Something Solid: The Nineties: Harrisburg

Well, Stephanie, I thought, here
we go again. You’re here, in Harrisburg,
by accident, right? I would’ve noticed by
now if you were going to Penn State. So:
here she was. Blistering sunlight singed the bus
terminal, my cheap luggage. I flashed back to senior year:
everyone giggles at the exclusive soirees
held at her mansion. Ted gets booted one
Friday night after fifteen minutes, never
recovers. Chris & I maintain a disrespectful
distance. Does she know something we missed?
Only how to try to occupy the class-center, fail.
Now it’s surveillance time for the infidel.
Is it not for the know-it-all to go to hell?

"as if, Adam; as if I had any idea how to handle
you, or us, or what Cheltenham had turned into
by then. You: always special, always different,
always such a fierce disruption against our lives.
Remember— I never liked you much anyway.
There's no room for special people where I
come from. What's special is the order of
who gets placed where when, & why. So, as I
followed you out that stupid door, it's with
no special anything. Philosophy? Where I
come from, its this: where you come from is
who you are, whether you like it or not. You
were lower than us, lower, & still are, you little shit—
& that luggage you had was pretty cheap, wasn't it?"