Fiction

★Janie

Janie does some work in her lab after school then walks to Sport’s apartment building. She walks up two flights of stairs. She sees two cats in the stairwell and pretends to kick them to relieve stress.

Janie knocks on Sport’s door and Sport opens it.

“I’m going to blow up the world,” Janie says. “Today.”

“Don’t,” Sport says. “Obama.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Janie says. “They are crucifying him.”

“Trees,” Sport says. “Animals. People. Stars at night.”

“I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care,” Janie says in a singsong voice. “Everything must burn.”

Sport strokes Janie's arm very gently. Janie sits down on the couch and crosses her legs.

“Let’s call Harriet, yo,” Sport says.

“That’s stupid,” Janie says rudely. “Harriet’s crazy.”

“No,” Sport says. “She has positive (fury) life force, yo.”

Janie stares wickedly at Sport.

Sport looks at Janie and smiles sweetly.

Sport touches Janie’s titanium braces. He rubs his ring finger across them in a soothing manner. Janie opens her mouth wider. The back of her tongue is bright orange from Pop Rocks. Janie thinks about biting the finger off and spitting it in Sport’s face.

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