The following work is the result of an eight-week collaboration with The Chicago City of Learning Young Author Playlist and Hypertext Studio Writing Center.
By Michael Glenn
It was becoming very dark, the air was cold, winter was approaching quickly. I stood on the above ground Blue Line platform practically freezing half to death. Emily was off to the side with James, she was the shortest of all of us. Her hair was bright, a bleached blonde look, and her outfit was ridiculously cat eccentric. Then there was Claire, she was much taller than Emily and much prettier, her hair was dark brown with blue highlights in her bangs. I was taller than all of them. “Doors open!” Claire yelled simultaneously with the trains, this was something she always did, it was kind of cute. We all walked on to the caboose of the train. Emily and her “boyfriend” James sat in the cubby area at the back of the car, while Claire and I sat diagonally across from them. “Doors closing!” the train and Claire exclaimed, giggling. We were both silently judging Emily and James, who were being downright disgusting, practically eating each other’s faces off. I could tell she was doing this for show, I knew she wanted me to be jealous. She wanted me to regret breaking up with her, but at the time I already had regretted that, though I would never say that to her. Claire let out a disgusted sigh and stood up grabbing my hand, pulling me across the car, we sat close. The train was completely empty except for us and a lone Gatorade bottle rolling across the train’s floor.
“Urgh, I hate that kid!” Claire exclaimed angrily.
I smiled and spoke happily. “Yes! He is such a twat.”
Claire laughed and smiled. “He is so ugly too. She is kissing a troll.”
I cracked up, my laughter filling the silent train. “He doesn’t even have eyebrows,” I forced through the laughter.
She looked at me giggling and said, “She really downgraded. You’re a thousand times better looking than him.” I smiled wide, Emily had told me that Claire thought I was attractive, but this was the first time she had actually said it to me. We spoke quietly but laughed loudly till Emily pranced over with her troll sluggardly following after her.
Annoyed by their presence that had interrupted my discussion, I opened notes on my phone and quickly jotted, “Fuck this kid, I hate this troll,” then handed it to Claire. She snickered and started to type. Emily was annoyed, “What are you guys talking about?”
Me and Claire replied simultaneously, “Nothing” and giggled. James The Troll had pulled his manky hoodie over his head and turned his back to us. Claire passed me back the phone, and I almost burst out in laughter. “He’s practically albino.” Suddenly Emily leapt from her seat and onto my lap purposely pressing her bottom against my nether regions. This only angered me. “Get off of me,” I exclaimed, but she didn’t. Instead she kept squirming in my lap trying to seize the phone from me. Though she was trying to get my phone she made it very obvious to me at least that something more was going on, I mean she was practically giving me a lap dance. This only confused me and made me more upset with her. When she invited me to hang out she didn’t mention The Troll. I guess I had hoped that she wanted to try again, but unfortunately that was just wishful thinking. I pushed her away from me and said sternly, “Stop.” The train was silent for a moment till it spoke. “Clark and Lake,” it announced. “This is our stop,” Claire said, relieved. We gathered our things and James sat up but was slouched so we could not see his face. Me, Claire, and Emily started our way to the door and stood in front waiting for it to open. “Doors open,” Claire and the train said. I laughed and walked onto the platform with her. James started his way to the door slowly and then we were all on the platform. “Doors closing,” said both Claire and the train. Now what happened next was the strangest and most douchiest thing I’ve ever witnessed. James slid back onto the train and the doors closed, he walked back to his seat and sat down. “JAMES!” Emily screamed and the train was gone.
Now it was just us three standing on the empty Clark and Lake platform, us and the wind. It was quite chilly, especially since I had chosen to wear nothing but a thin leather jacket.
“What the fuck!” Claire yelled chasing after Emily.
I followed, worried for them both, but Emily mostly. “What was up with him,” I asked, slowing my jog to a standstill.
Emily sat down throwing her hands into the air, looking for an outlet. “What are you doing?” I pestered her.
“My phone is dead and I need to know if he is alright,” she yelled. She spoke of Sir Douche The Troll.
“Who cares? That guy’s a dick anyways.”
“I care!” she cried back at me. “He can’t be alone.”
“Why not?” Claire asked.
“He’s not allowed to, he stays gone too long, and stays up for days.” That’s when I realized she was dating a mentally unstable troll.
“This guy is fucking crazy,” I whispered to Claire and she nodded in agreement. Me and Claire sat beside her as friends, there was no speaking, just the wind. Then the sound of Emily’s phone ringing broke the silence, it was James.
Michael Glen attends Roberto Clemente Community Academy.