Page 47 of Nearly Roadkill
Ze said that within 10 minutes of being in that room ze saw all of us get harassed by older men. Scratch, being Scratch, did a little investigating. Checked out each one, found them out every time ze got online, and cross-referenced them with other rooms. About 2/3 of them hung out in the Christian room, all of them were married men, and a whole bunch also hung out in rooms as women. I told Scratch not to jump to conclusions about all that cross-referencing. They were probably making up the Christian part.
Scratch forwarded some of these conversations to the powers that be and got a couple of them bounced off the service. Hard to do on a private service where they’re more interested in your money than civil rights. Ze didn’t tell me any of this, I heard it throo da grapevine. Jabba had heard it, too, so I know it was true.
Scratch gets pissed easily. Righteous anger is hir best suit.
I just emailed Scratch asking where we met online, and ze couldn’t remember either. “Left-handed Lithuanians for John Lennon, probably,” ze wrote back. So helpful.
But check this out—Scratch is all excited about Winc!
To:Toobe
From:Scratch
Subj:Gender roles
Tripped out by my online adventure last night. Ran into that Winc character again. You say you know this person? Any insights into why I want to head screaming for the hills every time I run into hir? In a good way, though. I get all calm with hir one minute, hysterical a minute later.
—Scratch
END TOOBE ENTRY
WINC JOURNAL ENTRY
Rode my bike past a group of old men today. Smiled and waved to them, long legs pedaling. They loved it, I could see it in their faces how much they loved my smile, my long legs, they smiled and waved back. Maybe right now they’re thinking about me, maybe they’re lying in bed next to their wives and they’re thinking about my smile floating past them, a butterfly they’ll never catch. Some of them saw the girl of their dreams. Some of them saw a young boy.
They never see me when I sign off and sit here naked with a bug floating in my teacup. And I wonder. How do some people just get off their bikes and laugh with a stranger who seems nice? How do they move their heads just so? How do they know when to smile? Is there some secret code I’ve never been taught? Is it in the genes? What’s wrong with my genes, then? How do they drink their tea? Without bugs, that’s for sure.
Scratch, what if I’m not the right one on the bike this time? What if you need the long-haired Winc with the urgent cock, and you’re that nasty riot grrl? What if you need that boy because you’re a sweet young boy, too, what if I could be your strong woman, the one who would love you for your strong woman self?
END WINC ENTRY
TOOBE ENTRY
To:Jabbathehut
From:Toobe
Subj:No Fallout Yet
Hey, I haven’t had any fallout yet from that police snooping incident.
To:Toobe
From:Jabbathehut
Subj:Re: I see everything
But that’s not what you should be thinking about, youngster.Registration is what you should be thinking about.
To:Jabbathehut
From:Toobe
Subj:Re: Any?
What do you mean? Why should I be thinking of Registration?
To:Toobe
