Two Short Stories
by Ryan Hardy

A Dream of a Smile

You talk about parking and you talk about me to all your friends. I pretend
I can't hear, that I'm tired, that I'm asleep. "Look at that girl, she's too
small to be driving that big ass car. See look she just hit the curb." Who
cares? Pretend I'm asleep. "He had me so worried yesterday I almost cried.
He left school at lunch and went skateboarding. He never came back. I
thought he got hit by a car." I'm sorry I had a terible day, I'm sorry I
love skateboarding, I'm sorry that you can't understand me. "Ryan do you
know how much you had me worried? Tell him Ruth." "She was really worried."
Pretend I'm asleep. "Oh he's asleep." Pretend I can't hear. Close my eyes
tight as I can. Maybe when I open them the world will be gone. Oh please let
it all just disapear. You keep on talking. I'm not listening. I'm dreaming.
Rolling down the street on four tiny wheels. A smile comes across my face.

True Love

I walk up to you and hold you in my arms. You push me away. "Not in front of
all these people." Public affection would be looked down upon. What would
people think? It matters so much to you. Why? It's something I can't
understand. If you were truly in love would you care what other people might
think of us? So as you push me away four wheels hit the ground and I roll
away. Away into something that returns all the love I give it. My skateboard
never pushes me away, doesn't care what others think about us. And so I ride
away into the darkness, by myself but not alone.