Yard Sale
Title: Yard Sale
Author: limnological
Rating: PG
Pairing: JeTi
Description: AU, this will take some imagination in which Tiffany and Jessica meet at a yard sale and do other things.
Authors' Note: This is one of those stories where I look back and think to myself, "What did I just write?" I have to get it out of my head and publish quickly or I'll analyze it too much and want to rewrite the whole thing. It definitely felt different from anything I've written and I'm still a bit dazed and confused really. But anyhow, the prompt was an inside joke I shared with some Twitter friends. This short story is dedicated to Mail, Dev, Debby, Jin and other friends who enjoy my K-pop lyric jokes. The tag line is "Come with me. Yard sale. Love." [f(x)'s Airplane]
Yard Sale
Her light blue uniform sticks to her back as the summer sun scorches her skin and her sweat accumulates. She uses her forearm to wipe away the droplets on her forehead as she stands in front of a community mail box, sorting out the mail into individual boxes.
“Screw the economy.”
Tiffany mutters underneath her breath as she sifts through the pile of letters, doing her job effectively and efficiently.
“College was a lie.”
It’s a bitter remark as she finishes up the rest and locks up the stand. With a sigh, she climbs back into her mail truck and continues making her rounds in the suburban area.
“‘Get a degree,’ they said. ‘It gets you places,’ they said.” She is talking to herself as she turns the corner. “The only thing it’s gotten me is in debt and a bitter heart.”
She never finished college because life decided to give her lemons and all she could do at the time was learn how to deliver mail from thereon. She parks the truck at the next mail box stand, going through the same motions. Quickly, she sifts through the mail and picks up the new pile and then goes on her way.
It’s the same old routine and she is getting bored of it.
Fortunately, there is one neighborhood in particular that she gets a kick out of. Actually, it’s one house in particular. It’s not a big or tiny house, but just a humble abode.
Every Saturday, there’s a yard sale at this house. The community mail box is right on the corner of the house’s yard, so Tiffany gets a glimpse at the strange items and artifacts lying about the grass.
Today is no exception.
The yard sale is going on and the items are still bizarre. There’s a shaggy 70s rug laid out for sale, half of a globe, light sticks from a concert, three legged chairs, a green lava lamp with a skull design and more strange things.
What amuses Tiffany is that the items seem to change every week.
Last week she had spotted a tiger’s collar, a shoe without it’s other half, a belt with no notches, clothes with holes, a ukulele with three-fourths of its strings gone and so forth.
But what amuses Tiffany even more is the owner of the yard sale. The owner is always sprawled out on a green striped lawn chair, an ELLE magazine covering her face every single time Tiffany comes by. She wonders how the other girl is not afraid of having her belongings stolen when she blatantly naps in broad daylight.
But all of that is none of her business because Tiffany has no particular interest in those items. She just comes and goes, delivering the mail and today is no different.
--
Next Saturday decides to be one of those days where there’s just too much time to think on the job. As Tiffany drives through the neighborhood, her mind starts going places she didn’t plan for.
Technically, she had just moved into town, no friends, no family, and now no more school. It had only been a couple weeks since she started working as a mail woman in this city. And she’s quickly learning that she needs to pick up a new hobby or she’s going to die from boredom.
So Tiffany wonders and ponders, thinking of something new she could try.
Without realizing it, she’s arrived at the ‘yard-sale house.’ She sorts through the mail and then turns around once she finishes, eyes scanning over the strange items.
There are, again, new items up for sale. There’s a map written on parchment, a trash can in the shape of a fry, a fleece blanket stitched with the words, ‘Come at me, bro,’ a snapback hat with a horrendous splash of red, green, yellow, and blue splattered all over it, and other quirky items.
The one item that catches Tiffany eye though is the longboard laid flat with its wheels turned up by the garage.
Tiffany walks over, careful to not stir the sleeping owner on the green striped lawn chair. She crouches down slowly, inspecting the worn out wheels and eyes wandering over the worn out design. There’s a sweet vintage design of blue waves and typography of the brand etched into the brown bamboo.
I could long board?
It’s a fleeting thought as she stares at the board, wondering how it would feel beneath her feet.
“You board?”
Tiffany jumps up, surprised by the voice. She turns quickly to face the other girl. It’s the owner of the yard sale. Her hands are in the pockets of her jeans and her shoulders are a little slumped as the tip of a sucker sticks out from her mouth.
“W-What? No, I’m not bored.” She stutters.
The blonde lets out a cheeky grin. “No, do you longboard?”
“Oh.” Tiffany blushes at her stupid mistake. “I don’t actually. But I might pick it up?”
“I see. It’s $180.”
“What?! That much!?”
“It’s a brand name board. Sure it’s been used and abused, but it’s still sturdy and reliable. Want to take it for a spin?”
“I told you, I don’t know how to longboard.”
She shrugs. “So learn.”
The blonde’s brazen behavior throws Tiffany off-guard.
“It’s not as easy as you say.”
“What’s stopping you?”
The question makes Tiffany search for an excuse, but she can’t mouth one.
The blonde smirks. “Thought so.”
Tiffany instantly has this weird urge to wipe the smirk off of the blonde’s face. Her hand almost moves on her own, but she refrains. Instead, she opts for a topic change.
“How do you have different items every week for your yard sales?”
“I go to yard sales all over and buy cheap items, then resell them for a better price.”
Tiffany’s eyebrows crinkle together, “Isn’t that illegal?”
She shrugs in response. “Probably. By the way, your mail truck is still running.” The blonde points nonchalantly at the mail truck on the street.
“Oh crap.” Tiffany glances at her watch, forgetting that she was on the clock. “I’ve got to complete my rounds.”
With that, she runs to vehicle and speeds away before any other conversation can be shared between her and the strange owner.
--
Saturday comes again and it’s one of those days where Tiffany’s moods all over the place. Tiffany sorts through the pile of mail at the ‘yard sale house,’ unaware of company watching her.
“Did you learn how to long board?”
Tiffany almost jumps up as she stares at the blonde on the other side of the mail box. “You have got to stop doing that.”
“Doing what?”
“Sneaking up on me like that.”
The blonde shrugs, longboard held in one arm. “It’s not my fault your peripheral vision isn’t top notch.”
“Well… oh, never mind. No, I didn’t learn how to longboard yet.”
“Why not? It’s easy.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Sure it is. Watch a YouTube video. There’s a tutorial for everything these days.”
“Thank you, you have great customer service.”
“Thank you, but I’m not taking reviews at this time. You could just do it the old-fashioned way.”
“What’s that?”
“Teach yourself. It’s not hard. It’s easy.”
Tiffany’s getting tired of the blonde sounding like a broken record.
“Excuse me? Do you even know how to longboard?”
“No, I carry this around for fun.”
With that, the blonde lets the board fall to the ground, gets on with ease and is cruising on the wide asphalt street. It looks like she’s gliding on air as she makes smooth turns in a figure eight, hands in her pocket. She’s so casual about it that it pisses Tiffany off. She rides back over to the sidewalk, skidding to an easy stop in front of Tiffany.
“It’s easy.”
Ego bruised, Tiffany bites her lip.
“Yeah, well not everyone’s as cool as you.”
To this, the blonde lets out a hearty laugh.
“There is another option, you know.”
“What?”
“Get a teacher.”
“Like who - Oh. You want to teach me?”
To this, Tiffany blushes, embarrassed at the thought of the yard sale owner teaching her how to longboard.
“Didn’t say I want to.”
“You -“
“You’re fun to tease.” The blonde interjects.
“You’re frustrating.”
“You’re easy to upset.”
“You’re weird.” It’s a lame comeback, but it was true. She’s never met a person like this girl, a yard sale enthusiast, and apparently part time long boarder with potentially other skill sets that didn’t seem to match up.
The blonde chuckles in return as her hand sifts through her pocket for something. She pulls out a sucker and holds it out for Tiffany.
“Have a consolation prize for losing the battle of teases.”
“Thanks.” Tiffany takes the sucker and begins to unwrap it, then she realizes something. “This is backwards.”
“What, the wrapping?”
“No. This. Our conversations, our behaviors with one another. We talk to each other like we’ve known each other for a while.”
The blonde shrugs. “I’m a pretty honest person and it can make people think I’m close to them.”
“Well, I just realized we’ve done all of this without even knowing each other’s names.”
“I’ve always known your name.”
“What - How?”
“Name tags do wonders.”
Tiffany looks down at her chest and wants to face palm herself for her stupidity.
“Technically,” The blonde gestures her head towards the mail box. “You already know mine too.”
Tiffany glances down at the names linked up with the individual mail boxes.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Jessica.”
Jessica just laughs as she unwraps her own sucker.
“So want to buy my longboard?”
“No.”
“Tell me your answer after you’ve learned how to.”
“Then teach me.” It just slips out of her mouth.
“Deal. Come by again after work next week.”
She’s not sure if Jessica is serious, but her nonchalant shrug and demeanor makes Tiffany think that it could be interesting.
Maybe it was time to pick up a new hobby.
--
Tiffany is starting to think that this is a very, very, bad idea as her butt hits the asphalt again. She winces at the searing pain as Jessica rides back over to her side.
“Can’t be afraid of the falls, Tiffany.”
“Not as easy as you make it sound.” Tiffany mutters as she pushes herself up.
“I feel like that’s your favorite excuse.” Jessica teases as she circles around the bruised Tiffany.
“Is not.”
“Is too.”
“God, you’re like five.”
“I tend to mirror the people I’m around.”
Tiffany ignores the taunt and gets on the board again. She puts her right foot forward, kicking off the ground with her left foot. She barely gets her left foot behind her right foot as the longboard shakily moves forward. She can feel her legs quiver and the vibrations of the ground meeting against the wheels. Scared, she loses her balance and this time, doesn’t fall, but staggers off.
“Ugh. This is a lost cause.”
“You’ve got balancing problems.”
“Thank you, Sherlock.”
“Do you know how to ride a bike?”
“…No.”
“You’re right. This is a lost cause.”
“Hey!”
“I’m kidding. It’s -“
“ - easy, right?” Tiffany almost rolls her eyes. “I feel like that’s your favorite motto.”
“Sure is.”
“How do you stay balanced?”
“Don’t know. Just comes naturally.”
“You’re the worst teacher ever.”
“I’m great. Do you know why? Because I’m free. Free things are great.”
Tiffany laughs because she’s learned Jessica has a knack for saying stupid things like this all the time.
--
“Break time.” Jessica comes to a smooth stop and sits on the curb of the sidewalk. Slowly, Tiffany comes to join her, body aching and bruising from her earlier falls. They sit side by side as the sun begins to set.
“So are you going to buy my longboard?”
“Are you only interested in talking about selling your items?”
Jessica shrugs. “It’s how I make a living.”
“Stop shrugging.” Tiffany runs her mouth off without thinking about it “You do it too much.”
She shrugs again. “You say mean things, but I don’t tell you what to do.”
Tiffany laughs lightly at the remark because Jessica seems to say things that throw her off-guard.
“Why are you teaching me how to longboard anyway?”
“So you’ll buy my longboard.”
Tiffany scoffs. “How do I get you to not see me as just a business transaction?”
“Give me something worth more than money.”
“Like my body? You pervert.”
“Don’t flatter yourself.” Jessica responds as she offers a sucker. “Your body isn’t the only thing that’s worthwhile that you own.”
Tiffany’s not sure why, but this statement makes her cheeks flush a little.
“Thanks.”
“I’ve got to go now.”
“Where are you going?”
“To a yard sale. I need to make a living so I can give you free lessons.”
--
Tiffany thinks there’s something wrong with this picture. She doesn’t get how people always did this, always seem to fall on top of other people and end up in a straddling position. She doesn’t get it now even though that’s exactly what she was doing to Jessica.
They had collided just barely on their longboards and Tiffany had graciously landed on top of Jessica. The best part was that Jessica was so casual about it.
“Straddling your teacher was not part of the lesson.”
“I did not choose to fall on top of you. I tried to veer left, okay?”
“Your left or my left?”
“I don’t remember.”
“We should get up before we get run over by a car.”
“Urgh.” Tiffany has no strength, the fall had taken a toll on her legs. She exerts the last of her strength to unstraddle Jessica, but it only results in her rolling over onto the ground. Jessica just laughs.
“You looked really funny, then.”
“I’m glad my pain is a source of entertainment for you right now.”
Jessica continues chuckling as she gets up. She pushes both of their longboards to the curb as she helps Tiffany up. She pulls Tiffany up, supporting her by putting her weight underneath her.
“I’ll let you rest on my favorite lawn chair.”
“You are so weird.” Tiffany mutters as Jessica brings her over to the green striped lawn chair. “Really, Jessica? Your house is right there with beds and probably couches and you’re letting me rest on a lawn chair?”
“It’s my favorite.” Jessica shrugs as she sits down next to her.
To this, Tiffany can only laugh. The laughter flexes her bruises and pains, but she doesn’t regret it because Jessica was being Jessica and the whole situation was funny to her.
If someone had asked her where she thought she’d be spending her Saturday afternoons, she wouldn’t have said here.
Here next to Jessica, learning how to longboard, bruising and cruising along the way, and laughing at the strange girl.
--
It takes longer than she thinks it should, but she eventually learns how to turn, how to stop, and how to deal with slopes. She learns because like Jessica said, it is easy. It’s easy because she has a teacher. It’s easy because she makes the first step of actually trying to learn.
Saturday afternoons are something Tiffany learns to look forward to.
Now, she’s able to stay on long enough that she can feel the wind blow against her face and hair, can feel the board running over the tiny pebbles, can feel a rush of adrenaline. She’s cruising, albeit not as fast or smooth as Jessica, but she is cruising.
Her breathing is a bit ragged as she circles around the asphalt road, coming to a halt as Jessica returns to her side with a backpack and longboard in tow. They had just finished a round of cruising the streets, Jessica calling it quits early so she can stop by another yard sale.
“Do you ride your longboard to the yard sales?”
“Yes.”
“But how do you carry everything you buy?”
Jessica holds up the backpack.
Tiffany scrunches her eyebrows together, “What if you buy something that doesn’t fit?”
“Always go in the market with a target size and price.”
“What if there’s a really good deal on a huge item?”
Jessica shrugs. “Then you can carry it for me.”
Tiffany laughs, but she accepts the roundabout invitation.
--
Luckily, the yard sale isn’t too far and Tiffany doesn’t suffer any casualties on the way. It’s a big yard sale, items ranging from a dollar to hundreds of dollars. She follows behind Jessica towards the trinkets as they ignore the big and bulky items. Jessica picks up a snow globe on the table, pleasantly surprised to find the contents full of autumn leaves instead of snowflakes.
“How much is this?” She asks the young male owner.
“$10.”
Tiffany frowns at the amount, thinking that the trinket was worth much less than that.
“$5.” Jessica rebuts.
“$7.” He replies firmly.
“$5.” Jessica holds her ground.
And Tiffany watches with amusement as they go back and forth, stubborn on both ends. She’s very amused because come to think of it, it’s the first time she’s seen Jessica interact with a person who isn’t her.
Perhaps it’s because it’s a bargain deal, but Tiffany likes how Jessica treats the man like the complete stranger he is. There’s no instant connection, no fun banter like the one they had shared their first meeting. Jessica is still brazen and shrugs her shoulders, but her eyes don’t look at this man the way they do when they are set upon Tiffany.
And Tiffany likes it that way.
--
“Ready to buy my longboard?” Jessica asks as she sucks on a watermelon sucker, watching Tiffany circle the asphalt smoothly.
“I swear that’s always on your mind.”
“That isn’t true.”
“Then what else do you think about besides longboards and yard sales?”
Jessica eyes Tiffany carefully for several long moments before answering.
"Maybe a mail woman, too."
Tiffany stumbles off the longboard, tripping over herself, cheeks flushed with red as Jessica laughs softly. The longboard hits the curb with a clunk as Tiffany avoids Jessica’s gaze.
Jessica walks up to her and holds her hand out for the fallen girl, speaking slowly.
“I would like to change my earlier statement of ‘maybe’ into a ‘definitely.’”
Tiffany’s heart beats twice faster and the heat is getting to her head. She can only whisper the next sentence as her hand meets Jessica’s.
“Glad the feeling is mutual.”
To this Jessica smiles widely, keeping their hands together as she stuffs her other hand into her pocket.
Then an ‘ah-ha’ moment strikes her.
“I have a yard sale to get to. See you later.” She squeezes the hand softly and gets on her longboard.
And Tiffany smiles to herself as Jessica kicks off, hands in her pocket, hot wind blowing against her hair.
“Damn attractive yard sale enthusiast and her smooth words.”
She seriously questions her choice in girls as she watches the other girl’s shadow disappear into the sunset.
--
She seems to be finding herself in weird positions and predicaments when she’s with Jessica.
Like now, she’s not sure how they’re suddenly sharing a kiss on the grass next to a tipped over green striped lawn chair.
Oh that’s right, Jessica had let her sit there and then decided to plop down next to her without warning, causing them to tumble forward.
Cue the close proximity and she doesn’t know who acted first but she’s getting a taste of those strawberry flavored lips right now and it tastes so good.
When they part, her eyebrows are furrowed together and Jessica looks at her strangely.
“Am I that bad of a kisser?”
“No.” Tiffany whines. “No. It’s not fair. You can’t be a good kisser and look this good and have all these quirky, attractive qualities. Life’s not fair. You only get one.”
Jessica laughs. “I was bad at school.”
Suddenly, the frustration evaporates and Tiffany’s feeling a bit better about life.
“Fair enough.”
They kiss again, no more complaints about Jessica’s incredible kissing because who in their right mind would complain about good kissing?
--
“It’s hot.” Tiffany shouts from behind Jessica as they cruise along the plaza, maneuvering in and out of people’s way.
“Do you want a drink?” Jessica shouts back without looking at the girl.
“Yes, please.”
The blonde leads her to the corner coffee shop, ushering her to rest outside on the outdoor tables while she orders. Tiffany happily obliges as she takes a much needed rest. She pulls at the front of her V-neck as the sun’s rays heat her face up even more. In no time, Jessica returns with two drinks: raspberry lemonade and lemonade.
Jessica presses the ice cold cup against Tiffany’s cheek. She sits down as Tiffany takes the lemonade, a look of amusement on her face.
“You buy lemonade at coffee shops?”
Jessica shrugs. “I hate coffee, but this shop sells great lemonade.”
Tiffany laughs to herself as she sips it.
It’s sweet enough to make Tiffany wince in a good way, refreshing enough to keep her on her toes, and cool enough to rejuvenate her spirits. It reminds her of a certain blonde.
She’s suddenly glad life gave her lemons causing her to become a mail woman because she wouldn’t be here with Jessica had she not been given that predicament.
Here with Jessica, longboarding the open suburban streets, trekking all over town for yard sales, and sharing suckers and saliva.
Picking up a new hobby wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
--
Saturday visits turn into Sunday visits and those turn into Monday visits and so forth and so on. She starts staying longer too, but Jessica doesn’t seem to mind because they spend the majority of the time longboarding together and then talking about nothing and everything.
They start doing other stuff, too, like sleeping on the green striped lawn chair together. Jeans are pressed together as back faces chest and face faces neck and they’re not even sure how they make it work on the lawn chair, but they do.
They make a lot of things work without knowing how and why, but they do.
--
Her favorite taste is when Jessica’s had a strawberry sucker.
“Do you only eat fruity things?” Tiffany asks as they sit on the curb side, taking a break.
“No,” Jessica takes the sucker out of her mouth momentarily, “I had a tuna sandwich earlier. Would you prefer if I kissed you with that taste instead?”
Tiffany’s face distorts into pure horror.
“I am suddenly thankful your mouth always tastes like a rainbow.”
To this Jessica laughs and smiles an unfamiliar smile at Tiffany afterwards.
“What? What is that funny?”
“No. I was just thinking that you always wear your heart on your sleeve.”
“I get that a lot.” Tiffany admits sheepishly.
Jessica bites the last of her sucker, strawberry shards crunching softly in her mouth. When she is finished, she turns to look at Tiffany again.
“Just so you know, if you had asked me to kiss you with a tuna sandwich taste, I would have. I think I would do anything for you at this point.”
Tiffany doesn’t say anything in response because her smile says it all as she pulls Jessica in for a kiss.
Strawberry flavored candy has never tasted so sweet.
--
Sometimes she wonders what they are, wonders if they’re just longboarding buddies who occasionally make out. Wonders if they’re just girls who rarely swap half-eaten suckers. Wonders if they’re just friends who often cuddle up against each other on a certain creaky green lawn chair. Wonders if they’re just penny pinchers who frequently raid yard sales for good deals. Wonders if they’re strange for always visiting coffee joints for summer lemonade specials. Wonders if they’re lovers when Jessica whispers words that make the gravity shift beneath her feet like her longboard does.
Sometimes she really wonders because she wants to label what they are, but the question never leaves her lips because Jessica has a knack for knocking the air out of her lungs when she kisses her.
But this time, her curiosity is so strong that Tiffany greets her differently today. She does not kiss her, but stands on the curb awkwardly, using her arms to shield herself as the insecurities swirl around.
Jessica decides a forehead kiss will make do for now as she adjusts the backpack on her shoulder and drops her longboard to the ground.
Tiffany asks the obvious even though it’s not what she really wants to say.
“Where are you going?”
Jessica smiles as Tiffany predicts the next line.
“Come with me.”
Tiffany laughs at herself because it’s obvious what Jessica will say next.
“Yard Sale.”
But Jessica adds a certain word that throws Tiffany off balance and makes her insecurities disperse into nothingness.
“Love.”
Jessica has a knack for knocking the air out of Tiffany’s lungs without even kissing her, too.
Tiffany pulls her in for a kiss to make up for the lost greeting kiss and much more. When they part, she smiles foolishly.
“I would like that, love.”
Screw labels. This is good enough and she’s happy with Jessica.
-----------
Author's Note: Living vicariously through JeTi because I want to longboard these days but I can't. :') Hope you enjoyed that strange one-shot.
Author: limnological
Rating: PG
Pairing: JeTi
Description: AU, this will take some imagination in which Tiffany and Jessica meet at a yard sale and do other things.
Authors' Note: This is one of those stories where I look back and think to myself, "What did I just write?" I have to get it out of my head and publish quickly or I'll analyze it too much and want to rewrite the whole thing. It definitely felt different from anything I've written and I'm still a bit dazed and confused really. But anyhow, the prompt was an inside joke I shared with some Twitter friends. This short story is dedicated to Mail, Dev, Debby, Jin and other friends who enjoy my K-pop lyric jokes. The tag line is "Come with me. Yard sale. Love." [f(x)'s Airplane]
Yard Sale
Her light blue uniform sticks to her back as the summer sun scorches her skin and her sweat accumulates. She uses her forearm to wipe away the droplets on her forehead as she stands in front of a community mail box, sorting out the mail into individual boxes.
“Screw the economy.”
Tiffany mutters underneath her breath as she sifts through the pile of letters, doing her job effectively and efficiently.
“College was a lie.”
It’s a bitter remark as she finishes up the rest and locks up the stand. With a sigh, she climbs back into her mail truck and continues making her rounds in the suburban area.
“‘Get a degree,’ they said. ‘It gets you places,’ they said.” She is talking to herself as she turns the corner. “The only thing it’s gotten me is in debt and a bitter heart.”
She never finished college because life decided to give her lemons and all she could do at the time was learn how to deliver mail from thereon. She parks the truck at the next mail box stand, going through the same motions. Quickly, she sifts through the mail and picks up the new pile and then goes on her way.
It’s the same old routine and she is getting bored of it.
Fortunately, there is one neighborhood in particular that she gets a kick out of. Actually, it’s one house in particular. It’s not a big or tiny house, but just a humble abode.
Every Saturday, there’s a yard sale at this house. The community mail box is right on the corner of the house’s yard, so Tiffany gets a glimpse at the strange items and artifacts lying about the grass.
Today is no exception.
The yard sale is going on and the items are still bizarre. There’s a shaggy 70s rug laid out for sale, half of a globe, light sticks from a concert, three legged chairs, a green lava lamp with a skull design and more strange things.
What amuses Tiffany is that the items seem to change every week.
Last week she had spotted a tiger’s collar, a shoe without it’s other half, a belt with no notches, clothes with holes, a ukulele with three-fourths of its strings gone and so forth.
But what amuses Tiffany even more is the owner of the yard sale. The owner is always sprawled out on a green striped lawn chair, an ELLE magazine covering her face every single time Tiffany comes by. She wonders how the other girl is not afraid of having her belongings stolen when she blatantly naps in broad daylight.
But all of that is none of her business because Tiffany has no particular interest in those items. She just comes and goes, delivering the mail and today is no different.
--
Next Saturday decides to be one of those days where there’s just too much time to think on the job. As Tiffany drives through the neighborhood, her mind starts going places she didn’t plan for.
Technically, she had just moved into town, no friends, no family, and now no more school. It had only been a couple weeks since she started working as a mail woman in this city. And she’s quickly learning that she needs to pick up a new hobby or she’s going to die from boredom.
So Tiffany wonders and ponders, thinking of something new she could try.
Without realizing it, she’s arrived at the ‘yard-sale house.’ She sorts through the mail and then turns around once she finishes, eyes scanning over the strange items.
There are, again, new items up for sale. There’s a map written on parchment, a trash can in the shape of a fry, a fleece blanket stitched with the words, ‘Come at me, bro,’ a snapback hat with a horrendous splash of red, green, yellow, and blue splattered all over it, and other quirky items.
The one item that catches Tiffany eye though is the longboard laid flat with its wheels turned up by the garage.
Tiffany walks over, careful to not stir the sleeping owner on the green striped lawn chair. She crouches down slowly, inspecting the worn out wheels and eyes wandering over the worn out design. There’s a sweet vintage design of blue waves and typography of the brand etched into the brown bamboo.
I could long board?
It’s a fleeting thought as she stares at the board, wondering how it would feel beneath her feet.
“You board?”
Tiffany jumps up, surprised by the voice. She turns quickly to face the other girl. It’s the owner of the yard sale. Her hands are in the pockets of her jeans and her shoulders are a little slumped as the tip of a sucker sticks out from her mouth.
“W-What? No, I’m not bored.” She stutters.
The blonde lets out a cheeky grin. “No, do you longboard?”
“Oh.” Tiffany blushes at her stupid mistake. “I don’t actually. But I might pick it up?”
“I see. It’s $180.”
“What?! That much!?”
“It’s a brand name board. Sure it’s been used and abused, but it’s still sturdy and reliable. Want to take it for a spin?”
“I told you, I don’t know how to longboard.”
She shrugs. “So learn.”
The blonde’s brazen behavior throws Tiffany off-guard.
“It’s not as easy as you say.”
“What’s stopping you?”
The question makes Tiffany search for an excuse, but she can’t mouth one.
The blonde smirks. “Thought so.”
Tiffany instantly has this weird urge to wipe the smirk off of the blonde’s face. Her hand almost moves on her own, but she refrains. Instead, she opts for a topic change.
“How do you have different items every week for your yard sales?”
“I go to yard sales all over and buy cheap items, then resell them for a better price.”
Tiffany’s eyebrows crinkle together, “Isn’t that illegal?”
She shrugs in response. “Probably. By the way, your mail truck is still running.” The blonde points nonchalantly at the mail truck on the street.
“Oh crap.” Tiffany glances at her watch, forgetting that she was on the clock. “I’ve got to complete my rounds.”
With that, she runs to vehicle and speeds away before any other conversation can be shared between her and the strange owner.
--
Saturday comes again and it’s one of those days where Tiffany’s moods all over the place. Tiffany sorts through the pile of mail at the ‘yard sale house,’ unaware of company watching her.
“Did you learn how to long board?”
Tiffany almost jumps up as she stares at the blonde on the other side of the mail box. “You have got to stop doing that.”
“Doing what?”
“Sneaking up on me like that.”
The blonde shrugs, longboard held in one arm. “It’s not my fault your peripheral vision isn’t top notch.”
“Well… oh, never mind. No, I didn’t learn how to longboard yet.”
“Why not? It’s easy.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Sure it is. Watch a YouTube video. There’s a tutorial for everything these days.”
“Thank you, you have great customer service.”
“Thank you, but I’m not taking reviews at this time. You could just do it the old-fashioned way.”
“What’s that?”
“Teach yourself. It’s not hard. It’s easy.”
Tiffany’s getting tired of the blonde sounding like a broken record.
“Excuse me? Do you even know how to longboard?”
“No, I carry this around for fun.”
With that, the blonde lets the board fall to the ground, gets on with ease and is cruising on the wide asphalt street. It looks like she’s gliding on air as she makes smooth turns in a figure eight, hands in her pocket. She’s so casual about it that it pisses Tiffany off. She rides back over to the sidewalk, skidding to an easy stop in front of Tiffany.
“It’s easy.”
Ego bruised, Tiffany bites her lip.
“Yeah, well not everyone’s as cool as you.”
To this, the blonde lets out a hearty laugh.
“There is another option, you know.”
“What?”
“Get a teacher.”
“Like who - Oh. You want to teach me?”
To this, Tiffany blushes, embarrassed at the thought of the yard sale owner teaching her how to longboard.
“Didn’t say I want to.”
“You -“
“You’re fun to tease.” The blonde interjects.
“You’re frustrating.”
“You’re easy to upset.”
“You’re weird.” It’s a lame comeback, but it was true. She’s never met a person like this girl, a yard sale enthusiast, and apparently part time long boarder with potentially other skill sets that didn’t seem to match up.
The blonde chuckles in return as her hand sifts through her pocket for something. She pulls out a sucker and holds it out for Tiffany.
“Have a consolation prize for losing the battle of teases.”
“Thanks.” Tiffany takes the sucker and begins to unwrap it, then she realizes something. “This is backwards.”
“What, the wrapping?”
“No. This. Our conversations, our behaviors with one another. We talk to each other like we’ve known each other for a while.”
The blonde shrugs. “I’m a pretty honest person and it can make people think I’m close to them.”
“Well, I just realized we’ve done all of this without even knowing each other’s names.”
“I’ve always known your name.”
“What - How?”
“Name tags do wonders.”
Tiffany looks down at her chest and wants to face palm herself for her stupidity.
“Technically,” The blonde gestures her head towards the mail box. “You already know mine too.”
Tiffany glances down at the names linked up with the individual mail boxes.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Jessica.”
Jessica just laughs as she unwraps her own sucker.
“So want to buy my longboard?”
“No.”
“Tell me your answer after you’ve learned how to.”
“Then teach me.” It just slips out of her mouth.
“Deal. Come by again after work next week.”
She’s not sure if Jessica is serious, but her nonchalant shrug and demeanor makes Tiffany think that it could be interesting.
Maybe it was time to pick up a new hobby.
--
Tiffany is starting to think that this is a very, very, bad idea as her butt hits the asphalt again. She winces at the searing pain as Jessica rides back over to her side.
“Can’t be afraid of the falls, Tiffany.”
“Not as easy as you make it sound.” Tiffany mutters as she pushes herself up.
“I feel like that’s your favorite excuse.” Jessica teases as she circles around the bruised Tiffany.
“Is not.”
“Is too.”
“God, you’re like five.”
“I tend to mirror the people I’m around.”
Tiffany ignores the taunt and gets on the board again. She puts her right foot forward, kicking off the ground with her left foot. She barely gets her left foot behind her right foot as the longboard shakily moves forward. She can feel her legs quiver and the vibrations of the ground meeting against the wheels. Scared, she loses her balance and this time, doesn’t fall, but staggers off.
“Ugh. This is a lost cause.”
“You’ve got balancing problems.”
“Thank you, Sherlock.”
“Do you know how to ride a bike?”
“…No.”
“You’re right. This is a lost cause.”
“Hey!”
“I’m kidding. It’s -“
“ - easy, right?” Tiffany almost rolls her eyes. “I feel like that’s your favorite motto.”
“Sure is.”
“How do you stay balanced?”
“Don’t know. Just comes naturally.”
“You’re the worst teacher ever.”
“I’m great. Do you know why? Because I’m free. Free things are great.”
Tiffany laughs because she’s learned Jessica has a knack for saying stupid things like this all the time.
--
“Break time.” Jessica comes to a smooth stop and sits on the curb of the sidewalk. Slowly, Tiffany comes to join her, body aching and bruising from her earlier falls. They sit side by side as the sun begins to set.
“So are you going to buy my longboard?”
“Are you only interested in talking about selling your items?”
Jessica shrugs. “It’s how I make a living.”
“Stop shrugging.” Tiffany runs her mouth off without thinking about it “You do it too much.”
She shrugs again. “You say mean things, but I don’t tell you what to do.”
Tiffany laughs lightly at the remark because Jessica seems to say things that throw her off-guard.
“Why are you teaching me how to longboard anyway?”
“So you’ll buy my longboard.”
Tiffany scoffs. “How do I get you to not see me as just a business transaction?”
“Give me something worth more than money.”
“Like my body? You pervert.”
“Don’t flatter yourself.” Jessica responds as she offers a sucker. “Your body isn’t the only thing that’s worthwhile that you own.”
Tiffany’s not sure why, but this statement makes her cheeks flush a little.
“Thanks.”
“I’ve got to go now.”
“Where are you going?”
“To a yard sale. I need to make a living so I can give you free lessons.”
--
Tiffany thinks there’s something wrong with this picture. She doesn’t get how people always did this, always seem to fall on top of other people and end up in a straddling position. She doesn’t get it now even though that’s exactly what she was doing to Jessica.
They had collided just barely on their longboards and Tiffany had graciously landed on top of Jessica. The best part was that Jessica was so casual about it.
“Straddling your teacher was not part of the lesson.”
“I did not choose to fall on top of you. I tried to veer left, okay?”
“Your left or my left?”
“I don’t remember.”
“We should get up before we get run over by a car.”
“Urgh.” Tiffany has no strength, the fall had taken a toll on her legs. She exerts the last of her strength to unstraddle Jessica, but it only results in her rolling over onto the ground. Jessica just laughs.
“You looked really funny, then.”
“I’m glad my pain is a source of entertainment for you right now.”
Jessica continues chuckling as she gets up. She pushes both of their longboards to the curb as she helps Tiffany up. She pulls Tiffany up, supporting her by putting her weight underneath her.
“I’ll let you rest on my favorite lawn chair.”
“You are so weird.” Tiffany mutters as Jessica brings her over to the green striped lawn chair. “Really, Jessica? Your house is right there with beds and probably couches and you’re letting me rest on a lawn chair?”
“It’s my favorite.” Jessica shrugs as she sits down next to her.
To this, Tiffany can only laugh. The laughter flexes her bruises and pains, but she doesn’t regret it because Jessica was being Jessica and the whole situation was funny to her.
If someone had asked her where she thought she’d be spending her Saturday afternoons, she wouldn’t have said here.
Here next to Jessica, learning how to longboard, bruising and cruising along the way, and laughing at the strange girl.
--
It takes longer than she thinks it should, but she eventually learns how to turn, how to stop, and how to deal with slopes. She learns because like Jessica said, it is easy. It’s easy because she has a teacher. It’s easy because she makes the first step of actually trying to learn.
Saturday afternoons are something Tiffany learns to look forward to.
Now, she’s able to stay on long enough that she can feel the wind blow against her face and hair, can feel the board running over the tiny pebbles, can feel a rush of adrenaline. She’s cruising, albeit not as fast or smooth as Jessica, but she is cruising.
Her breathing is a bit ragged as she circles around the asphalt road, coming to a halt as Jessica returns to her side with a backpack and longboard in tow. They had just finished a round of cruising the streets, Jessica calling it quits early so she can stop by another yard sale.
“Do you ride your longboard to the yard sales?”
“Yes.”
“But how do you carry everything you buy?”
Jessica holds up the backpack.
Tiffany scrunches her eyebrows together, “What if you buy something that doesn’t fit?”
“Always go in the market with a target size and price.”
“What if there’s a really good deal on a huge item?”
Jessica shrugs. “Then you can carry it for me.”
Tiffany laughs, but she accepts the roundabout invitation.
--
Luckily, the yard sale isn’t too far and Tiffany doesn’t suffer any casualties on the way. It’s a big yard sale, items ranging from a dollar to hundreds of dollars. She follows behind Jessica towards the trinkets as they ignore the big and bulky items. Jessica picks up a snow globe on the table, pleasantly surprised to find the contents full of autumn leaves instead of snowflakes.
“How much is this?” She asks the young male owner.
“$10.”
Tiffany frowns at the amount, thinking that the trinket was worth much less than that.
“$5.” Jessica rebuts.
“$7.” He replies firmly.
“$5.” Jessica holds her ground.
And Tiffany watches with amusement as they go back and forth, stubborn on both ends. She’s very amused because come to think of it, it’s the first time she’s seen Jessica interact with a person who isn’t her.
Perhaps it’s because it’s a bargain deal, but Tiffany likes how Jessica treats the man like the complete stranger he is. There’s no instant connection, no fun banter like the one they had shared their first meeting. Jessica is still brazen and shrugs her shoulders, but her eyes don’t look at this man the way they do when they are set upon Tiffany.
And Tiffany likes it that way.
--
“Ready to buy my longboard?” Jessica asks as she sucks on a watermelon sucker, watching Tiffany circle the asphalt smoothly.
“I swear that’s always on your mind.”
“That isn’t true.”
“Then what else do you think about besides longboards and yard sales?”
Jessica eyes Tiffany carefully for several long moments before answering.
"Maybe a mail woman, too."
Tiffany stumbles off the longboard, tripping over herself, cheeks flushed with red as Jessica laughs softly. The longboard hits the curb with a clunk as Tiffany avoids Jessica’s gaze.
Jessica walks up to her and holds her hand out for the fallen girl, speaking slowly.
“I would like to change my earlier statement of ‘maybe’ into a ‘definitely.’”
Tiffany’s heart beats twice faster and the heat is getting to her head. She can only whisper the next sentence as her hand meets Jessica’s.
“Glad the feeling is mutual.”
To this Jessica smiles widely, keeping their hands together as she stuffs her other hand into her pocket.
Then an ‘ah-ha’ moment strikes her.
“I have a yard sale to get to. See you later.” She squeezes the hand softly and gets on her longboard.
And Tiffany smiles to herself as Jessica kicks off, hands in her pocket, hot wind blowing against her hair.
“Damn attractive yard sale enthusiast and her smooth words.”
She seriously questions her choice in girls as she watches the other girl’s shadow disappear into the sunset.
--
She seems to be finding herself in weird positions and predicaments when she’s with Jessica.
Like now, she’s not sure how they’re suddenly sharing a kiss on the grass next to a tipped over green striped lawn chair.
Oh that’s right, Jessica had let her sit there and then decided to plop down next to her without warning, causing them to tumble forward.
Cue the close proximity and she doesn’t know who acted first but she’s getting a taste of those strawberry flavored lips right now and it tastes so good.
When they part, her eyebrows are furrowed together and Jessica looks at her strangely.
“Am I that bad of a kisser?”
“No.” Tiffany whines. “No. It’s not fair. You can’t be a good kisser and look this good and have all these quirky, attractive qualities. Life’s not fair. You only get one.”
Jessica laughs. “I was bad at school.”
Suddenly, the frustration evaporates and Tiffany’s feeling a bit better about life.
“Fair enough.”
They kiss again, no more complaints about Jessica’s incredible kissing because who in their right mind would complain about good kissing?
--
“It’s hot.” Tiffany shouts from behind Jessica as they cruise along the plaza, maneuvering in and out of people’s way.
“Do you want a drink?” Jessica shouts back without looking at the girl.
“Yes, please.”
The blonde leads her to the corner coffee shop, ushering her to rest outside on the outdoor tables while she orders. Tiffany happily obliges as she takes a much needed rest. She pulls at the front of her V-neck as the sun’s rays heat her face up even more. In no time, Jessica returns with two drinks: raspberry lemonade and lemonade.
Jessica presses the ice cold cup against Tiffany’s cheek. She sits down as Tiffany takes the lemonade, a look of amusement on her face.
“You buy lemonade at coffee shops?”
Jessica shrugs. “I hate coffee, but this shop sells great lemonade.”
Tiffany laughs to herself as she sips it.
It’s sweet enough to make Tiffany wince in a good way, refreshing enough to keep her on her toes, and cool enough to rejuvenate her spirits. It reminds her of a certain blonde.
She’s suddenly glad life gave her lemons causing her to become a mail woman because she wouldn’t be here with Jessica had she not been given that predicament.
Here with Jessica, longboarding the open suburban streets, trekking all over town for yard sales, and sharing suckers and saliva.
Picking up a new hobby wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
--
Saturday visits turn into Sunday visits and those turn into Monday visits and so forth and so on. She starts staying longer too, but Jessica doesn’t seem to mind because they spend the majority of the time longboarding together and then talking about nothing and everything.
They start doing other stuff, too, like sleeping on the green striped lawn chair together. Jeans are pressed together as back faces chest and face faces neck and they’re not even sure how they make it work on the lawn chair, but they do.
They make a lot of things work without knowing how and why, but they do.
--
Her favorite taste is when Jessica’s had a strawberry sucker.
“Do you only eat fruity things?” Tiffany asks as they sit on the curb side, taking a break.
“No,” Jessica takes the sucker out of her mouth momentarily, “I had a tuna sandwich earlier. Would you prefer if I kissed you with that taste instead?”
Tiffany’s face distorts into pure horror.
“I am suddenly thankful your mouth always tastes like a rainbow.”
To this Jessica laughs and smiles an unfamiliar smile at Tiffany afterwards.
“What? What is that funny?”
“No. I was just thinking that you always wear your heart on your sleeve.”
“I get that a lot.” Tiffany admits sheepishly.
Jessica bites the last of her sucker, strawberry shards crunching softly in her mouth. When she is finished, she turns to look at Tiffany again.
“Just so you know, if you had asked me to kiss you with a tuna sandwich taste, I would have. I think I would do anything for you at this point.”
Tiffany doesn’t say anything in response because her smile says it all as she pulls Jessica in for a kiss.
Strawberry flavored candy has never tasted so sweet.
--
Sometimes she wonders what they are, wonders if they’re just longboarding buddies who occasionally make out. Wonders if they’re just girls who rarely swap half-eaten suckers. Wonders if they’re just friends who often cuddle up against each other on a certain creaky green lawn chair. Wonders if they’re just penny pinchers who frequently raid yard sales for good deals. Wonders if they’re strange for always visiting coffee joints for summer lemonade specials. Wonders if they’re lovers when Jessica whispers words that make the gravity shift beneath her feet like her longboard does.
Sometimes she really wonders because she wants to label what they are, but the question never leaves her lips because Jessica has a knack for knocking the air out of her lungs when she kisses her.
But this time, her curiosity is so strong that Tiffany greets her differently today. She does not kiss her, but stands on the curb awkwardly, using her arms to shield herself as the insecurities swirl around.
Jessica decides a forehead kiss will make do for now as she adjusts the backpack on her shoulder and drops her longboard to the ground.
Tiffany asks the obvious even though it’s not what she really wants to say.
“Where are you going?”
Jessica smiles as Tiffany predicts the next line.
“Come with me.”
Tiffany laughs at herself because it’s obvious what Jessica will say next.
“Yard Sale.”
But Jessica adds a certain word that throws Tiffany off balance and makes her insecurities disperse into nothingness.
“Love.”
Jessica has a knack for knocking the air out of Tiffany’s lungs without even kissing her, too.
Tiffany pulls her in for a kiss to make up for the lost greeting kiss and much more. When they part, she smiles foolishly.
“I would like that, love.”
Screw labels. This is good enough and she’s happy with Jessica.
-----------
Author's Note: Living vicariously through JeTi because I want to longboard these days but I can't. :') Hope you enjoyed that strange one-shot.