i looked in the mirror after brushing my teeth, trying to get my hair to sit down. it wasn’t working, and after a bit i just shrugged at myself in my stained white t-shirt, and said, “we’re just going to the Super T, it doesn’t matter.”

as Ruby and i pulled into the Super T parking lot, my eye was caught by a little dark-haired girl in pigtails, sporting a hello kitty backpack and laughing so much that you could see her too-big-for-her-mouth teeth.

it was Jaycie and accompanying her were sister #2, the stink, and max.

“i didn’t know this was your target,” i said.
“yeah, it’s closer than the shakopee one,” sister #2 said. i had parked Ruby by this time and we were standing in the empty parking spot next to the truck.
“you’re buying school supplies already?” i asked.
“yes,” she said. “you gotta get it early or you end up with Rose Art.”

and we both nodded at each other, remembering the horror of having to settle for Rose Art when all you ever wanted was Mead.

we chatted a bit about or plans for going to the race track on thursday, bridezilla’s bridal shower, and the library.

“well, i better get going,” i said, because i was starting to melt a little, leaving big splotches of jodi on the 105 degree black top.
“it was nice to run into you,” sister #2 said. “usually i run into Chad (a cousin of ours who we see maybe once a year, which makes running into him horribly awkward. but usually i just hide from him.”
“i never run into Chad,” i said. “just bowlers.”
“that’s why i love the Super T you get to see everyone!” she said.

and of course, since she jinxed me and because my hair was messy, and my shirt was stained, i ran into Chad. it was horribly uncomfortable, but now for long, because well, he nabbed me in the checkout. i couldn’t escape.