Socially Distanced: A Quarantine Novella

“Don’t even think about asking me for a smoke.” My words are harsh, and I don’t care. I’m still angry. I know it’s not really directed at her, but she’s the only available target for my anger.

“I wasn’t going to,” Kendra says. “I just…well, I wanted to apologize.”

“Don’t do that either.” I’d been avoiding the balcony for the past few days just to keep from seeing her. It figures that the first time I come out, she’s right there beside me.

“I know I can’t take back what I did, but I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“Upset me?” I laugh hollowly. “What could possibly be upsetting?”

“I’ve been out in the world, and you’ve been confined here. You’ve been locked up in here with the absolute worst, scratchy, one-ply toilet paper I have ever encountered.”

“Yeah, that shit is bad.” I chuckle.

“I had to wrap it around my hands about twenty times just to make use of it, and it never does get any softer.”

“It is almost not worth the effort. I can’t argue with you there.”

I look over at her as she leans against the rail, her hair falling around her face. When the sunlight hits the strands, some of the strands look reddish

rather than brown.

It’s not her fault.

I sigh and attempt to rein in my emotions. Logically, I know my anger has nothing to do with this woman I’ve never met before. She didn’t start all this. As much as I want someone to blame, it’s better to have someone to talk to.

“You want a smoke?” I ask.

She glances at me, her eyelashes fluttering slightly.

“Are you offering?”

“Yeah. Why not?”

I toss her a cigarette, and she catches it easily.

“I’ve got a trade for you,” Kendra says. “Ready?”

Before I can answer, she tosses a pocket-sized brown square in my direction. I catch it and glance down at the small chocolate bar.

“I got my first luxury item. Figured I could share.”

“Wow! Thanks!” I hold the small square up to my nose and inhale deeply. It smells divine. “I haven’t had chocolate since…well, a long time.”

“You never get it?”

“I usually get cigs or whiskey,” I say. “Helps pass the day.”

“I suppose that’s true. Better than the television.”

“Right? They make a big deal about it in the beginning, but there are only three working channels, and it’s ‘round the clock, depressing news.”

“Exactly!” She chuckles. “I want my streaming movies!”

“We used to get them,” I say. “When I first got here, there was a movie streaming every Friday and Saturday night plus another channel running old western TV shows.”

“Old westerns? Ugh!” Kendra scrunches up her face.

“My dad loved them.” I shrug. I’d never really liked them before, but now that they’re gone, I miss them.