Scene: Coffee shop, two girls discuss the web.

“I’m getting off Facebook. Everyone is equalized in a way I’m very uncomfortable with.”

-I know you. You’re one of those girls who likes to pretend she’s good but is wild underneath.
-No.
-Yeah. Yeah you are. You’re a bad girl who just doesn’t want other people to know it. I like that.
-No. No.
-Awww. Come on.
-No.
-No?
-No.
-I see, you’re one of those who likes to play coy.
-No, dude. I could not be less coy.

Him: I’m way more a Barbie than a GI Joe.
Her: Seriously. Barbie was the one who had the dream house.
Him: Yeah! What does GI Joe have?
Her: More access to cute boyfriends.
Him: Point taken.

A man up the street is screaming into his cell phone. It is early morning, still grey.

NO! SHUT UP! YOU NEED TO LISTEN. YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO ME.

I push the stroller across the street quickly, and try to figure out where the sound is coming from. He is at least two blocks away, dressed in a red sports jersey and matching track pants.

I DO HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT! I GOT EVERYTHING TO DO WITH IT. YOU NEED TO SHUT UP RIGHT NOW AND LISTEN TO ME.

He takes a few steps, pauses to scream, takes a few more steps. Hank and I walk to the neighborhood coffee shop and take a seat. A few minutes later, I see the man through the window. The hum of the cafe deadens his words, but he is gesturing in wide sweeps. He holds the phone to his ear for a moment, and then swings it out so he can scowl at it while he yells into the receiver, as though it were a microphone.

His gestures remind me of a hellfire preacher at the pulpit. I can see he isn’t actually angry, not anymore. He’s simply enjoying the gestures that accompany refined rage. He is flawless, infuriated, and somehow harmless. He could be a lovely actor, I think, and then retrieve Hank’s pacifier from the floor.

Scenario: Girl in her mid-twenties talks to a friend on the street corner.

Girl: …and on my calf I want a heart and a cloud with a rainbow. Then coming out of the cloud, I want like little hearts and stars and lightening bolts. Friend: (Dubious look.) Girl: Like, not hell of um, but a few.