Tap Tap Tap

      Tap tap tap.

           God that’s getting on my nerves…

           Tap tap tap.

           Jesus FUCK dude…

           The man on the other side of the diner was tapping to whatever-the-hell he was listening too, TOO LOUDLY! How’s a girl supposed to wait for her girlfriend when this ASSHOLE wont STOP TAPING!

           As Raquel was about to strangle that man with her one arm a door opened and in rushed a woman, out of breath and exhausted. The woman spotted her sitting alone in a booth and slid into the adjacent seat. “Sorry I’m late,” she breathed out.

           “Hey, it’s okay, I don’t mind.” Though that one guy was really getting to me.

           The woman across from her caught her breath and ran a hand through her hair, which was styled in a classic lesbian undercut. Even if she had blond hair Raquel still thought it looked good on her. And as the woman caught her breath and propped her head up onto the table, Raquel tried not to look at her exposed neck.

           Now’s not the time to have a gay panic. But she is my girlfriend. Maybe just a quick peak? No, you can give all the hickies you want later.

           “You good? You’ve been panting for, like, five minutes,” Raquel asked, her concern ever growing.

           “Just… shut up…” she said between breaths.

           She furrowed her eyebrows but complied, hell the plate of fries she ordered fifteen minutes ago came out and this girl was still panting. “Brittney, you good? What’s up? You good?”

           Her girlfriend took a fry and munched on it. “I won’t lie to you, it’s not good.”

           “Is it your landlord again, because you can always-”

           But Brittney shook her head. “No it’s… it’s not that. Something else.”

           “Then what-”

           Bzzt.

           “What-”

           Bzzt.

           “You gonna answer that?”

           “Hmm?” Brittney took her phone out of her pocket and placed it face down on the table. “Nobody important.”

           “Just take the call, I don’t mind.”

           “No, Raquel it’s fine.”

           “Seriously, I don’t care,” she persisted.

           The blond woman got up in a huff and walked out of the diner. She heard a “What is it Miguel?”

           So Raquel sat alone, in a diner, eating a plate of fries, alone, while her girlfriend talked with some guy named Miguel on the phone outside. And that FUCKING ASSHOLE just kept on TAPPING! Dude don’t make me go over there a strange you!

           She stared at him as if she was using the force to choke him. But the force isn’t real, at least, unless you make a deal with the devil, so the guy just kept on tapping. Fine, two can play at that game! She tried to reach for the fork on the table but couldn’t feel anything. Until she grabbed it with her right arm and started to tap it against the plate of fries.

           Raquel likes to associate losing left arm to breaking up with her ex, Eriko. How, after so long of trying to lose her arm to become an edgy anti-hero, she stopped for Eriko’s sake. Then she loses said arm in a freak accident that she didn’t want to happen. And soon after the two girlfriends of more than half a decade broke up.

           If Brittney came back inside, Raquel didn’t notice. “Why are you banging a fork against a plate?”

           “Oh fuck- I mean hey,” Raquel stammered, “no reason.”

           “Okay? Listen Raquel I-”

           “CAN YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Boomed a voice.

           That tapping asshole got up and stomped his way over to their booth, but Raquel continued to tap. “Can I help you?”

           “I’m trying to eat my beans you bitch!” he shouted.

           “Maybe don’t tap so damn loud!” she shouted back.

           The guy was way bigger than Raquel anticipated but she could take the guy easily. Even if her prosthetic was at home! “Don’t be a stupid dyke,” he threatened.

           “I can kick your ass with my thumb!” Raquel threatened back.

           It was when she stood up staff got the two to break it up or both get kicked out, even if they were the only ones in there. The guy sat back into his seat and Raquel put the fork down, and no more annoying sounds were made from either of them.

           Brittney has a face that had true essence of being ‘pissed off’, and before Raquel could urge her to continue, she blurted, “I’m breaking up with you.”

           What. “What.”

           “You heard me.”

           “I know I…” This can’t be happening. What did I do? “What did I do?”

           Her girlfriends (or possibly ex-girlfriend now) face scrunched up. “Are you serious? You run off in the middle of the day and when I see you, you’re always covered in bruises or black and blues. You talk about your ex WAY too much. You refuse to wear a prosthetic-”

           “Whether I chose to wear a prosthetic is none of your-”

           “Your distant but you want to be clingy. You insist on not moving in together. You’re not over your ex. The list goes on and on, Raquel.” She stood up abruptly. “I’m done.”

           Raquel stood up so fast she hit the table. “Hold on, hold on! We can make this work!”

           “No we can’t. Whatever you think this is, isn’t something I want. Goodbye, Raquel.”

           And just like that, Brittney walked out of the diner and out of her life. But Raquel didn’t give chase like in those romantic comedies. She just slumped back into her seat and shot a glare at the staff and the former tapper who were all staring at her. Why don’t I feel anything? I should be crushed! Humiliated! Betrayed!

           Her thoughts went back to Eriko, and how she promised to be better for her. Maybe I just stopped trying after we broke up, she reasoned, maybe she thinks I broke that promise by losing my arm. But that wasn’t my fault! Or maybe it’s because what I did after I lost my arm… yeah making a deal with the devil and giving it your arm as an exchange for superpowers might be a turn off… I wonder…

           Pulling her phone out of her pocket and scrolling through her contacts she stopped on an all too familiar number. She hit dial and put the device to her ear. Why am I doing this? She probably moved on. She wouldn’t answer anyway-

           She picked up. “Raquel?”

           “Hey, Eriko… wanna grab lunch?”