Triple update!

SUMMER SEVENTEEN XVI

“SOO HAS A motto,” I tell Tiffany. It is midnight. We Liars are playing Scrabble in the Cuddledown great room.

                My knee is touching Tae’s thigh, though I am not sure she notices. The board is nearly full. My brain is tired. I have bad letters.

                Tiffany rearranges her tiles distractedly. “Soo has what?”

                “A motto,” I say. “You know, like Grandad has? No one likes a waffler?”

                “Never takes a seat in the back of the room,” intones Tiffany.

                “Never complain, never explain,” says Taeyeon. “That’s from Disraeli, I think.”

                “Oh, he loves that one,” Tiffany says.

                “And don’t take no for an answer,” I add.

                “Good lord, Jessica!” shouts Minho. “Will you just build a word and let the rest of us get on with it?”

                “Don’t yell at her, Minho,” says Taeyeon.

                “Sorry. Will you pretty please with brown sugar and cinnamon make a ing Scrabble word?”

                My knee is touching Tae’s thigh. I really can’t think. I make a short, lame word.

                “Drugs are not your friends,” I announce. “That’s Soo’s motto.”

                “Get out,” Tiffany says, laughing. “Where did he come up with that?”

                “Maybe he had drug education at school. Plus the twins snooped in my room and told him I had a dresser full of pills, so he wanted to make sure I’m not an addict.”

                “God, YoonYul are disasters. I think they’re kleptomaniacs now.”

                “Really?”

                “They took my mom’s sleeping pills and also her diamond hoops. I have no idea where they think they’ll wear those earrings where she wouldn’t see them. Also, they are 2 people and it’s only one pair.”

                “Did you call ‘em on it?”

                “I tried with Yul. But they’re beyond my help,” Tiffany says. She rearranges her tiles again. “I like the idea of a motto,” she goes on. “I think an inspirational quote can get you through hard times.”

                “Like what?” Taeyeon asks.

                Tiffany pauses. Then she says: “Be a little kinder than you have to.”

                We are all silenced by that. It seems impossible to argue with.

                Then Minho says, “Never eat anything bigger than your .”

                “You ate something bigger than your ?” I ask.

                He nods, solemn.

                “Okay, Tae,” Tiffany says. “What’s yours?”

                “Don’t have one.”

                “Come on~”

                “Okay, maybe.” Taeyeon  looks down at her fingernails. “Do not accept an evil you can change.”

                “I agree with that,” I say. Because I do.        

                “I don’t,” Tiffany says.

                “Why not?”

                “There’s very little you can change. You need to accept the world as it is.”

                “Not true,” Taeyeon reputes.

                “Isn’t it better to be a relaxed, peaceful person?” Tiffany asks.

                “No.” Taeyeon is decisive. “It’s better to fight evil.”

                “Don’t eat yellow snow,” Minho interrupts. “That’s another good motto.”

                “Always do what you’re afraid to do,” I say. “That’s mine.”

                “Oh, please. Who the hells says that?” barks Tiffany.

                “Emerson,” I answer. “I think.” I reach for a pen and write it on the backs of my hands.

                Left: Always do what. Right: You are afraid to do. The hand writing is skewed on the right.

                “Emerson is boring,” Minho says. He grabs the pen from me and writes on his own left hand: NO YELLOW SNOW. “There,” he says, holding the result up for display. “That should help.”

                “Jessi, I’m serious. We should not always do what we are afraid to do,” says Tiffany heatedly. “We never should.”

                “Why not?”

                “You could die. You could get hurt. If you’re terrified, there’s probably a good reason. You should trust your impulses.”

                “So what’s your philosophy, then?” Minho asks her. “Be a giant chicken-head?”

                “Yeah,” she says. “That and the kindness thing I said before.”