Pickup Zone at Conestoga Mall
If you look away fast enough the beauties disappear like they aren’t even real, and that’s comforting for Rachel in her oversized black Misfits hoodie, slumped against the graffitied brick wall, waiting for her stoned dad (probably asleep on the couch), feeling incredibly lonely as she sneaks glances at Sarah Fernandes: teeth flashing, braids shining in the sun, waving goodbye to friends, and then they are alone together, eyes laser-locked, bodies converging without warning, like Rachel has dreamed (like that fumbling, beautiful moment in the costume closet after drama), and everything is perfect except for her dad honking the horn.
Chris Clemens teaches and lives in Toronto, surrounded by raccoons. His stories have appeared in The Dribble Drabble Review, ScribesMICRO, The Drabblecast, Apex Magazine, and elsewhere.