Oldies

I’m laughing this morning, spontaneously. We’re not studying any more. Our sophomore school year is over. I’m giddy, giggling, like a 9 year old on sugar. I think I just finished the hardest class that I’ll ever take - my last pure-math class, ever - and I got an “A.” Just barely - by two-hundredths of a point (.02). That’s by the skin of a bacteria, the thickness of a sigh or the weight of a glance. Yeah, and I’ll take it very much. We’re gathered, with two extra-large NY Pizza Supremas, around Lisa’s parent’s long, white kitchen island. Lisa and I parked on tall bar stools and Peter, lounging on a nearby couch. The playlist we’d had going, had just ended. We’re looping a lot of T.Swift because we’re going to see her in concert in TWO days (May 14th 2023). Leeza (Lisa’s 13 yo little sister) is here too - but she’s in a mood. “You know what I want to hear?” I offered. “What” Peter asked. “The other side of the door” I said. Leeza groaned. “OH MY GOD,” Lisa squealed, “ANAIS, Anais!!, I KNEW I loved you, I already knew! Lisa turned to Peter, “Anais and I we, we have this string - some might call an invisible string” “Yeah,” I laugh. “tying us to each other,” Lisa continued, laughing, “and sometimes I get so shocked when she reminds me it’s there.” “right,” I agree. “And you’re so real for that - it’s so true.” Lisa finishes by starting the song. “Taylor Swift’s “the other side of the door” plays, Leeza stomps out, taking half a pie and when the song finishes there’s silence. “Wow” Lisa said. Peter looked up from wherever absurdly boring physics article he was reading. “Sorry,” I told Peter, fanning myself, “we’re recovering. That song has the best outro in the business.” “Cause you just expect a song to end on a chill fadeout” Lisa explains, “and end nicely.” “This one just ends, BAM!” I laughed. “BAM!” Lisa echos, laughing as well. “It’s trenchant - the little black dress - you just have to shake your hips every TIME,” I say. “It eats, it eats every TIME,” Lisa agreed. “It eats so much I forget he cheated on her!” I laugh, “I don’t even CARE!” “I don’t even care,” Lisa chuckles, “in the outro,” she tells Peter, “she’s takin’ back her man because he got with some girl in a little black dress.” “It’s a hard lyric,” I say, “the beautiful eyes, the conversations, the lies, are all I can think of.” “I like Taylor’s version the best,” Lisa said, “you get the emotional maturity and her voice is more mature.” “Of course,” I said, “I grew up with that album - I think it came out in 2008 (I was 5) - but I remember, about two years ago, maybe three, I was in high school, some friends and I were driving to the lake and it was a full-on Swift-sing-along. We finished singing it, and I thought, “WOAH, that song EATS - how had I missed that?” “I know,” Lisa echoed, “her music just hits at different stages of life and still comes off fresh.” “Like someone discovering the Beatles,” Peter said, “who were - 60 years ago?” “Yeah, or David,” I said. Peter looked confused. “David - from the Bible?” I explained, “THAT was a long time ago too. Have you Godless Californian’s ever read any of the Bible?” “No,” Peter said, sarcastically, going back to his reading, “but I saw the movie.” . . Webster: Trenchant: communication that’s strong, clear, and perceptive. Slang.. eats = fully enjoyable, it slays