A Long Way From Home

Chapter Ten: Invented by the Irish

      Sitting next to Faith was a lot better than sitting next to fish stick guy. Apparently, all you really needed was a few outfits and whatever personal belongings you wanted to bring with you.

      "Yeah," Faith reached her hand back into the bag of salt and vinegar chips she'd taken out from her never-ending pit of backpack. "The school gives you three uniforms, but you have to have weekend clothes."

       "Kind of like normal boarding school?" When her hand pulled out, I put mine in grabbing two and trying to make a duck bill with the flat chips.

       "Eh. If you wanna be boring." She looked at the chips in between my lips, giving me a sideways look that was either judgmental or unamused. "Let me show you how it's done." Faith's arm nearly disappeared back into this magic bag, up to her elbow in crap. A victorious light sparkled in her eyes. She held up a tube of Pringles, nearly taking everything else out with it. "These are the real bread-winners."

       Is that a thing people around here say?

       "Isn't a bread winner the person who makes the money for the house?" I asked as she popped open the lid. "How are Pringles money makers?"

      Faith paused. Thoughtfully, she tapped her chin with one hand, resting the tube between us on the conjoined seat. I was waiting for an answer, but she only reached in her hand and grabbed two Pringles, putting them in her mouth to make a successful duck bill.

      Then, through the duck bill, I could hardly believe my ears, she spoke without her lips touching a single time. "I dunno. I guess ducks like read so they are read winners."

       I cackled. I couldn't help it. I really couldn't. Here was this random person I'd met five minutes ago, and I was two seconds from snorting in front of them. A literal pig snort on this public transit because of a duck bill made out of chips.

      Faith laughed too, the chips falling into her mouth. She choked momentarily, coughing, but before I asked if she was okay she only started laughing louder. At this point, I was sure everyone on the bus hated us.

      Only twelve other people were on board, and most of them sat in the back. Faith and I were almost directly behind the driver.

       I grabbed two chips and put them in my mouth, duck billing it up in this bitch. Liz got another two and did the same, then reached down into her god forsaken portal and pulled out- you guessed it- a polaroid. Okay, maybe you didn't guess it.

       "We have to take a hick tour." That same ridiculous way of speaking without your lips being able to touch. Hilarious, but surprisingly hard to comprehend.

      "A what?"

       Context clues, Maeve, come on, you can do this. Faith just pointed to the polaroid camera then scooted closer.

      "Say cheese!"

      "Cheese?"

       Click! Flash! Other miscellaneous camera features!

       We both chomped down, crushing our bills to delicious bits and watching the white film square slowly print out.

       "I've never used one of those before," I commented as she held the corner and shook enthusiastically.

       "Really!? I love it. I really like film photography."

      "Yeah?"

     "Yeah!" She looked beyond excited to talk about it, and I was more than willing to be the avid listener to avoid losing a topic of conversation.