One

There are four of us who sit here on this stoop. Alice, Jane, Mary, and me: Daz. It is an unusual name compared to the others, but that is just like every other part of me: unusual. Well, unusual for this place at least.

It is here on this stoop where we spend our extra time talking about somewhat important subjects and events. Yet the conversations always either turn into gossip or a onesided arguement.

"Well that's weird--"

"Well, yeah--but I think..."

I sit and observe my comrades. There is Alice. She was among the first people I met when I came to this town. She is friendly, happy, and overly emotional at times, but she is so sweet and one of the few friends I have here.

"Yeah, but--"

"Well, I mean, it's not like..."

Jane is the talker, the thinker, the analyzer, the opinion giver, the one who believes she is always right and wont hear otherwise. She constantly contradicts herself, then denies doing so. For me, it is annoying, but she is friends with Alice, as am I, so I have to accept her as she is.

Mary, the third girl, is the quietest of them all. She is innocent and shy yet perkier than Alice at certain moments. In public Mary can easily be ignored. Although she speaks out more when she is in comfortable situations, like with us on this stoop, it is hard for anyone to speak when Jane is in a conversation.

I space out and the voices around me fade away. Tilting my head back to look at the sky, I can identify the shapes of the small puffy cumulous clouds dotting the vast blue background. They remind me of cotton candy. Sounds delicious.

"Hmm...Daz, what do you think?"

"What?" At the mention of my name, I snap my head forwards to look at everyone looking at me.

"What do you think?" Alice asks again.

About what? is what I want to say to her, but that would show my lack of attention to this subject.

"I think..." I begin, pondering on what I could reply with. "I think...that...I am hungry." Instinctively, I place my hand over my stomach as though it just grumbled and I was trying to appease it.

Alice beings to laugh and Mary giggles. Jane rolls her eyes, perhaps slightly amused, but mostly annoyed. She probably knows I was not paying attention at all. They probably all know that.

"Well then," Alice concludes after recovering from a giggle fit. "Should we go get something to eat?"

Mary agrees. She tends to vote with the majority, always wanting to make the popular choice. Jane reluctantly decides to join us as well, at first flat out refusing any offer to eat out, claiming she is trying to watch her figure.

As we walk down the main street of town, Jane tells Mary of all her diets she has tried while Alice and I discuss good restaurants that are affordable.

After a little walking, when the conversation has died down, I look up at the sky. It's already sunset. The clouds nearest the now burning red sun are turning into similar shades of orange and pink. I should be going home soon. I know in my mind, but my heart does not seem to care for it.

It must be because of summer. I would not want to miss a moment of what I have left of it.