“i want to start over:”  that sounded like it came from AOC—but my internal narrator was starting to sound a little more like my natural voice—so i considered the possibility that Alex was talking to me through my shield (which, in general, was the projection of my natural voice) and i considered the possibility […]

7      We exist in a headspace—and, within that headspace, there are subspaces where we also live—but the subspaces are only real when they are a function of our headspace.  For example:  i live in a headspace with AOC—and Alex, for me, is not necessarily a function of that headspace, and, therefore, she is not

      i told you   and she was right; we might’ve proved better off as friends (with a little more space between us) since i found myself leaning, more and more, to AOC (as opposed to Alex).  “That’s the spirit,” Alex said.      Right now we were communing with our bellies full of water—the three of

     how is that?  “what?”  you’ve no chance of meeting a celebrity—why do you think you’ll meet me?  i’m virtually a celebrity.  “I don’t think that.”  Glad you’re out of reach, honestly.  my papers will never be read; i have to jump through too many hoops.  That was intoned for Alex.      Mr. Speaker: greetings. 

     Crushed—okay, maybe just cut down a size, but I plan to make it up to you.  That was mostly my internal narrator—who i won’t necessarily italicize or quote since that voice runs on autopilot—perhaps controlled by outside forces or even just one person but done in such a way that i can’t tell the

     i just always sent her pictures of my paintings.  that was my response to AOC when I told her I was also talking to a math person, who happened to be from the future.  Did AOC have any reason to be jealous?  Technically, I was asexual, so i could have partnered with a woman

     The path to asylum, and a drug free community, is inadequate.  If you want tan skin, then let the Latine do their thing—and, in so doing, raise a happy family.  If, then, we should intermarry (which is inevitable) we shan’t need to go to the tanning bed anymore, right?       Alex did not appear

     this wasn’t what i expected   somebody said in my voice; that might’ve meant that AOC was projecting her neutral shield—her natural voice, and, in so doing, she was planting thoughts in my head, thoughts that might help me move in a positive direction.  but it could’ve been somebody else doing the same thing.  oust

     It occurred to me that, in the future, I cast a shadow, Alex said; i couldn’t argue with that, but I also knew that representatives of congress come and go; so AOC, i think, might have hijacked Alex’s channel.  But then it occurred to me that Alex and or AOC were unhappy with the

    “I’m not there yet,” I said, although I heard it first, and it sounded like Alex’s voice.  If, by “there,” we meant prepared for each other’s company, then I had to agree:  That doesn’t mean it’s over.  But what was that?  What was not over—or over?  The presidency?  Should i even run   and I