to my right someone is chewing gum and smacking their lips. it’s rhythmic and very loud. i can hear their teeth sinking into the rubbery treat, denting it and evacuating the spittle that saturates it with an earsplitting squelch.

squelch squelch squelch. pause. squelch squelch… squelch.

and speech: will you take me on a trip when i grow old? i answer, i don’t know. my birthday is in one month. who’s to say i won’t be old, too.

blissful quiet, then a hearty squelch. i try very hard to maintain my composure and ignore the wet metronome. maybe if i focus on the time signature it won’t sound so revolting. onetwothree onetwo onetwothree onetwo. just nearly a waltz! i remember a tool song and decide to listen to their album, the really special one. i had put it away since that summer but now i think i can hear it again.

i’m biting my lips rather hard and realize it only when the metallic taste licks at my tongue.