Chapter 33: Chapter 33: Pets For Memes Part 2

Up ahead, Valerie had reprised her role as navigator, following the map of her mind to their destination. "Whatever you do, don't look back," she told them.

"Shannon," called Jessica, holding back a chuckle. "Did you actually know what the hell those guys were saying?"

"I was guessing," she said with a smile. "Not that hard, though. You should know this, but every derivative of cool is just a derivative of black culture whether or not they actually pull it off. You just gotta navigate and wade through the intonations of dialect, no matter how much it sounds like nonsense. Descriptivism is a double-edged sword."

"Well, I dig it!"

"Don't say that!"

"Sorry."

"I'm kidding!"

They stopped under the glow of a corner street lamp, vibrant like angels in the dark. "Ay, we're close," said Valerie. She pointed at a shabby, worn-down building across the street, and, after double-checking every direction, led them to the other side.