I heard yelling last night through my open windows. I knew it couldn't have been coming from my apartment, for I was standing right in front of Kris and my puppies aren't prone to yelling.
I honed in my selective hearing and listened. It had gone quiet.
Thinking nothing more of it, perhaps it was a heated phone conversation or someone yelling at their roommate to not forget groceries in the car, I headed into my living room to drink the individual container of orange juice we had just purchased at the grocery store. Leaving Kris in the kitchen to finish dinner preparations.
I leaned over a small end table next to the couch to lower the blinds and caught a glimpse of arms flailing about. Instantly, I honed into what was happening across the street from my house.
I watched through the blind slits as two girls stared at each other over a silver and black scooter. Their lips moving, like in a silent film, only their bodies giving any indication of the emotions felt by each women.
The girl to the right, a young girl in her early 20's wearing gym shorts and an over sized t-shirt, her hair in a pony tail and dark blonde under the porch light that washed over them in an orange haze, had her hands raised and pushed them forward every time she spoke. Almost as if she was punctuating the air with each fist. Her feet, were bare.
The girl to the left seemed indifferent in her jeans and blue blouse. A purse slung over her right shoulder, her hair much darker than the women on the right, but not quite black, even in the night.
"You come into my house, take $406 from my wallet, throw keys at me and just leave me?" Screams the barefooted girl.
The indifferent girl crosses her arms and stares at her.
"You are such a slut! I knew I shouldn't have gotten in a relationship with you." Belts out the barefooted girl.
"You hit me! You scratched my arm!" Retaliates the indifferent girl.
Pulling up her shirt to make a show, the barefooted girl points to a spot where the indifferent girl must have punch her back.
Their conversation is muted when not in harsh screams. I've slowly moved onto my front porch, that's enclosed and very easy to hide in. I've crouched down and propped my head up on the windowsill. Quietly, calling on all my skills I've picked up in pilates, balance myself there, watching.
The indifferent girl in jeans opens up the seat of the scooter and removes a white helmet. She puts it in her left hand, as the barefooted girl stays on a constant loop.
"I want you out! I want you gone, how could you fucking do this to me?" She throws in there.
The indifferent girl takes a step backwards while putting on her helmet, as the barefooted girl comes forward and slaps her. Almost as if she is spring to life, the indifferent girl grabs the barefoot girl by the throat and in a muffled raised voice I hear her choke out words, almost as if spitting in the barefooted girls face she says..
"You think you can do that to me and I won't react? Don't you fucking touch me again!" Squeezing at her throat, the indifference lost.
The barefooted girl swings back and has her throat in her own hand. They move backwards like this, stuck in a deadly tango. Neither one letting go. It goes on for what feels like hours, but was merely seconds. Until they both let go and move back to their original corners.
The dialogue doesn't change. I watch on for 10, maybe 15 minutes. The same story on repeat. A few punches thrown, and even more curse words uttered.
I take a deep breathe when I watch the barefooted girl walk away, she gets to the top of 6 steps leading to the side door of the house, finally it's over with and I breathe out. She opens the door and takes a step inside as the girl holds onto the scooter and puts her purse down.
I wait for the scooter to start. It doesn't. The barefooted girl comes tearing back down the stairs just to get one final slap in, one final statement. A statement she's been repeating all night.
"You came into my house while I was sleeping, took $406 out of my wallet, throw my keys at me and leave? Give me the money back and get out of here. I don't want to see you again! I want you moved out!"
The indifferent girl meets her with silence. She pushes the scooter towards the street as the barefooted girl climbs the stairs once more. She slams the door and is finally inside.
In one last act of defiance the indifferent girl yells "Fuck your keys!" as she starts up the scooter and heads down the street.
It's quiet now. I can see the tv show the neighbors are watching across the street. My landlords dog barks below me. I stand and feel an ache in my knees and stretch out, then head back inside.
I run into the kitchen to tell Kris what I've seen. We hear yelling again.
The barefooted girl has put on flip flops and is now yelling on her cell phone walking down the block. I watch her dart across the busy street that starts at the end of ours, and slam her fits onto a car.
She yells - "Pull over! Get the fuck out of the car!"
I watch her open the passenger door and climb inside. I can't see the driver, there aren't many street lights in this neighborhood.
I watch them drive away, as I shake my head. I wonder if she's going to get her $406 back.
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