Prufrock Pals

Thinking and Skipping

⚠️TW: SMOKING

"What are we doing here?" Kit asked, as an ant crawled over her forehead on its way to an abandoned corn dog, half-eaten.

"Thinking. And skipping." Olaf replied calmly, his head resting on his folded hands. The two friends were lying on their backs under the wooden bleachers outside Prufrock Preparatory School.

"Oh." Kit whispered. She'd never skipped class a day in her life, and at 14 years old she didn't plan on starting. But when Olaf was one of your closest friends, you did lots of things you didn't plan on. The dead grass itched the back of her neck and she shifted, wrapping her green sweater more tightly around herself. The two were silent for a moment, the bleak sun shining down through the gaps in the rotting wood bleachers.

"What are you thinking about?" Kit asked, turning her head to look at him. Olaf sat up, his wild hair full of twigs and sand. "I'm thinking about where I can find a cigarette." He crawled over to a corner and: "Aha-" he said, holding it up. He lit his lighter. Kit wrinkled her nose, she hated it when he smoked.

"Can you not do that?" She asked, lifting her head. Olaf frowned, then unlit the lighter and tossed the cigarette away. "I can't say no to you." He chuckled, plopping himself down in the dirt again. Kit laughed and sat up, playfully punching his shoulder.