someone was disturbing the peace.”
Yep, there it is.
“Luckily, we were across the street. Looks like maybe it was you folks? So, what’s going on here, Connor?” the cop in front asks while he points his flashlight at us.
Todd leans over. “You know him?”
“We’ve met,” I say and then turn back to the cop. “Just a misunderstanding, Dan-o. I think everything is cool now.”
“Is it?” Officer Dan asks as he stares down each of us, pointing the flashlight as he goes.
Todd steps forward. “They poured paint in our washers.”
Tonya is leaning against the washing machines, turned away from the cops, and is quick to respond, “No, just an accident, just an accident, right girls?”
Even though Christy’s lip is split and bleeding, her and Debbie both nod agreement.
“How about we all ignore the mess and y’all head on home,” Officer Dan suggests, pointing his flashlight towards the door.
“Thanks, will do,” I answer.
And then Dan looks closer at Tonya. “Beth?” he asks, “Is that you?”
Now I realize that Tonya has been shying away from the cops.
“What in the hell are you doing here? Does your father know where you are?” the cop continues.
Tonya turns, holding up a hand to silence him, and quickly walks over and whispers something as she guides him outside.
The other cop rests his hands on his belt and nods at Debbie and Christy and then towards the door again, they take the suggestion and leave.
I see them grab their clothes baskets on the way out, but my attention is on Tonya and the animated conversation she is having with the cop. After a few minutes, Dan-o nods to his partner, who points his finger at Todd and me as a warning and leaves.
They get back in their cruiser, kill the flashers and drive away.
Tonya doesn’t come back in and I know she’s disappointed in me. She stands out there in the dark parking lot with her arms folded across her chest. The light from the Laundromat spills out through the glass and makes her seem far away. The whole thing makes me feel uncomfortable and ashamed.
I glance in the washers, our clothes are beyond ruined.
Todd and I just look at each other again, what can we say?
I think about everything that happened and strangely, the first thing I think about is how Tonya looked earlier, she really is petite and not even a little bit heavy. She looks more like an athlete, a curvy one, but still. She said she was one, so that makes sense. I also realize her skin is really pale, as in she has no tan — at all. Her skin looks like ivory. I can’t help thinking how sexy she looked standing there in her white lacey bra and those gray sweatpants with the top rolled over.
But the most confusing thing was seeing those big brown eyes alive with rage and how volatile she was. She’s always fairly positive, not exactly hopeful, but kind. I didn’t know she was capable of this level of violent anger, and then I remember her suicide attempt.
Tonya has more secrets than I thought and I don’t understand any of it, not the thing with the cops, not who her dad is or why that should matter, not why she got so aggressive with Debbie, and not why she hates Laundromats so much. I know this all means something, and I know it’s major. I’m not connecting the dots and it’s pissing me off.
“What a cluster-fuck. You think she’s going to talk about what just happened?” Todd asks quietly.
“Nope.”
“Who’s Beth?” Todd asks.
“I have no idea.”
7
Second Hand Chances
Depending on the day, we spend a lot of time in secondhand shops, because, like good little conforming punks, we profess to despise commercialism and the lingering death sentence of suburban existence, but really; it’s just because we’re poor. The best one is downtown and given last night’s dramatics, Tonya decided this morning that I needed more clothes, so this is where we end up. Sometimes it’s best
Yep, there it is.
“Luckily, we were across the street. Looks like maybe it was you folks? So, what’s going on here, Connor?” the cop in front asks while he points his flashlight at us.
Todd leans over. “You know him?”
“We’ve met,” I say and then turn back to the cop. “Just a misunderstanding, Dan-o. I think everything is cool now.”
“Is it?” Officer Dan asks as he stares down each of us, pointing the flashlight as he goes.
Todd steps forward. “They poured paint in our washers.”
Tonya is leaning against the washing machines, turned away from the cops, and is quick to respond, “No, just an accident, just an accident, right girls?”
Even though Christy’s lip is split and bleeding, her and Debbie both nod agreement.
“How about we all ignore the mess and y’all head on home,” Officer Dan suggests, pointing his flashlight towards the door.
“Thanks, will do,” I answer.
And then Dan looks closer at Tonya. “Beth?” he asks, “Is that you?”
Now I realize that Tonya has been shying away from the cops.
“What in the hell are you doing here? Does your father know where you are?” the cop continues.
Tonya turns, holding up a hand to silence him, and quickly walks over and whispers something as she guides him outside.
The other cop rests his hands on his belt and nods at Debbie and Christy and then towards the door again, they take the suggestion and leave.
I see them grab their clothes baskets on the way out, but my attention is on Tonya and the animated conversation she is having with the cop. After a few minutes, Dan-o nods to his partner, who points his finger at Todd and me as a warning and leaves.
They get back in their cruiser, kill the flashers and drive away.
Tonya doesn’t come back in and I know she’s disappointed in me. She stands out there in the dark parking lot with her arms folded across her chest. The light from the Laundromat spills out through the glass and makes her seem far away. The whole thing makes me feel uncomfortable and ashamed.
I glance in the washers, our clothes are beyond ruined.
Todd and I just look at each other again, what can we say?
I think about everything that happened and strangely, the first thing I think about is how Tonya looked earlier, she really is petite and not even a little bit heavy. She looks more like an athlete, a curvy one, but still. She said she was one, so that makes sense. I also realize her skin is really pale, as in she has no tan — at all. Her skin looks like ivory. I can’t help thinking how sexy she looked standing there in her white lacey bra and those gray sweatpants with the top rolled over.
But the most confusing thing was seeing those big brown eyes alive with rage and how volatile she was. She’s always fairly positive, not exactly hopeful, but kind. I didn’t know she was capable of this level of violent anger, and then I remember her suicide attempt.
Tonya has more secrets than I thought and I don’t understand any of it, not the thing with the cops, not who her dad is or why that should matter, not why she got so aggressive with Debbie, and not why she hates Laundromats so much. I know this all means something, and I know it’s major. I’m not connecting the dots and it’s pissing me off.
“What a cluster-fuck. You think she’s going to talk about what just happened?” Todd asks quietly.
“Nope.”
“Who’s Beth?” Todd asks.
“I have no idea.”
7
Second Hand Chances
Depending on the day, we spend a lot of time in secondhand shops, because, like good little conforming punks, we profess to despise commercialism and the lingering death sentence of suburban existence, but really; it’s just because we’re poor. The best one is downtown and given last night’s dramatics, Tonya decided this morning that I needed more clothes, so this is where we end up. Sometimes it’s best
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