Conversation

(discussing her friend in South Africa, she says...)
"...he probably got eaten by a shark. How would I know?"

"You wouldn't."

"That's a sad thing. I wonder how many people I've known growing up have been eaten by a shark and I haven't even known." (pause) "I also think, what if something happened to me? Who would tell all the people who need to know? My parents wouldn't. What about my friends from high school?"

"Your friends?"

"They wouldn't know everyone. Say, like, say I got eaten by a shark over Christmas vacation. My parents don't know who I'm friends with."

"Only one person would need to find out, and then they'd tell everyone else."

"At least they'd tell Bethel. Hopefully I won't get eaten."

"Hopefully. Yes."

(long pause, discussion on death and pregnancy)

"Have you ever been pregnant."

"Heh, no." (weird look) "Have you?"

"No."

"Well, it happens."

"Not to us."

(more talk on friends and pregnancy)

"Do you think you'll ever get married?"

"I don't know. I don't really plan for these things. I don't really plan to, but if it happens, it happens. I think I'm just going to keep going till I can't... I'm going to try to keep being single. For the next ten years, I hope."

"That's a long time not to have sex."

"Yeah, but I've already waited a long time, so..."

"Yeah, like twenty-one years. I don't think we're missing anything yet. I do miss making out, though. Just not with the guy I used to make out with."

"It would be very nice to have a casual making-out relationship. None of this emotional investment crap."

"Yep. That sure would be easy."

"Well, emotionally invested would be okay, just not long-term. Like, not getting married. Just, like, I like you, you like me, we like hanging out together."

"Isn't that what friendship is already?"

"No, I don't make out with my friends."

"Oh, I missed the making out part." (pause) "I would love a guy just to snuggle with. You know, like, sit and watch movies or talk and just snuggle and feel all comfortable and just rest my head in the crook of his arm. I love guy's chests. And their arms. And their hands." (pause) "I like boys in general."

"Is that what you're writing on?"

"Yep. Boys/this conversation in exact detail."

"Heh."

"K, say something else."

"Mmmmm. Mmmm."

"Do you want to go to bed?"

"I'm pretty tired. I can't think of anything else to say about boys."

"That's okay, it doesn't have to be about boys. You can say anything you want."

"Mmmmm. I don't know what I want to say."

"What would you say to Desmond Tutu right now, if you could say anything..."

"I wouldn't say anything. I would be too in awe of him. I'd ask him if he would adopt me as his daughter and mentor me and let me borrow his little hat."

"Hee hee hee."

"For special occasions."

"Like a ball."

"And introduce me to Nelson Mandela."

"Does Nelson have a cool hat?"

"No, but he wears cool shirts."

"That's almost as cool."

"You only need one cool hat to make it in this world. Mel has mine."

"That WAS a cool hat. Seriously you should get that thing back. It's like money. The money hat."

"Mmm-hmmm."

"It's not that I don't want to share with her, it's just that I've been wearing the same rotation of clothing for the past seven months. It's nice to switch it up."

"You wore the same clothes all summer, too?"

"Yep. I've lived out of a suitcase since last January."

"That's really impressive."

"Eh, it was okay."

"I wish I could do that."

"You probably could."

"I probably should."

"I would love to own less than I do."

"Me too."

"I'll just have to start giving it away."

(long, long pause...)

"Okay, goodnight."

"Night-night."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."