YOU (GenderSwapped)

Just the Tip

Italics = Jo's inner monolouge
Bold = Flashbacks
Normal = Present Quotes
Underline = Text Messages and Calls

"So, Copper River next week then?" Amore writes down in his book.

"Sounds good." The man responds.

"Is that a promise?"

"You bet."

He chuckles, "Alright, fingers crossed. Tell Theresa I said hi." Amore smiles before walking away.

"Will do, thanks Amore."

I'm an optimist. And that, Amore, is why I'm gonna say, "I can't wait to tell our story to our kids."

I know, it's hardly begun, but it's how I've always been. Even as a kid, one glance from a boy and I was trying out his last name with mine.

I don't think that's wrong. I think love should come out of nowhere, sweep you up completely.

But let's not conflate optimism with certitude. I've learned some hard lessons, fools do rush in.

And I've been the fool more than once.

If I'm honest, I saw red flags and explained them away. I wanted love so badly, which is why I have to see with clear eyes now.

"You know what? I'm gonna wait for the kings." Amore tells the salesman. "Which is like, soon?"

Find those flags before we've gone too far.

"What's her name?" Amore leans down to a little girl.

"Cindy." The girl responds.

"Cindy?" He asks in a cute manner.

And this isn't to say I'm not optimistic, so... our story, I suppose it begins a week ago.

I hear the plane whiz by the airport as I head down the escalator and go to baggage claim.

I got here, and within minutes, I knew... I'm in a strange land.

Duck-lipped, stoned, suspiciously happy lemmings everywhere you look.

I look to see a woman dressed in all black and wearing sunglasses.

This girl, LA in a nutshell: the Unabomber with a three-picture deal.

Welcome to a city where people trying to disappear aren't actually trying.

A boy goes up to her, "Can I get a selfie with you?" The woman nods before taking a couple pictures with him.

Poor girl. Must really hate all the attention.

And then there was me, the one in four million not wanting to be discovered.

Amore chuckles as an older man jokes around with him.

Step one in my effort... tacos with a woman with a means to bring a new, unlocatable me into existence, at least according to her carefully worded ad on Craigslist.

"Ever think how basically everything now is GMO frankenfood? Like-- Like what exactly is all of this hacked corn doing to our epigenetics, right?"

Apparently, California's got its own brand of conspiracy theorists. Yes, take caution, lest you have a less-clean liver.

"...you can give pigs fresh air so they don't even need antibiotics. Just a thought. Cages are never the answer."