run like mad | clairo

two

anna toler's first day in town was marked by a long bus ride, traveling from boston to denton in three hours. the ride was marked by quiet conversation from other passengers and the thumping of rain onto the train car.

to her, the east coast wasn't really a place, but more of a backdrop for a j. crew ad. so far, she hadn't seen anyone her own age since she left los angeles. her father and new stepmother promised her that her new high school was "great" and the town was "charming" with "its own unique appeal."

in other words, she was headed to a town people only found in the illustrations of a hallmark card. it was weird how someone could be so wrong about something.

while anna unpacked her bags in her room, ross's mom brought over a batch of homemade cookies as a proper welcome. when anna came down the stairs and into the living room, she found ross's mom and her new stepmom grace chatting in the parlor. god, only grace would have a living room and a parlor.

"anna! i want you to meet mrs. adams. she's our neighbor and she has a son who goes to denton high," said grace, a cup of coffee in her hand while she turned to face anna.

"yes, ross is going to be a junior this year. i'm sure he would be happy to show you around town sometime," offered mrs. adams. anna decided to keep sweet and formed a tight smile with her lips.

"that would be nice," she remarked. it was a cool and casual statement that was unlikely to offend anyone.

"you see, anna's mom is taking a sabbatical in, uh, where is she taking the sabbatical, anna?" asked grace.

"switzerland. she's actually doing research for the next year," corrected anna.

"switzerland! of all places, it's such a scenic place as well. so anna decided to come live here with me and george and you know, i just hope that you can impart some wisdom about raising teenagers. you know, it's like stapling jello to a tree," rambled grace.

"stapling jello to a tree? well, if you use a cup for support, then it's actually rather easy," replied mrs. adams. anna contained her double take to rapid blinking. maybe mrs. adams wasn't so bad.

grace's giggle was pitchy, piercing through the room of the parlor and into anna's eardrums. anna introduced herself properly to mrs. adams and grabbed a cookie, retreating back to the room only after she ensured that she had her own car and would be able to drive herself to school instead of getting a ride with ross.

molly schiller drove a brand new mercedes benz, all black with a tendency to have the top down. she had just gotten her license a few days before she moved from long island to denton. she contemplated making a stop at the video store she had passed along on the way to buy groceries but decided to go another day.

molly and anna had inadvertently crossed paths at the local grocery store, wesson's. both were in the cereal aisle, going for their usual. anna chose frosted flakes while molly opted for cap'n crunch, with berries of course.

"nice choice," remarked anna, glancing over and realizing the dark haired girl wearing a plaid skirt was the first teenager she had seen in two days.

"thanks. you know, i consider this to be a food group all on its own," replied molly, a small smile forming on her face. anna smiled back and placed her box in her cart, then made her way to the chip aisle.

anna noticed molly getting into her car in the parking lot, her convertible parked horribly and technically taking up two spaces. she was definitely on the cheer squad, thought anna as she started her car and began to back out of the parking lot.

madzy spent the day at her house, bouncing between listening to cds she pilfered from her dad's collection and preparing everything for the following day. she braced herself for transitioning from the lazy dog days of summer to the rigid schedule that school seemed to provide, whether she wanted it or not.