3 comments

Creative Nonfiction

When I was in college I didn’t have a very high opinion of myself. I had created a profile on a dating site, and while all of the pictures I uploaded were of me, none of them looked like me.

After flirting for a while online with a guy named Terrance, we decided to meet. There weren’t too many options around my school, but we settled on a Burger King.

When I waited for him there I remember feeling self conscious about my jacket. I had gotten it at a Goodwill. Was I worried about the color or that I hadn’t washed it? I don’t know. Terrance walked in. He was tall, slender, elegant. I was immediately done for.

He told me “you look even better than your pictures.” I couldn’t trust it. I couldn’t stop laughing nervously. He asked about my work and I told him I had worked at a summer camp. ”kids are so great,” he said. “I don’t know, they’re crazy” I offered. I told him about how a tiny nine year old had found a tire as big as him, and had begged me for my blessing to let him roll down a steep hill inside of it. I declined, and when I turned away and looked back there he was, revolving about a thousand times per second in that old tire down that steep hill.

I dont remember much of what Terrance told me. I guess I wasn’t too interested in much besides the way his eyelashes curled or his jacket fell on his shoulders. After eating, we went to a pet store across the street.

That’s where we met the parrot. It was an ordinary parrot. I think maybe green. We tried to coax it into speaking. Again I couldn’t stop nervously laughing. ”That bird wants a piece of me” I said. ”That’s a weird thing to say” said Terrance.

we walked down the aisles to see if any reptiles were out and about in their glass tanks. Suddenly, Terrance received a phone call, or pretended to. It was a rug delivery, he told me hurriedly. He had to go and be at home, for the rug delivery.

So he left for the parking lot. I went back to look at the parrot again. Well, we’ll always have that parrot.

February 10, 2020 18:52

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3 comments

Tommy Goround
12:52 Sep 11, 2022

Lol. Casa Blanca is too long. Clapping

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Margo Harris
17:02 Feb 20, 2020

This was an interesting story. I had a pet parrot and it never liked to talk either. The overall topic was highly relatable. Most of us are self conscious, especially when going on a date with someone new. The story could've been longer, seeing as the prompt asked for at least 1,000 words. It could also use some grammar edits throughout. Take another look and I'm sure it will be great!

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Nina Wishnat
23:45 Feb 20, 2020

Thank you! Was your pet parrot nice or kindof selective and territorial? I appreciate the feedback, and I’m working on getting my pieces longer :)

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