My girlfriend had a thing for daytime soaps
It began as pre hipster irony
then it turned on her and became something else.
She was in college
I was unemployed
We spent our afternoons

• sipping coffee
• Playing video games
• watching tv
  Her studying while I wrote music.
  Wonderful.
  Aside from our dire financial situation
• hunting and gathering
• • electricity
• • food
• • rent
• • • money

Her soap of choice began adding younger characters
During an appeal to reach younger audiences of people who were also obviously home sick from school
( I am told thiis how daytime tv addiction begins )
The first “highschool youth demo” story centered around ~the new girl~
dark haired in a sea of blonde
Maybe a little heavier than the blonde twigs that roamed the halls, well-read, glasses, awkwardly dressed

• because why wouldnt she be?
  Some of these blonde trolls had taken to called her “gigantor”
  and that was the nicest thing you heard them say on a regular basis

I listened to this blather on as background noise

• for months
• • the computer sat opposite the television in our cave studio apartment

during “the biggest storm this capeside town had ever seen”
The high school

• under hurricane or tornado or goblin watch was bombarded with harsh winds glass was breaking doors flung open form the force of the wind and the worst of the jock types screams

There’s Gigantor! Everyone duck behind her! Use her as a fat shield!