𝐀 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐔𝐬

𝐗 - 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝟐: 𝐌𝐨𝐌𝐀 & 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬

February 03, '01

...continued...

RACONTEUR

"Wait, so you don't know your zodiac sign?," Yana asked, her mouth semi-filled with a savory lamb gyro they'd gotten from a Halal food truck right outside the park. They were eating in Michael's car, which was starting to smell like their food.

He finished a bite of his own gyro before answering, "Close your mouth when you chew, Yana. And no. Do it look like I read Cosmopolitan?"

Laughing, Yana wiped the bit of sauce on the side of her mouth before saying, "You don't have to read Cosmopolitan to know your sign. You acting like they created it or somethin'."

Indifferent, Michael shrugged. Yana continued, "What's your birthday? I'll tell you your sign."

"August 29."

"August 29," she muttered to herself. "That's a Le-, nope, that's a-... oof," she said, raising an eyebrow at Michael.

Mindlessly finishing his gyro, Michael didn't see the quick look of worry pass through Yana's face. Only when he'd swallowed his last bite did he notice she'd stopped talking. He asked, "What?"

"'What?' You're a Virgo." 

"Okay? You say that like issa bad thing. What's that?"

Scoffing, she responded, "That's hell on Earth, Michael. Only the worst people are Virgos."

"The worst people?," Michael frowned, disturbed by Yana's habit of speaking while she ate. "What's your sign?"

"I'm a Pisces."

"That don't mean nothin' to me. Elaborate."

Yana responded, "We're over-emotional romantics. Dramatic. Psychics who have a savior complex and a whole lotta trust issues. And sometimes we're alcoholic. I'm not though."

Slightly taken aback at the oddly specific description, Michael dismissed her and said, "That could be anyone. Where we goin' now?"

Ignoring his question, Yana said, "Okay and anyone could be a Pisces."

"True, but how is a bunch of magazine shit gon' determine how we all are? Based on some stars? They just tryna sell ya some wine and insecurities. Where we goin'?," he asked, starting the car. He drove a few blocks before the light turned red on him.

Halting at the stoplight, Michael faced Yana, who was looking at him. "I don't get this stuff from magazines so you can dead that sexist shit now." 

She continued, "I get it from journals. Journals left behind by my father and his father before him. You bein' disrespectful right now."

Once again taken aback at Yana's sudden mood swing, Michael shook his head and with a dry laugh, said, "I'm really starting to see the dramatic part."

"But," he said, "I'm not tryna argue wit you. I'm just sayin' ion believe in allat. I mean, my fault if I offended you, but you just threw me in a general mix of people and called us 'the worst'."

Shaking her head, Yana said, "No, not you, specifically. You know what? You're right. It's not even that serious anyway."

They drove in silence before Michael realized they had passed the Park's end. Recognizing a building from far away, Michael asked suddenly, "Oh shit, you know where we should go?" Upon shaking her head, he rolled down her window and pointed to the end of the block.