shawty's crib (quarantine)

“anybody home?”

a whisper soft “hey” greets me as i make the motion to knock.

tight in embrace : she pulls me close, brushing my cheek with her lips, as she whispers:

“it’s been so long...”

three months ago, i could’ve cared less about some stupid memories. but now? now, i’ve learned to grab these intimate moments whenever you can get them, because although our age suggests adulthood, for people like us, tomorrow is far from guaranteed.

“come in” she says. “i want to show you my room”.

walking hand in hand, her shower soaked ringlets bouncing up and down in sync with our footsteps on her stairs.

↳ hearts racing as would any teenager; hands held tightly in the way that anxious children grab each other when they are surrounded by the unknown and there is isn’t anyone to hold.

....as my eyes struggle to adjust to the dimly lit room, i look around to see if i can find something i don’t know about her in the remnants of her childhood:

pink pillows, dressers full of assorted perfumes and mascaras, a pile of stuffed animals in the corner

...the usual suspects.

i must admit though, i love the way that the panda stares at me, multicolored as if he doesn’t comprehend the difference between black and white.

the beady eyes tell me:

“you don't have to be physically inside of her to understand what’s going on inside of her”

and for once i get it. the dream filled little girl flourishes here, whereas outside she would’ve been crushed by the conformity that is society.

standing by her bed, looking around as if i’m a stranger entranced by some foreign land

*laughter*

“you look so uptight, just sit”

she pushes me on the bed, and as i motion to pull her waist towards me, i could smell the faintest essence of coconut oil and warm vanilla....

your head on my shoulder, watching videos of typical teenage stupidity-

-in this world that we created,

social distancing and staying six feet away

applies to everyone but us ♡