An Epistolary Guide To Being Awkward Mali

Entry One: Cold, Smoke And Bus Shelters

Cold, Smoke And Bus Shelters

It was cold. Not grey or cloudy; cold. The kind that drew wispy white clouds from your lips when you spoke. Yeah, that cold. Usually I had no problem going to school before eight o'clock in the morning. I was your typical fourteen year old - a nonsmoker and cancer-free.

Despite the obvious cold and cigarette smoke that abused my nostrils, nothing stopped my enjoyment of the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus songs that filled my ears.

"Don't get me started on the things I've been hearing"

"It's true"

"We are destined to fail"

"Every action in this world will bear a consequence"

"Heed my lecture"

Oh who am I kidding?! I couldn't concentrate - my sinuses were screaming rape. I swung my head violently, eying the people behind me. A thin woman in her mid-twenties huddled in a brown trench coat near a store entrance. A chubby bald man wearing faded red earmuffs stood a yard away from trench-coat-woman, and in front of him stood another man. Tall, with black hair, glasses and a black full-length coat. They were all innocent. Temporally satisfied, my head resumed it's natural position. It seemed whoever had been smoking had stopped anyway, there was no need for me to release my wrath. I calmed down a little - I even hummed along with the band, inside my head.

More smoke wafted up to my nostrils. My head whipped around with new-found vengeance. I glared at them furiously. A tall women in beige cat heels had joined the group, but they were still innocent.

Defeated I trained my eyes ahead, ignoring fleeting curious glances I got from an old curly-haired lady. "C'mon, c'mon! Hurry up!" I muttered, telepathically urging the bus to come.

My sister tapped me on the shoulder. "What?" I answered irritably, ripping out one of my Apple earbuds, she repeated her question, "I don't know - who the hell is smoking?!"

"The lady behind you!"

I turned, my eyes rested on a short dark haired woman with a short cigarette hanging loosely between two fingers. How had I not seen her before?

"Oh," I looked away.

"Yeah, oh," my sister snapped.

The bus came. We got on. The short woman stayed behind. "You know you're rude," my sister stated venomously as she sat on a vacant seat.

"Yeah," I mumbled sinking into a nearby chair, I tried to hid my face behind the mass of purple and blue that was my hair.

Even as we pulled away, the short haired woman was still glaring.

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So, this is the beginning in my series of 'diary entries' depicting awkward situations that I have caused or been in. Of course, Itweakthem just a little to make them more interesting, but... yup, that's me. I actually, got really angry and shouted who was smoking one day, it really annoyed me to think I couldn't see the person, but I don't think she glared at me, or at least I hope she didn't... yeah it was awkward.

In case your wondering about the whole 'hide behind the purple and blue hair' thing - no I don't cut myself, I just got extensions over the summer, they're out now, but they were pretty cool. And those italicized lines are excerpts from the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus songs, I love the band and I thought they went well. I was actually listening to either Forever The Sickest Kids, Artist Vs. Poet or All Time Low when this happened. Maybe all...

I think more should be on its way soon, if you really like that. I found myself in anotherreally awkward situation about two weeks ago, but honestly on a scale of one to awkward this one won hands done. It involved a fourteen year old me, a cheesesandwich, my English teacher and "The Colour Purple". Figure that out!

Moving on, this is my first non-poetic upload so yay! If you like this I would love to read your comments: constructivecriticism, comments, opinions on my writing style - anything!

Signed,

ChibiFreak

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