L: Find a GirLfriend

Sue

Dedicated to girls who don't think they're good enough. You are.

There's a bakery that I like to frequent on the corner. It has a cafe portion, and a more business portion (for selling wedding cakes and things), with doors to each on opposite sides of the corner.

At the time, Watari had been pushing me to spend more time completely on my own, without him with me. He said, it would open up more opportunities, but it was... almost scary. This time, it would be longer than a sports game or a walk, it was going to be half the day. Which was, as I told myself, perfectly manageable.

I bought my usual slice of strawberry shortcake and black coffee, they kept sugar at the table. Most tables were full, a few broken due to renovations, and I found myself next to... oh, how can I say it, an immensely fat young woman. She was ticking away at her keyboard.

"Hey, does anyone know anything about the- GAAH!"

She had looked up and the first thing she saw was me.

"Hello."

"Uh, hi. I'm sorry-"

"Don't be, it was I that spooked you."

Her brown bun was wiggling atop her head, long bangs dripping down her "neck". The buttons on her cardigan were pulled tight, one missing at the top. Her puffy hands had chipping red nail polish adorning her stubby fingernails. She was FAT.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course. Are you? That was quite a scare you had."

"Oh, yeah. Well, uh, since you're here, do you know anything about the justice- I mean, police system?"

"Where?"

"Uh, the UK?"

I could almost hear her say "Obvious-lay!" in her head.

"I do, in fact, I have worked for it. What do you need to know?"

"Uh, like, policies regarding the homeless say, twenty years ago?"

Wow.

"A few times, they would come to soup kitchens to look for wanted criminals, or thieves, and arrest them on the spot. A couple would even harass them for laughs."

"None of my record books talk about that-"

"I'm referring to my own experiences."

I never talk about those experiences.

"Oh. Can we meet up at the university library later?"

She was referring to the university across the city.

"Sure."

"How about at eight? I know it's late, but I have classes and dinner and things..."

"It's fine."

"Okay... so, see you then..."

Why are women so naive? Her thighs jiggled and spasmed as she walked, truly disgusting. Her butt was flat and broad, her back had larger breasts than her front, but she still had dainty feet in a pair of canvas flats.

We met up at eight, in front of that library. It had three stories, all making a giant wall of glass at the entrance, so you can see the endless shelves and shy library inhabitants from the outside.

"Hey."

"Hello."

She gave me a less than friendly look, but led me to the second floor, to a table.

"Okay. So how did you work for the justice system?"

"I am an international detective."

My naïveness was the product of fatigue, Dr. Shiviak was nothing but a supreme waste of time. She left me with two words of advice, "Try harder."