Replacements (We're Not Who We Used to Be)v1.2

[(live: 2s)[<blue>I swear it wasn't this cold last year.</blue> (stop:)]] [(live: 4s)[<yellow>Or this long.</yellow> (stop:)]] [(live: 5s)[<blue>Yeah.</blue> (stop:)]] [(live: 7s)[<red>I swear it was easier last year.</red> (stop:)]] [(live: 9s)[<yellow>At least we had an autumn last year.</yellow> (stop:)]] [(live: 11s)[<red>This year: nope.</red> (stop:)]] [(live: 12s)[<blue>40 degrees, then 10 degrees.</blue> (stop:)]] [(live: 14s)[<yellow>I swear-</yellow> (stop:)]] [(live: 15s)[<red>I don't even remember the leaves on the trees turning yellow this year.</red> (stop:)]] [(live: 17s)[<white>They didn't.</white> (stop:)]] [(live: 20s)[<yellow>Well, they did. They would've.</yellow> (stop:)]] [(live: 20.5s)[<white>They didn't.</white> (stop:)]] [(live: 24s)[<red>Ummm, I think-</red> (stop:)]] [(live: 26s)[<yellow>No, she's right. They didn't. The trees never lost their leaves.</yellow> (stop:)]] [(live: 30s)[<white>The trees just got [[replaced|Title Page]].</white> (stop:)]]

You've been waiting in this line long enough that the topic has turned to weather. The staircase at the Bella Union, it's the last Finishing School of the year... maybe ever... They've just started playing Sweet Dreams inside. Out here, though, Frankie's getting in an argument with Fred about this tree thing. As *if* they're just gunna replace *every* tree. I'm not saying I know how it works. You actually believe it, don't you? If they can replace whole buildings... That's different. Is it? Frankie says something with her eyebrows and Fred says something back with a tilt of his head. A wry half-smile each, eye contact, then away. You imagine you see their lips actually swell with blood, their pupils dilate to the max. You imagine them both thinking, "Maybe tonight, finally." You imagine correctly. The posters lining the walls drift in and out of your field of attention, but everything that looks interesting has already happened.