He looked at Tonya, who sported a pink sweater and matching ties in her pig tails. She was a cute girl, he liked the way she looked. Wide expressive eyes, such energy when she talked. Though she was a strawberry blond, there was nothing dumb about her, she was quicker witted than he, and David was no fool, They were in the same evening Accounting Class, she was maybe 23, he was old enough to be her father. Yes, he enjoyed talking to her, looking at her, it wasn't at all fatherly, but he knew his limits, he knew he was old.
They'd become friends, the Odd couple she joked. She liked his sad, but friendly eyes, his deprecating manner, even liked how he looked down at her as she turned to walk away. But it wasn't a May - December romance, she didn't need a father figure and he wasn't having a mid-life crisis, they were just friends.
During a break, they sat in the classroom and talked. "How's Gary" he asked about her boyfriend who wouldn't have approved of their friendship had he known.
"Gary is Gary." she laughed. "All you guys are alike, you want sex, football, dinner and someone to tell you how wonderful you are!"
He aped her laughter, something he'd fallen in the habit of doing. "Well you women aren't any better, all you want is money, a big house and an early death of the guy you marry."
I don't want Gary to die, I just want him to shave once in a while." He smiled and was glad he'd shaved that evening.
She looked down at her note pad and wrote something. He liked the way she made circles over her "i's," he even liked the way she twirled the pen when she wrote.
"See this" she said, showing him the note she'd just written.
Tonya + David it read, with a heart circled around it. "I'm going to show it to Gary, drive him crazy!"
"Oh sure" he said, acting concerned, "That's all I need is a crazy boyfriend after me!"
"So what about you?" she asked out of thin air, "Found anyone yet?" He frowned at the question. She knew perfectly well he hadn't dated in two years, not since Amanda, his ex-wife had left him. Still, it was kind of her not to assume.
"No, there are no women out there for me. They're all too young, too old or too crazy. I have my television, it never disappoints me."
She frowned at his cynicism. "You're a nice guy Dave, but you're nuts. If you were 20 years younger I'd go out with you."
He smiled, unable to stop the vanity from taking over. He wondered if she was serious or just telling him a story. He didn't care if she was, he knew it was well-intended, and sometimes a kind lie is better than a harsh truth.
"And you say I'm nuts" he joked, turning his head away, suddenly shy. She slapped him lightly on the head, which startled him, "I am not nuts, I'm smarter than you!"
He knew that was true, but he didn't care and neither did she. She stood up to walk to the trash to throw the doodle away, he looked out of the corner of his eye and chuckled.
"What are you laughing at?" she asked, "Nothing," he said, crazy men laugh at nothing." She gave him another slap as the instructor walked back into class. He again looked at her, he felt good. He was glad he wasn't 20 years younger, love might ruin a unique friendship.
Author notes
I wrote this really fast, so any typos etc, please yell, thanks.
In a list
- 03. A 3rd Yemassee's Dozen • next in list
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A Shocking Tale Of Horror!
Comments
1 - 22 of 22
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I really like these two. Wonderful characterization. I like that you have made them know who the other is... to appreciate who the other is.
Unique friendship. Always nice to have connection.
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This was written during that manic writing phase which lasted about 10 days, lol
Thanks!
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testing
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I don't care about the typos 
so cute
'love might ruin a unique friendship'
such bittersweetness to this
smiling at superglue on delete button.
post another one on this, pls pls pls
ps cute emticon below
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This one is safe, I deleted two others today instead, lol.
It is a cute emoticon! Show it to Zadee!
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When the well is sending up
cool splashy water to hit the face
why would one want to cut the rope
that brings up the bucket?
Only one who is truly "nuts,"
not related to "Yemish nuts."
An in-the-moment characterization
that captures that game-of-chance
heartbeat, the "what if" gamble
of the "unique friendship."
Fresh and relatable.
Happy are the clappies.
M-C
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I mean LIST not lost
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The word "lost" scares me on this site,
makes me want to superglue your delete button!
Great stuff!!!! -
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LOL, you know I never completely delete anything!
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Thank God, Mary, Joseph and Jesus. et al!
Been sending thoughts to all of them!! -
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Sorry, was donut time.
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Wonderful comment, as usual.
"Yemish Nuts" I feel a list list coming on.
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Your Dawn Powell piece set the mind toward Parker---
just entering the drawings. More later about Powell
and the Gilmore Girls. -
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I read it, it was very good. Poem and artwork!
Gilmore Girls? The TV show? Never saw it. I don't think.
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You write such real and believable slices of life, please don't stop posting them.
They're filled with very smart, funny, happy, and sad things... much like our lives, I suppose, and that's why it's a comfort to read them. 
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It's interesting to feel kind of like a voyeur watching two people interact in this truely friendly manner. It leaves me thinking they may discover that 20 years isn't such a difference after all... oh yes it is, I know
A nice 'feel good' story, Yem
Dee
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I lived with someone for a couple years who was 14 years younger than me, the age didn't matter, we never noticed it. We did notice eventually that we were very different people, with very different goals, but it wasn't the age, I don't think.
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Typo in first line of thirteenth paragraph. You'll find it.
Don't stop posting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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"To" "too" For some reason I do that all the time. Thanks again.
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Thanks I'll look for it. I really should re-read this before posting it but if I don't post them when I get the feel I end up hiding them, lol
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Actually I meant that it should be "you're nuts" rather than "your nuts." Unless she's really talking about his...private parts.
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Oh, lol, thanks. I was busy talking with someone on IM and wasn't paying attention to what I was doing when looking for the typo. Thanks again!
That is a cunnin' emoticon, never saw that one before.
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