February

by Tao Lin


At the bank I felt like I was in Super Mario World.  I pointed at things that made me feel that way and I pointed at the ceiling and we went to a furniture store.  We sat there.  And we went to a bookstore.

You said you wanted to read 'Against Love.'  I said Lorrie Moore had a character with a like-life instead of a love-life and you said that was good.  'Lorrie Moore is good,' I said.

A little girl ran by with about fifteen books and you said she was a genius.

We read a children's book that told children to eat hot dogs.  And we hid it.  And you pointed at Infinite Jest.  I said my girlfriend read it and you got quiet.  You were quiet and asked why I didn't live with my girlfriend.  'I don't have a girlfriend,' I said.  'You just said you did,' you said.  I said I meant ex-girlfriend and a Barnes and Noble person stood above us.

The Barnes and Noble lady wore a kimono.  She freaked out and gave a lecture about where to sit and we paid attention and she ran away.  I looked at your face.  I said something and you laughed.

You snorted when you laughed and I said that you snorted.  You were louder and happier than before.  I slapped you a little.  I said I was wearing kimonos to work from now on.  I brought you the punk planet with my story in it.

'Is it real?' you said.  'You said everything you write is real.'

I said I didn't know and I said maybe.  'Just read it,' I said.  'Just read it later,' I said.

You read it and I looked at the side of your face.  The story had my ex-girlfriend and a guitar and you asked me if I played guitar.  I said, 'I don't know.'  I said I played drums.  You said you were twenty-six and made minimum wage at Barnes and Noble and wore kimonos to work.  And we used escalators to get to the first floor.

And we made it.  I said I was going to pants you.  And when we got outside it was nighttime.  
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