2002-06-24 | 10:53 a.m.
...

The setting was one you've been in a hundred times. Street-side cafe with cold metal chairs and tables. Intellectual conversations floating alongside wisps of smoke. Pigeons hovering around to feed on croissant crumbs. Waitresses in tight uniforms zig-zagging between tables. The two students sitting at the table on the right corner - you've seen them too. The girl had a sullen expression on her otherwise delicate face, while the boy leaned against the back of his chair, abstractedly lighting matches and putting them out. A half-eaten turkey Panini lay between the two of them, stray lettuce and mayonnaise making it appear extremely undesirable.

"So now do you see why I needed to talk to you?" She snatched the folder of matches from his hand to get his complete attention.

"Hey! Give 'em back! I still don't get your point, to be honest...You just sound like you've been listening to too much...I dunno...sad bastard music or something. All that teenage angst crap".

"This isn't teenage angst ,for crying out loud".

"Yeah? Then what is it?"

"Not teenage angst". The sunlight hit her eyes directly and she had to narrow them to look at him. He laughed-partially with amusement,partially with derision- at her last comment. They had been sitting there over an hour, and all they ate between the two of them was half the stale panini. He moved forward, resting his elbows on the table, and looked directly at her. "So tell me. What on earth are you going on about?"

"I don't know what to do with my life , that's what I've been going on about. How does that qualify as teenage angst?! Jesus".

"I was kidding, no need to get so riled up about it. Come on, no one knows what they're going to do with their lives. I mean look at me,I'm a fucking Philosophy major.

"Yes, but you are going to be a famous musician". She looked at him fondly. "You're going to be a famous musician with a whole bunch of groupies and a whole bunch of money...and a best friend from college who will try in vain to ingratiate herself with your bodyguards".

"Of course. How could it be any other way?"

"So,anyway,you understand all my griping?"

"Not really...I mean, griping is all you've really been doing...and kinda pointlessly..."

"Let's put it this way. Everybody else". She paused briefly to light a cigarette. She took a drag and spoke as she exhaled tiredly. "Everybody else....they know what they're doing in college".

"Like whom!?"

"Like....the kids with bad acid trips that run up and down corridoors, screaming 'motherfucking fish in the pool" all night...like the kids who shop at the GAP and go to Anti-Globalisation rallies...like...the kids who have sex in the goddamn photo lab..."

"Wait,someone had sex in the photo lab?! Haha...that's wonderful".

"I wish you'd just listen to me".

"Okay,well,what makes you think they know what they're doing in college?"

"They're all Business majors. Or Computer Science majors. Or something really practical like that..and you know the saddest part?"

"Um,the fact that they 'make whoopee' in the photo lab and we don't?"

"You've watched Mallrats way too many times. Look, I'm really not in the mood for infantility,okay?"

"Okay,uh,see,if I'm headless at the end of this conversation...it's all your fault".

"I'm sorry..." She sighed and reached out to hold his hand. "It's just that....my parents would prefer it if I was one of those kids. I'm not saying they're bad or..or unintelligent or anything...but I just don't want to be like them..."

"And you don't have to... it's pretty unlikely that your parents would want you to be like that! Come on,give them some more credit".

"You don't understand..it's almost like they don't care what I do behind their backs as long as I'm a paragon of virtue when they're around". She prematurely extinguished her cigarette on the edge of the styrofoam plate. She looked to her left, at the semi-busy streets, and added quietly, "They don't know I'm a theatre major. They still think I'm undeclared. They'd kill me if they found out..."

"Ehh,acting is for phonies anyway".

"Thanks for the support, Holden".

"Kidding,babe. You know that...I'm not sure what to say...are they really that averse to the idea..?"

"Yeah.." She pushed her chair backwards using the weight of her legs, picked up her packs of cigarettes and matches and put them in her handbag. "I'm heading back to school...I guess I need to be alone".

deja vu? | jamais vu?