uncool, stanley barber

11

11 - what could be more shakespearean?

"hey, baby" stanley entered the bowling alley, exaggerating the word to sound like: bayyyyyyybee.

"oh, hi" i say coldly. "how was your drive?"

"ah, syd just needed help with groceries. then she didn't even get them. i don't know. something weird happened but i don't know" he explained as he moved closer to me.

i smiled and crossed my arms. "you're so selfless, stanley barber to the rescue."

he chuckles at my joke before seeing the look of betrayal in my eyes. "i'll make it up to you-"

"you, don't have to" i said, putting on my colour block jacket.

"let's go to the football game" he smirks at me before hugging me tight. "it's such a teenage cliché. but what more reason to go?"

when we arrive and sit on the far bleachers, i sip on my drink and watch stanley clap. he looks like he's actually enjoying something vaguely normal.

"stan, this is so lame" i chuckle at his enthusiasm.

"it's the opposite of lame, els. it's theatre" he gestures as i look out towards the cheerleaders being obnoxiously peppy and the footballers praised like kings.

"westinghouse memorial high school on a friday night. what could be more tragic?" he says. i take the liberty to listen to his reasons, but i shamelessly answer his rhetorical question.

"probably the work of mr william shakespeare" i sigh before sipping my drink again.

"exactly! what could be more shakespearean?" he exclaims with excitement to someone understanding him. "like when the lights come up on hamlet, you know it's not gonna end well."

then he starts to insult bradley and i can't help the twisted feelings inside of me. as much of a douchebag bradley is, dina's dating him. she totally invested at the moment.

"these are the people that'll actually attend the reunions 'cause, aside from this, nothing all that noteworthy is gonna happen to them" he says.

"and i like watching 'em cause, like hamlet. when it all goes to shit in the end and everyone dies."

i rest my head on his shoulder and sigh. he's probably got the most screwed up outlook on life, but if i can understand it, i must too.

i take his sunglasses and place them on my face, trying to do an impression of stanley. he raises a brow, knowing it's completely shit. "cute" he mumbles as he ruffles my hair.

"what can i say? wanna get high?" i sarcastically say.

"later" he replies and pulls the glasses down my nose to see my eyes. we hear a crash and direct our attention back to the game.

bradley lays in pain as he tries to stand properly, but his leg looks sorta fucked. he curses and throws his helmet down in frustration, as dina runs to the sidelines. still in his jacket.

"oh fuck" i say, pushing the glasses into my head "someone died."

"it's all going to shit" stanley replies to my hamlet reference. "come on, bradley!" he decides to cheer him on as i don't mind when people look over at us with strange looks.

the good girl and the weird guy, hanging out. if high school couldn't get any stranger.

i want to help 'support' bradley in mockery, but dina's concerned face stops me. she looks really emotional and i suddenly felt bad and guilty for bradley.

"uh, stan, i'm gonna go see if dina's alright" i say, getting up and placing his sunglasses on his curly head.

"want me to come?" he asks, concerned as well.

i think about it, but nod. "yeah, actually."

bit of a short one