I have been followed for five days now, by that moment
at the end of the conversation
which started
when the woman (who used to be a girl) said to me as I was paying for my book,
‘are you ThirdCat?’
and I said ‘yes’
and she was standing at my right, and the counter was to my left
so that I was caught between two conversations, both constructed of simple words but less obvious relations
and she said – at the same time as I – ‘we were at school together’
and her skin is not as soft as mine, but I am carrying more weight
and then she said ‘I saw you on television’
but because of the conversation to my left there was an immodest pause before I said ‘what are you doing these days’
when I could have said you let me borrow your Sweet Dreams books or I liked the way you signed your name and the colour of your hair.
adelaide from adelaide 
But what about the bubble writing and shading on her school projects?
HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT?
Also the borders on her title pages…
And the way she dotted the i in her name with a heart.
Aah; one’s past pops up when least expected . . .
and her derwent pencils…I’ll bet she had the whole box.
I spend weeks rethinking conversations…
…but I couldn’t write them down. You have a great knack with dialogue.
She just sounded like One of Those Girls. You know, how like I’m not The Chosen.
Who cares about old school chums, you’ve been on TV!!! Whoot, TV!
Yes, and being on TV beats carrying less weight hands down.
Not that you would be competitive with someone who sounds like a perfectly nice girl.
Did you read the Jessica-and-Elizabeth books as well? Was it Sweet Valley High?
What &D said about rethinking conversations!
Ah, it’s Adelaide, you’re bound to run into her again, you know. This post perfectly captures nostalgia mixed with girlhood; girlhood before you notice boys in a big way.
Larissa signed her ‘i’ with a stawberry, not a heart.
We competed in Home Science. I won.
She became School Captain.
I wonder if she thinks about me too …..
I doubt it 🙂