the park bench

t e n

t e n

lark: any news you want to share or are we just going to sit here awkwardly like yesterday?

joanne: not especially.

lark: then tell me in detail why you first came to the park.

joanne: did i not tell you?

lark: you just said "fuck my parents" and then we introduced ourselves and then you left

joanne: wow my socializing skills have worsened

lark: yeah, tell me about it.

joanne: hey, only i'm allowed to insult myself.

lark: whatever, just tell me about everything.

joanne: they're getting a divorce out of nowhere. i got angry and climbed out my window at 1am and just walked.

lark: that's it?

joanne: that's it.

lark: well, that wasn't as exciting as i thought it would be.

joanne: what did you expect?

lark: your parents have been fighting for nights now, shouting and throwing furniture that you would later have to replace out of your own pocket money. on a particular nasty night, thunder and rain beat against the windows, your mother let out a screech, you and your brother race down the stairs to see your mother on the floor with her heart in shatters, the door is wide open, car is gone and your father? gone.

joanne: well, that was dramatic.

lark: i'm not done yet.

joanne: sorry for real.

lark: he returned a few days later, sat you all down, including your grief stricken and worrying mother. he told you that he's killed someone while drunk, got an std and was diagnosed with cancer. your entire life just seems to fall apart, your father, the kind, loving and intelligent father, was gone. he requested a divorce and said the 'i love yous' just before the police slammed your door down.

joanne: whoa.

lark: that was the last you've seen of him and no one has bothered to visit.

joanne: you should become a writer.

lark: that's the dream.

joanne: really?

lark: yup.

joanne: by the way, shouldn't the last i see of him be in trial.

lark: did i say it was the edited version? leave the story telling for the story tellers, joanne.

joanne: whatever.

lark: don't whatever me, young lady.

joanne: whatever, whatever, whatever, whatever.

lark: you're an awfully annoying, pessimistic girl who's a bit too trusting of strangers.

joanne: correct. you're a wonderfully grumpy, slightly optimistic, mysterious girl who's gay and has a bad attitude. you also have blue or grey eyes which i can never figure out and crappy blonde hair.

lark: excuse me?

joanne: you heard me, crappy blonde hair.

lark: what do you mean you can't figure it out, i've obviously got blue eyes!

joanne: wow.