No Ordinary Love by Kenya Wright

men are raping children. This is a fashion trend.”
    “One that’s creepy.”
    “Oh, shut up.” He marched on in front of me. Satisfied that I’d ruffled his feathers, I trailed behind him. A wicked grin hit my face, but I remained quiet. “You’ll see the damn Lolitas and love them,” he declared.
    “Well, I do believe I was an old, moody man in my other life. Perhaps they’ll turn me on.”
    He grumbled and said nothing else.
    We left the station and walked on the street. A high, glowing arch announced that we’d entered Harajuku district. Stores with bright ads outlined our path. Most signs had English as well as Japanese. Still, I had no idea what some of the places sold. I spotted some sunglasses made out of plastic fingers and another full of metallic clothing reminiscent of the gaudy 80s.
    Sunlight decorated the hip youth as they strolled, strutting their fashions. Although tons of people crowded the space, not everyone was dressed to impress. However, there was enough fashionistas present to make me happy that I’d come.
    Elaborate outfits trapped my gaze. Some wore solid black leather and ridiculously high platforms. Others donned leg warmers and leopard prints. Even a few kids rocked hip-hop gear that would make most American rappers envious. Within the crowd, a small, scattered group of people had surgical masks covering their faces.
    “Where are you, Lolitas? Come to me.” Zo scanned the space. He must’ve been the tallest person out there and surely could see farther than all of us.
    “What’s up with the masks?” I spotted another person with the thin, white material wrapped around her nose and mouth. “Is that a specific style?”
    “Not really.” He placed his hand over his eyes as if to shield them from the sun. “It’s pretty rude to walk around sneezing and coughing while maskless. I once got a cold and coughed on the train. Several people politely told me to get a mask. I was like, ‘What? I’m not going to wear a mask!’ My girlfriend at the time was aggravated. She acted as if I was intentionally trying to get the whole world sick or something. Needless to say, she was hot, so … ”
    “You wore a freaking mask.”
    “Yes, of course I did.”
    “Was she a model?”
    “Of course she was.”
    “I forget how you love gorgeous faces on stick figures.” I tossed him another little jibe, but he was used to this complaint and waved it away. “So people wear masks here because they’re sick?”
    “And some wear it to be left alone.” He screamed with glee which made me jump. “There we go. Right there. Sweet Lolitas!” He dragged me around a packed corner.
    “Look at those two sitting on the ground.” He pointed to the girls.
    If they hadn’t been talking to each other, I would’ve figured they were dolls. Massive pink bows topped their silky curls. One had blond hair, the other brunette. Frilly pink dresses covered their small frames. Layers of lace petticoats peeked out from the hooped skirts. Both wore white opaque stockings with a tiny line of kittens near their knees. A peach color painted their eyelids, while the rest of their faces appeared pale like a china doll. Stuffed pink kittens rested in their arms.
    Umm …
    “What do you think?” Zo snapped some pictures of them. They stopped and did a quick pose before returning to their conversation. “Isn’t it awesome?”
    “This is super creepy.”
    He rolled his eyes and moved on. “Sweet Lolitas are the best.”
    “Oh goodness, are there more types of Lolitas?”
    “Sure. You have Punk Lolitas, Goth, Elegant, and Classic. I mean, there are even mixtures.” He disappeared into the crowd. I had to rush to keep up with him. This was worse than hanging with him backstage at a fashion show. He was like a little kid with money-stuffed pockets and free rein of Disney World.
    “Zo! Wait!” I got behind him and panted. “Would you slow down?”
    “Oh, sorry.” He took my hand again. “So are you going to