seven

Alice
As I waited in line to get French fries, I looked at the radio station party flyer more closely. It was a theme party, and the theme was Seventies Glam. I sighed. My friends had experimented with themed events in high school, and I never particularly liked them. Superheroes, Hobos, and anything that let girls dress slutty. I knew Kate and I would need to go to a thrift store later, and I wondered if Blanche and Ellen would want to come. I really liked them, and I wanted to hang out with them as much as possible to cement our new friendship.
“Are you ready yet?” Kate was holding her tray with one hand, other hand on hip, waiting impatiently for me to come sit down. I could understand why. My head felt like there were a hundred little men with pickaxes in there. I picked up a cheeseburger to go with my fries and swiped my meal card.
“Yup, let’s find a seat.”
“Can we sit alone? I need time to just talk to you.” Kate asked me.
“About?” I pulled out a seat at an empty table.
“I don’t know, the gay thing.” she said quietly.
“I meant to tell you, I forgot last night, obviously.” I started and stopped, wondering if she’d be pissed I told. “I told the girls you were gay by accident.” before she could yell I went on, “And Ellen likes girls.” she paused, her mouth still open.
“Really? She’s gay?”
“She said heteroflexible.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“From what I could tell it means she’s kind of gay, not totally gay.”
“Great, more label I don’t know. I’m pretty sure I’m gay gay.”
“I think you are too. You’ve never liked boys, not even movie stars.”
“This is true.” she nodded, chewing her sandwich. I thought back to her coming out letter, how it all made sense once I thought about it. She never showed interest in any of the boys who had crushes on her, but I had always thought she was just a bitch.
“So did Marcus say anything about me?” I asked, as nonchalant as I could manage.
“Yeah, kind of. He thinks you’re dope.”
“Well, I am. We are.”
“I know. I don’t see why he wouldn’t like you. You turned into a bona fide hottie over the summer.”
“Aww, Kate, thanks.”
“I mean that in a non-gay way.”
“I know. So are you gonna kiss Ellen?” I put my burger down, intent on finding out the answer.
“Maybe.”
“You so want to.”
“Truth.,
“So for the party tonight, it’s 1970s themed, want to go to Salvation Army and get some clothes for it?”
“Oh, what are we gonna be?”
“I was thinking I’d be David Bowie. You should be….” I thought about it a minute. “I don’t know, Janis Joplin.”
“That’s sixties.” She pointed out.
“But you look like her.”
“What? Ugly and boozey?”
“Well no, just messy.” I laughed.
“Fine, I’ll be a mess for the party, that’s a good costume.”
“That’s not a costume, that’s our life.”
“Ready to go?”
“Yup.”