wonder if it had a choice, the night I mean. I wonder...I wonder if just this once it didn’t want to come out and show off. Maybe it would rather stay in bed.”
“Maybe, I don’t know. I never thought about it.”
“No I suppose you haven’t. You wouldn’t.”
“You tryin’ to tell me it’s not all fluff in there?” Muffins tried to change the subject.
“Ah shut up. Leave us be. The night and me. She don’t want to be talked about, and neither do I.”
“Okay, okay Toesies. Don’t-”
“Shut up.”
“Buy me dinner later.”
“I already said I would.”
“I know. But I meant...Tonight.”
“Fine. Anything to get you to shut up.”
“And I’ll take you out for a breather tomorrow?”
“Maybe. We’ll see.”
They walked the pavement home, and tied it to the light posts right outside the shining neon lights.
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