Call Out

Johnathan Occisor

That's nearly a ninety-thousand dollars fee in a year, now if we take into consideration the twelve months consisting of 365 days (sans a leap year), that would make it about $7500 a singular month. That's the maximum fee paid for Family Tax Benefit, for a 'guardian' to take care of a child in the age range of 16-19 under the condition of secondary studies. Aside from the schooling fees and textbooks, add-ons  of other personal nonessential item fees such as clothing or presents for a friend are all layered onto me the moment I walked under the category of legal verification to work, so fifteen. The money you spend is the money you can't retrace so make your decision wisely, I painstakingly jab myself with this statement whenever I fish out my wallet.

   Hahaha... What a foul uncle.

Well, this seating is really uncomfortable.

   "Kay, I'll start with a McFlurry, drinks, food, anyone?" James who was squeezed between the two of them declared the leadership role, initiating himself as a representative who will in place pay for the food rather than the remaining wusses.

   "I'll have a Diet Coke," Kai chimes in, pulling up with a borrowed wooden chair from the neighbouring table to complete a pseudo-six-person dinner table." The titling genre to this type of restaurant is 'fast food', so it's supposed to be in and out with your food quickly and so it's not the type to have: 'sit around with idiots and eat food' under its label. So instead we appeared as six overgrown nuisance of a manchild teen, hogging over a table at your local Maccas.

   "Why not a regular Coke, you on a diet or somethin'?" James narrowingly confronts the conflicting suggestion, if Kai had wanted to drink soda, then why was he such a wuss about it?

   "Because I don't want to die from diabetes- do you want me to order myself?" Kai sensibly rebutted, preparing to get up for a breather.

   "WHAT THE FUCK, a McFlurry? Why not the cone?" Dale screamed when Mal whispered his order into his ear, his voice was not doing too well at the moment.

   "Can we not just pay ourselves?" Nat quickly scrolled through her photos, her boredom seized the extermination of any images she deemed ugly and unfit.

   "Nu*h uh, n*ot when we're stuck in this tightly p*acked seating arrangement..." Mal muttered.

   "Move it will you!" Kaid demanded, shuffling his chair about.

   "Fine," Nat rolled her eyes, somewhat worn out from their indecisive nature in selecting food and condiments, "I'll take some fries," Nat nudged me to my left, brushing her hair against my shoulders by accident (yet, still acting as if nothing had occurred), "How about you? You want anything J?"

   "Huh?" I was paralysed upon the mention of my name, assigned as anything aforementioned had simply bounced over and out of a thought's hindsight, "Oh. No, I'm good."

   It's a lot less taxing than what I believed it would be, hanging out with friends. Although I do have constraints on money, they didn't seem to mind. These foolish minds are exactly what they are to their core — fools. They're not intelligent, popular or talented, but perhaps a mismatched motley crew of real humans. Yet, their present makes a most amusing show.

   Like how they gossip or be so carefree in the mind, like living in the moment. Just like how Kai and James cannot for the live of them get along despite being 'friends' since their kinder days even when standing at the ordering screen; how Nat would smile and glance up from her phone to indulge in the conversation and to also grasp her ear while doing so for some unexplained reason; how Mal was always usually the loudest dude but doesn't do well with a sore throat; or Dale who just can't stop dishing out racist remarks especially in a public space because his 'white privilege' allowed him to or something (I do hope it's all jokes for fun and games, hopefully) or even how tightly squeezed I was in this six man, I meant, five man one girl table. It's... fun.