They went for several minutes, head down, before their breath petered out, sending their hands to their knees. "That was just her, right?" Stevonnie panted. "That wasn't us?" Could be... maybe Jenny was just guarding her sister? They did kind of, er, leave her hanging. Oh, no. "Again." They bopped their brow with the heel of one palm. What was wrong with them? They'd have to make it up to Kiki. This was getting absurd.
With a groan they swiveled their head. Where was this? Mailboxes. Shade. Some kinda... residential? They hugged their chest, and propped against a wrought iron fence for support. "Today was supposed to be different," they breathed. "It was going to be our day. Why are things always so hard?" Sinuses starting to fill. Side of their hand jackhammered against the bridge of their nose. Work free an airway. "It feels so good to be me. Why can't we figure this out?"
Silence. The sound of a car, idling. A few birds. Some kids in a distant kerfuffle. No thoughts. No words. No answer. Inside or out. "Hello?" They snarled. "So it's just me now? Anyone?"
"Oh, hey. I know you. Don't I?" That voice. Like Minnesota with a coastline.
They looked up. "Oh. Hey, Sadie." Right. Knew this street looked familiar. Kinda.
"Hi. You okay? I'm sorry, I—I don't remember your name." Sadie was just, planted there. Not even on the sidewalk; partway across the street. What was she doing?
Stevonnie pulled themself upright, with a grunt. "Yeah. Yeah! Yeah, just. I dunno, having a moment." They palm-heeled their eye, and plastered on a smile. "It's Stevonnie."
"Oh, hey. Stevonnie. Another 'S.' That's just, um, swell. Heh." Sadie blushed, and shuffled a foot. "You sure I can't do something? Looks like a pretty big moment you got there."
"Well, er." Yeah, it was, it was Jenny. It's, we're fine. Ugh, we're just, we're fine. Reel it in. "Sadie, you, um, you live around here, right?"
"Yeah," Sadie chirped. "Just 'round the corner, there. I live with my mom. I was saving up for my own place, but, uh, money's been kinda short lately." Her palms kept rubbing the sides of her jeans, for some reason. "I've got a band, you know! That's why, uh, it'd be nice to have my own space to, um, but that's..." Her voice had trailed to a mumble.
"Do you know a good place for clothes?" At a thought, "Not, like, fancy prom stuff. Just, everyday clothes?"
"Clothes?" Sadie seemed startled. "Oh. Yeah. Well, I get most of mine at the thrift store on Buddy Lane. It's no good for socks or underwear, but, I mean, that's where I go first. It can be hard to find things in my size." The widest eyes peered Stevonnie up and down. "Looks like you might have the same problem."
Stevonnie mirrored Sadie's gaze. What did she mean?
"How tall are you, anyway? Er, if you don't mind me asking?" Did Sadie even blink?
"Me? I, uh..." What sort of question was...
Abruptly Sadie turned away. "Oh, sorry, sorry. Never mind. I didn't—"
"No, no, you're fine." And, she was. Kind of. They could deal with this. Stevonnie reached out to Sadie's shoulder, briefly, for assurance. "I guess I never thought about it." They grinned, and stood to their full height.
Sadie looked on, more confidently. "Oh yeah. You're gonna need some big-and-tall there." She paused. "Well, the tall. I'm not saying, uh, just." Silence, and a blink. "Yeah, look at that."
Stevonnie held up a hand. "Well, thanks, Sadie. I'll get out of your hair. Buddy Lane, right?"
"Yeah. Buddy." Sadie returned the gesture. "Um. Bye."
YOU ARE READING
Water Pressure
FanfictionA series of events encourages Stevonnie to stake out a claim for their own identity. Who is Stevonnie, really? What does it mean to be them?
