Stories From The Scene: The Girlfriend Experience

My ex and I met in 8thgrade when my family moved from Chicago to the suburban hell scape that was Elmwood Park Illinois in the late 80s. I’m being dramatic about it being a hell scape but I did feel truly betrayed by my parents for moving us into the suburbs. How was I supposed to become cool now? How was I supposed to have real harrowing city adventures on the lame streets of Elmwood Fucking Park? Where were the gangs? The drugs? The thugs and punks? Not in my junior high. Not yet anyway. So that’s where we met and it’s not like it was love at first sight or anything close to that. He was a full foot shorter than me, skinny, with braces and very uncool. But he was sweet and funny and he made me mix tapes because he liked me. Fuck flowers! Make me a mixtape and I am mush.