story about personal space
Start writing a post

Fiction On Odyssey: Taco Thursday

Even though it's just the two of us, we sit at opposite ends of the table because we both understand the value of personal space.

11
Fiction On Odyssey: Taco Thursday

It's Thursday night, which means it's Taco night. Jeffery and I decided to have it on Thursdays instead of Tuesdays because we like to think that we're different from people and we both understand the value of not being basic. To be honest, we hate people. Deep down we probably even hate each other. But even deeper down, we know that we hate each other just a little less than we hate everyone else. And so, we spend our days spitting on the incompetence and stupidity of the world together, because we both understand the value of doing things together. It's cute.

I'm dicing tomatoes when Jeffery walks through the front door. He desperately releases a breath he has been holding since he left this morning and doesn't bother to announce that he is home. The opening of the door has already done that for him. I stay in the kitchen, not bothering to meet him in the foyer to welcome him back with a peck on the cheek. And we're okay with this because we both understand the value of being above all that bullshit. I gather up the tomatoes in a bowl and place it down on the dining room table with all the other fixings: ground beef, mixed cheese, shredded lettuce, and salsa. There used to be a spot on the table for avocado slices, but ever since the freakin' Avocado Revolution of 2015, we've decided to omit it. Jeffery was particularly adamant about striking it from our diet. He would not be associated with millennials who wore nothing but overpriced Lululemon leggings only to match their avocado toast aesthetic, taking up precious oxygen by doing nothing but sip on their Starbucks mocha-caramel frappe macchiato latte cappuccinos.

Even though it's just the two of us, we sit at opposite ends of the table because we both understand the value of personal space. And once we both have our store-bought tortillas in hand and are a good way into assembling our first taco, I ask Jeffery how his day went to which he replies, "good." He lets a pause linger in the air before returning the question, just before it becomes the silence becomes slightly uncomfortable, to which I reply, "fine." Fine can mean many things, of course. Most often it implies the exact opposite, inviting the other party to ask what's wrong, but in this case, it quite literally meant that things were nothing short of spectacularly average. Either way, Jeffery doesn't bother clarifying. He takes an uninterested bite out of his taco and tosses it around in his mouth a few times before asking for the salt. I slide the shaker along the table into his hand without looking up from my plate and the rest of dinner goes on without conversation because it's been an exhausting day for both of us, and we understand the value of finding refuge in comfortable silence while enjoying a good-ass taco.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

58325
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

37572
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

959194
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

193339
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments