The Chronicles of Aida Sickler | H.S

three.

"Mercutio and Danny, this is Aida." She scooted her chair backwards, believing that I would reach my hand out and shake theirs. I was being a little rude so I held it out, smiling politely.

"Nice to meet you, Danny." Danny was the one with the messy haircut, and it brought horrifying 2007 flashbacks. His blue eyes twinkled under the lights of the library, his pupils quickly doubling in size. Danny had a scar between his blue eyes, and another under his left one. His hand was large, sweaty and clammy.

I had to be the one to let go, and I was unexpectedly greeted with a hug from the other one. He held me tight. "I'm Mercutio, it's a pleasure to meet you." His voice was deep, ringing in my ears like theater speakers. "Don't mind Danny here, he's just a little stunned as to why a girl bothers talking to him."

Alicia let out a little chuckle and Danny flashed her a pained expression, an embarrassed blush flourishing on his freckled cheeks. She apologized with her eyes and a side smile.

Mercutio leaned into me once more, his hand held out to prove a point. "We," a long finger pointed to Alicia and back to himself, "believe his haircut is painfully disturbing to the opposite sex. Any attention is quickly dismissed."

I liked Mercutio right away, his charisma was certainly one of the most odd, but better than normal. Danny was a little shy, I got that.

"It's nice to meet both of you." I laughed. "And I think your haircut is rather ravishing."

Believe it or not, Mercutio is not my love. Neither is Danny. He's coming up soon. I'm sorry to keep you on your toes.

"Here's the swarm of people who actually join clubs because they enjoy them." Alicia nodded her head over to the double doors a good few feet away from us and Danny chuckled beside her, starting to get up from the chair he was sitting in. Alicia grabbed the hem of his shirt and quickly forced him to sit back down, hushing him. "We go a little bit after them, you know, when they start to clear out-"

"I didn't stay after to look for clubs after the people who come here to look up for clubs sign up." I sighed and grabbed my book bag, slinging it around in an exasperated manner. "I'm gonna look around. See if they have a "I want to kill myself" club."

Alicia gasped in surprise as I began to walk away from the three of them, Mercutio gathering his things and beginning to join me. "She doesn't think suicide is funny, it's just something we have become desensitized to so if you're offended-" Alicia began to apologize for me but I had already plugged my earphones in at that time, casually walking over to one club that had welcome cookies. It was ironic that club had food other than the other.

It's not like I didn't take suicide seriously, Alicia was right. We joke about highly offensive things so we become desensitized to them. There is no point in being offended by an abortion joke. You have your views, I have mine, and embryos are being killed for good reason. Either the parent cannot take care of it or they just don't want it. What's it to you what they do with their body?

Suicide is different. Yes I know it is a heavy issue. But it has become a common joke among others. The, "I want to kill myself" phrase has lost its meaning entirely.  People say this when they drop a fucking soft serve on their white shoe. It doesn't necessarily mean they want to hang themselves with that shoe's shoelace. So if you were offended by my joke, I am genuinely sorry. Unless you're the type of person who texts "kys" after your friend tells an unfunny joke. Then, I insist that you get your priorities in check.

Mercutio tapped on my shoulder. "What are you listening to?"

I pulled out one earphone and handed him the other, knowing that he would have no idea what artist. We walked over to the club with the cookies, grabbed one and listened to some indie band you would have no interest in.