a girl eating a bagel beside me. her chewing so slow and so rubbery (the noise!) i began to worry that her teeth might loosen and, by the second half of the bagel, fall out. i began then to worry that my own teeth might fall out, fall into my book, fall all over my chair. i wanted to catch her attention and say, you watch out for your loose teeth and i'll watch out for mine, but then no one wants to be thought of as having wiggly teeth lest their age and/or dental neglect be revealed.

i left her alone. am avoiding lunch.