Amish Jedi: In a City Far, Far Away

Episode 2.1 ~ Pooh

"She's pretty," Sarah counters. 

Jason sighs so loudly we hear him a floor below. "It's late. Can we finish this discussion someplace private?"

"My place."

"...Fine."

Footsteps sound on the staircase.

I should blow off Jason's commentary on my physicality and stand my ground, but Megs and I opt to hide like cowards in Tea & Tales Café as Jason and Sarah leave. Then we dart up to our apartment and bolt the door.

"Wow," Meg says as we both sit with our backs pressed up against the green door. "You okay, Zi?"

I hate that my eyes sting. I hate that Megs can tell I'm bothered. I hate that Jason turned out to be just another mean guy.

"I'd better call my parents." I get up, but Megs stops me before I can reach my room.

"Jason's a jerk when he's around Sarah, but he's a really great guy if you get to know him." 

"I'd rather not."

"You'll still help him, won't you? They can't lose that shop, Zia. They just can't." A deep innocence swirls under the green surface of her wide eyes, like an ancient lake that's survived the centuries. 

I sigh, but nod.

***

"Zizi?" Daed answers the phone on the first ring. 

"Hi, Daed."

"What's wrong?"

Tucked under the covers I turn my head to stare out at the orange light coming through the window. "I miss you." A tidal wave of pain surges in my chest.

Daed exhales into the receiver. "Have you been doing what you went out there to do?"

I swipe at my face. "No."

"Tomorrow's a new day. I know you don't want to, but you have to face this... and then come on home to Maem and me, okay?" 

I suck in a ragged breath and nod. "Life is so hard, Daed."

"This is true my little Jedi, but it's worth it in the end. I promise you that." 

I nod. "Tell Maem I love her too, and the girls?"

"Of course... I love you." 

"Love you, Daed."

I sleep with the window cracked and my earbuds in to drown out the noise wafting in from the street. Not that the noise is the culprit of my insomnia. As I toss and turn, I retrace the events of my first day as a Greenwich Village resident, reliving them in retrospect, editing them where need-be. In most versions, I add a scene where I thoroughly tell off both Jason and Sarah and walk off into the sunset with a tough-girl swag. In one scene, I completely write Sarah out and Jason is Batman and he asks me to be his crime-fighting partner, but then he shows up and proposes to me again begging forgiveness at my feet. That's when I realize I've finally fallen asleep, and my eyes snap open. 

The red numbers on my clock read, 3:45 am. 

I sit bolt upright, throw off the covers, and leap to the dresser, hitting the light switch to my right. Hastily, I pull on jeans, a red Winnie-the-Pooh shirt, and black tennis shoes I wore when I lived back home—yesterday morning. The recollections of Megs's comment about my lack of fashion sense hits me harder than usual because it's backed up by Jason's assessment of my lack of attractiveness. I pull off the shirt and rifle through my drawer for a flowy, floral blouse I bought on a whim to impress him. It is completely inappropriate for the bakery, and doesn't match my shoes, but I go for it anyway and switch to beige boat shoes. Then I pull my hair back in a bun, gulp down a glass of chocolate milk, swallow two Flinstone vitamins, and race downstairs to meet Teddy.