eggettes
They all tried to squeeze through the doors at once, the boys followed by the girls, jabbering and jockeying, and they headed straight to their table where they dropped backpacks heavy with text books on the floor and on the brushed aluminum tabletop. Some of the kids got frozen yogurt or bubble tea but most just hung around Romeo.
When Daniel arrived Romeo already had his fancy phone out, tilting and shaking it as he played the video game he always played (probably the only one he was any good at, thought Daniel). The other boys were crowded behind him, watching as he set a new high score while the girls sat across from them giggling. The cutest girl, Justine, used her fingertips to pull apart a Hong Kong waffle and she shared the chewy pieces with the other girls as they eyed the boys.
Daniel stood alone near the bill-changing machine. In his pocket he rubbed his hoarded dollar bills that had softened from weeks of over-handling. His heart fluttered as he counted the girls: seven, perfect.
The commotion of the bill changer drew a few glances, including Romeo’s. “Poor Danny’s rich! Hey, look at Poor Danny!” All the boys laughed, and Romeo laughed the loudest while he kept right on with his video game.
Daniel took his quarters straight to the crane game. This was it. It was all or nothing. Maybe his mom couldn’t afford a phone for him, but it wouldn’t matter after this. He put four quarters into the red plastic slot and grabbed the joystick with his tremoring hand.
The first animal was easy. It was a giraffe that sat upright amidst the other animals so it’s head basically placed itself in the claw. Daniel maneuvered it to the exit chute and his nerves steadied a bit. The next one was harder—an elephant with huge plastic disks for eyes. The claw tilted wildly when it fell and Daniel thought the angle might be too severe, but when the three claw arms closed the elephant was locked in. By the third animal the other kids had noticed. By the fourth they were rapt.
And so it went, one by one, as Daniel silently thinned the plush herd, filling the exit chute with seven different creatures, each more vibrant than the last. When he was done he bowed his head with relief. Then he pulled all seven animals from the machine and cradled them back to the table.
Romeo was still playing the silly game on his phone and was making even more frantic gestures than normal, but nobody was paying attention. Daniel solemnly gave one prize to each girl, saving the best and the last for Justine. It was a toucan, and her eyes brightened when he gave it to her.
Eggettes
2810 Diamond Street, San Francisco
(415) 839-5282
My story would be about a girl on her 28th birthday getting an extra large cup with yellow cake and strawberry swirl frozen yogurt and covering it with sprinkles. Daniel would be there too, observing the young lady giddy with laughter and surrounded by friends. He’d win a stuffed toucan for the girl with the birthday. He’d nervously approach her, she being over twice his age, and present her with the stuffed treasure. She would be tickled and her friend would take a picture of the two of them. It would make her top 5 list of best birthday gifts ever.
Dawn
September 3, 2009 at 4:17 pm