Yolo (23 page)

zoegirl:

from Instagram? that's Fernando. he's on the Special Olympics team I'm coaching.

mad maddie:

I know. *taps noggin* I read the caption, toots.

mad maddie:

what's Fernando's event? how old is he?

zoegirl:

ten, and he's doing wheelchair rugby, and it's INTENSE. these kids in their wheelchairs are fast!

zoegirl:

they wheel themselves super-fast across the court, and sometimes they ram into each other. sometimes their wheelchairs tip over.

mad maddie:

owwie. when their wheelchairs tip over, do they fall out?

zoegirl:

no, because they're strapped in, so they have to sit there—well, lie there—until a coach or ref runs over and gets them upright.

mad maddie:

Jesus

zoegirl:

I know, but everyone cheers for the kid when he or she goes back into the game, because the point is NOT to feel sorry for them.

zoegirl:

talk about yolo, right?

zoegirl:

imagine being in a car accident and damaging your spine and never being able to walk again. that's what happened to Fernando. but Mads, he is absolutely living life to the fullest. it's so inspiring.

mad maddie:

cool. kinda makes me feel like there's nothing I shld ever complain about.

zoegirl:

me too

zoegirl:

but for the record, Fernando's not a saint or anything. another kid poured a slushie over his head, so he retaliated by pouring a slushie over that kid's head.

mad maddie:

ha—that's funny

mad maddie:

so the girl you have yr arm around. is that Holly?

zoegirl:

yup. she and I are going to a party tonight, and Gannon's going to meet us there. it'll be my first Big College Party.

mad maddie:

eek!

zoegirl:

I know you're teasing me, but yes! eek! I suck at parties!

mad maddie:

ah, you'll be fine as long as you keep in mind this bit of wisdom, courtesy of “The Onion”:

mad maddie:

“Be open to meeting people, as the friends you make freshman year are likely to be the friends you have throughout college, then fall out of touch with after graduation, then see every three to seven years after that.”

zoegirl:

k, great. thanks, Mads.

mad maddie:

u betcha.

zoegirl:

hahahahahahaha!

zoegirl:

everyone got drunk, even me, and I kissed Holly again, and also Gannon, and yes I feel a little embarrassed thinking back on it all, but at the same time I don't.

zoegirl:

I had fun. everyone had fun.

zoegirl:

and then—ha again!—the campus police showed up cuz apparently we were making too much noise!

zoegirl:

I, of course, had a panic attack and imagined myself getting kicked out of school, going to jail, having a criminal record, and having to explain,
five years later at a job interview, why I checked “yes” on the application where it says, “Have you ever been convicted of a crime?”

zoegirl:

all of that ran through my head in, like, three seconds.

zoegirl:

but, long story short, Holly was her charming self and told the two police guys that we were playing “Would You Rather” and asked if they wanted to play too. they didn't, but they didn't arrest us, either. or write us up or whatever.

zoegirl:

everyone had to pour out their beer, and the police officers gave us a lecture about underage drinking, but that's all.

zoegirl:

so I've officially gone to my first college party *and* I've officially gotten busted at my first college party.

zoegirl:

yes, I am just that cool.

zoegirl:

I know, right? and . . . hi!

SnowAngel:

and second of all, which WLD u rather?

zoegirl:

???

SnowAngel:

kiss Holly or Gannon?

SnowAngel:

I can't believe my little girl had a threesome!

zoegirl:

it was not a threesome. we were just goofing around.

zoegirl:

AND we said out loud that we were just goofing around and that none of us wanted it to be anything more than that.

zoegirl:

it was an experiment. do you have a problem with that?

SnowAngel:

I dunno. kissing a girl once I can write off as an
experiment. kissing a girl TWICE, and we might be looking at Zoe gone wild.

zoegirl:

nope, not wild.

zoegirl:

well, maybe a little wild . . .

SnowAngel:

for real: do you like Holly as in *like* like her? you know I'm totally cool with it if you do.

zoegirl:

yes, Angela, I know. but I don't.

SnowAngel:

cuz I wld love you no matter what. just sayin'.

SnowAngel:

did you use tongues?

zoegirl:

omg. Holly is awesome and so is Gannon, but we're all just buds. the kissing thing . . . just happened.

zoegirl:

AND you've kissed random people at parties too, if I remember correctly.

SnowAngel:

a) RANDOM and b) guys, not “people.” Holly and Gannon aren't random and HOLLY IS A GIRL.

zoegirl:

you're so funny. would a girl kissing a girl really be a big deal at UGA? at Kenyon, everyone is way more relaxed about stuff like that.

SnowAngel:

huh

zoegirl:

yup. but the best thing about last night?

zoegirl:

I didn't think about Doug once.

SnowAngel:

that's a lot of M&M's

SnowAngel:

*I* just bought a pair of Aquatalia boots on Zappos, except not really cuz I am poor. but I want to. Zappos is SO ADDICTIVE!

mad maddie:

so are M&M's. I feel kinda sick.

SnowAngel:

the boots I want are kinda like the boots I saw a girl wearing a few days ago. they're tall and brown and gorgeous.

mad maddie:

don't you already have a pair of tall brown boots?

SnowAngel:

but these are skinny-around-the-calf boots! and if I buy them, I'll never need another pair of boots again! do you know how many years I've spent searching for skinny boots???

mad maddie:

zero?

SnowAngel:

my whole life I've been searching! and what if they never make them again? what if this is my only chance?

SnowAngel:

I think I'll have nightmares if I don't order them. I really do. if there's one thing I've learned in my business class, it's that if resources are scarce, demand will be high.

mad maddie:

OMIGOD YR RIGHT ORDER THEM THIS INSTANT U FOOL!

SnowAngel:

*huffs*

SnowAngel:

now you're just teasing me.

mad maddie:

me? teasing YOU? no way. plus, those words you used—scarce and resources, etc. etc.—make me think you've learned more than that one thing in your biz class, girlie.

SnowAngel:

hmmm

SnowAngel:

why yes! I have! quel surprise!

SnowAngel:

quel surprise number deux: YOU ACTUALLY DISCUSSED MY BOOT OBSESSION WITH ME. holy fudge nuts, what is the world coming to?

mad maddie:

cuz I
you. and I secretly
boots, and discussing boots, and I cld spend my whole day chatting about boots. really.

SnowAngel:

weirdo potato. go to the boots section on Zappos! you will be hooked!