Street Art (Flash Fiction)

Brian and Catherine rounded the street corner hand in hand. The sun was warm but the air was cool and refreshing. Catherine’s skirt danced in the breeze, and Brian smiled to himself when he caught a glimpse of her thigh. They took their time as they ascended the low-grade. The sidewalk was cracked and weathered, and their bellies were full with lunch from their favorite restaurant.

Brian stopped. Catherine continued a few steps further until their locked hands brought her to a halt. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

Brian pointed to a wall of cinder blocks that lined a nearby parking lot. The paint was worn and covered in gray patches, some fresher than others. “Look,” he said.

Catherine turned and saw it immediately. She chuckled and put a hand over her mouth.

“Don’t laugh,” Brian said. “It’s ridiculous! It’s appalling and childish and just rude.”

Catherine stifled her giggle and took a deep breath. The spring air swam in her lungs. “At least they did a decent job,” she said.

“Oh, right,” Brian said. “Yeah, the veins are a real nice touch. Honestly, Catherine. Can you show a little outrage here? How would you like it if someone spray painted a giant penis near our house?”

Catherine shrugged and looked at the work again. “I suppose I wouldn’t mind it too much if it were as big as that one.”

Brian flung Catherine’s hand back and threw his own into the air. “Are you kidding?” he shouted. A small group of kids walking on the opposite of the street glanced over. “Look at that thing. It’s beyond comprehension. What kind of person takes the time to paint a giant cock on the side of a wall? There are kids that play near here, families with homes that have windows facing this way. It’s inexcusable.”

“They did go a little overboard with the lines indicating the springiness,” Catherine said after a more thorough review.

Brian rolled his eyes.

“What?” Catherine squealed. “I was trying to be serious. Doesn’t it start to hurt when it gets that hard?”

Brian threw his hands into the air again and began to march up the grade. Catherine laughed and tried to grab hold of his hand as he passed by, but he shrugged her off. “You’re a child,” Brian said with a grumble.

“Oh, I am not,” she said with a smile. “You’re just a big baby.” She watched as Brian continued on his way home without looking back. She quickly pulled out her phone and snapped a pic of the giant penis. Later that evening, when Brian was in the shower, she uploaded the image and made it his new background for his computer screen.