Spreading Love | Teen Ink

Spreading Love MAG

April 28, 2008
By Emily Xia BRONZE, Warren, New Jersey
Emily Xia BRONZE, Warren, New Jersey
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

It is night in March, and the sun has set. February would probably be more appropriate for this, but when you get ideas on February twenty-fifth and they require as much effort to ­implement as this one does, well then, February isn’t really an option.

Pierre was drunk when he came up with the idea. He admits it proudly. No shame whatsoever – what’s there to be ashamed of? He’s legal; it’s well known that one is most innovative when inebriated, and it’s not like he had to drive. It’s Paris, and students in Paris don’t drive. “Driving,” Pierre says, “is for the overweight denizens of suburban America, with their gas-guzzling, Kyoto Protocol-violating SUVs.” Paris is the city of love, the greatest city in the world – obviously it must have decent public transportation. Jean-Luc is less loud about the idea, like he is about most things, but he admits that Pierre does come up with decent ideas once in a while.

So now, at 5:30 on a chilly March night, they are setting up on the sidewalk. To their left is a brightly lit ­family restaurant. It isn’t entertaining many patrons, this being a Thursday night. To their right is a boutique that’s already shut for the night and isn’t ­entertaining any patrons at all. Before them is the street; behind them is an ­alley. It’s as good a place to start as any.

Jean-Luc fiddles with the computer, watching it trace curves and figure eights while he straps a kitchen sponge on his right knee to match the one on his left. He reexamines the sponges on his elbows, flicks his helmet for luck, and plops down onto the sidewalk. They have ­already hosed it down and dumped soap on it, so instead of simply falling to the ground and wincing at the impact, he slides along the concrete.

Pierre does the same. They are slipping and rolling and dancing in the street – it’s like breakdancing, but any fun flippy moves are out of the question due to all the soap on the ground and Jean-Luc’s hand-eye coordination, or lack thereof. Instead he is reduced to a – not in any way comical! – scrambling motion, like he’s trying to stand up but not quite succeeding.

And it is then, exactly then, that the foreign students arrive. They are ­accompanied by three middle-aged women, probably their teachers. There are, Jean-Luc guesses, maybe 20 of them. All seem to be female. He imagines they are staring. He knows they’re giggling and chattering in English about the crazy French guys rolling around on the ground.

Any audience, however, is better than none.

He finishes with a squatting pivot around his left foot that makes odd scraping noises, and stands up. He glances at the ground where he’d been shuffling a moment before. Their ­bodies have pushed and prodded the clusters of soap bubbles, crushed and streaked them across the sidewalk in arcing vectors, looping around, seemingly purposeless, but all intercon­nected. They look beautiful, at least.

Pierre is holding his hands up, looking for all the world like an alien. We come in peace. There are ­actually a few boys among the mass of schoolgirls, Jean-Luc notes.

“Do you have a moment?” Pierre asks the group. Some frown without understanding, some stare blankly, some stand on tiptoe ­because they can’t hear. One of the older women says yes. This is Jean-Luc’s cue.

He picks up a clean sponge, exactly like the ones strapped to his joints. Slowly, carefully, he walks toward the students. There is one girl standing near the front, almost sideways. He starts rubbing the sponge on her back. She stands still for a moment, and Jean-Luc thinks, Yes, this might work! A second passes, two, three … and then she shifts, inching to the right. Jean-Luc can see he’s not wanted. It’s a failure.

He tries again.

This time it is a shorter girl, who only comes up to the first girl’s shoulder. Jean-Luc reaches out, and the easiest target is her face. He rubs the sponge against her face, but not like how he’d scrub a dirty counter. Instead he rubs it gently, like –

“No!” one of the women yells in French. “Not her face!” Whereas there had been an almost reverent silence, now a murmur begins snaking through the mass of students, showing in gossip and whispers.

“But can’t you see what we’re ­doing?” Pierre pleads. “We’re using sponges to pass love through the city! It is a grand project! We will all be connected by sponges!” Jean-Luc demonstrates, rubbing his arm mercilessly with the sponge, forging intangible bonds of love. He can see them, connecting him, connecting the two girls who received his treatment.

“No.” The woman stands her ground. “Not her face. She has an ­infection.”

“We are spreading love! Love cares naught for infections!” Jean-Luc demonstrates, stuffing the sponge into his mouth hungrily. He is willing to make contact with infections – only quarantine is harmful. It creates fear, separates people. He sees the students cringe away.

“Don’t touch the children.”

“Well then, obviously it’s not working! We should love each other, don’t you see?”

“Don’t touch the children.”

Pierre throws his hands into the air. “Come on, Jean-Luc,” he says. “We’re leaving.”

Jean-Luc eyes the woman. This looks like it will be harder than they thought. He packs up the sponges, ­piling them on the cart with his laptop. As he and Pierre walk away, the laptop plays “Tristan und Isolde.” Pierre is a fan.

And they are off now, spreading love with sponges.



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This article has 81 comments.


on Aug. 27 2014 at 5:41 pm
creativewriter144108 SILVER, Keizer, Oregon
8 articles 8 photos 28 comments

Favorite Quote:
Bam-What??!!

That was so confusing..good I guess..but confusing

on Feb. 8 2012 at 8:34 pm
garthgirl8888 BRONZE, Long Beach, California
2 articles 0 photos 20 comments
this was a great piece. i am so tired of love poetry; this is awesome the way it ends!

Penny said...
on Feb. 2 2012 at 6:28 pm
The story wasn't supposed to be a love story from what I can deduce. It highlights both the innocent and tragic consequences of becoming drunk. The inital plan with using sponges as skates to slide through the streets won't hurt others. However, at the end of the story I picture the students huddled up, scarred of the infection and of the mad duo. The play of Tristan and Isolde is a tragic love story. If anything the music would lend a melancholy tone to the story. Just my opinion.

on Feb. 2 2012 at 4:40 pm
I don't understand it at all. I really don't get the part about the infection. The setting is great though, and I like the foreign exchange characters. To make it really good writing, however, it needs to be summed up somehow.

JuneTaz said...
on Feb. 2 2012 at 4:23 pm
Hey bro i like the clever concept of sponges but it just doesn't make for a love story. maybe you could like have the Jean-luc and pierre dudes try to use candles. or jewels or something. but sponges doesn't equal romance at all. i think you're a very creative author though ;)

Hilidan SILVER said...
on Feb. 2 2012 at 3:36 am
Hilidan SILVER, Istanbul, Other
5 articles 0 photos 52 comments
I am agree with "Devyn" but the topic of the story is very clever.

on Jan. 11 2012 at 2:53 pm
HimeGyaruDoll BRONZE, Somewhere, Illinois
2 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
Man lives in the future, dwells in the past, and forgets the present. - Devyn W.

To be frank, I didn't like this little story. I adored it. It was so simple, yet so complex, and so sweet. Its such so eccentric , and that's why I love it. Theres something "Je ne sais quoi" about it. Kudos to you and thanks for sharing

on Nov. 28 2011 at 8:04 pm
PurpleRockstar GOLD, Lexington, Kentucky
11 articles 0 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
A creative person has to create. It doesn't really matter what you create. If such a dancer wanted to go out and build the cactus gardens where he could, in Mexico, let him do that, but something that is creative has to go on. --Katherine Dunham

I never would have thought to spread love with sponges. Very clever. I like it.

on Nov. 6 2011 at 7:12 am
abedengo-called-benny BRONZE, Valley View, Ohio
2 articles 0 photos 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
Someday you'll be old enough to read fairytales again.

-C.S. Lewis

I love the oddness of the story; as well as how it's told... I couldn't figure out if a narrator was telling it, or a friend not mentioned.  Very intelligent, and it made you think!

on Oct. 15 2011 at 4:29 pm
book.junkie GOLD, Kingston, Other
18 articles 1 photo 48 comments
this is...is beautiful brought tears to my eyes. i hope there are really persons in the world that aim to spread love ike that, we everyone should spread love in such a unique way like this

on Oct. 15 2011 at 11:19 am
PepperMint101 BRONZE, Austin, Texas
4 articles 0 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
Life is short. Eat dessert first.

coolio but i don't get it. kinda confusing but very smart! will u read mine? its called Cursed Angel. :)

on Sep. 23 2011 at 2:54 pm
writinggirl20 PLATINUM, Marksville, Louisiana
37 articles 0 photos 52 comments

Favorite Quote:
What I say only comes straight from my mind, i do not judge. (a quote by me)

I loved it!!

so funny my name is cassie warren.


on Aug. 10 2011 at 5:49 pm
Lola_Black GOLD, Harrison, Michigan
11 articles 2 photos 276 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I've always been famous. It's just everybody's just now finding out." --Lady Gaga

Cool! I love how unique it is!

on Aug. 10 2011 at 5:01 pm
lightning-illusion SILVER, Vienna, Virginia
8 articles 4 photos 3 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything."
- Peter Marshall

Odd, but very intelligent!

on Jul. 24 2011 at 11:58 am
missAshybee BRONZE, Purcellville, Virginia
1 article 0 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Gene Police: You!! Out Of The Pool!"-stupid scientist joke
XD oh man oh man.

so beautifully odd...but in a really good way! More like diffrent. I thought this was sparatic and moving in a funny but perfect kind of way. I only comment on articles I really like. lol you managed to get me to do just that. one of my fav. pieces...and I'm not very sure why! <3 great writing

on Jul. 19 2011 at 4:39 pm
KristinHopkins8 SILVER, Aspen, Colorado
7 articles 0 photos 83 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If a writer falls in love with you, you can never die"

spreading love with sponges... it definitely sounds like they were drunk out of their minds! spreading love with toothpaste.... i believe u have just inspired me!

TAR11 SILVER said...
on Jul. 19 2011 at 6:36 am
TAR11 SILVER, Allison Park, Pennsylvania
7 articles 0 photos 51 comments
Cool story please check mine out if you get the chance. 

marei2331 said...
on Feb. 15 2011 at 9:19 pm
marei2331, Lubbock, Texas
0 articles 0 photos 71 comments

Favorite Quote:
For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others, for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness, and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.

This is very awesome!!! Thanks for sharing it! :D

on Feb. 2 2011 at 7:38 pm
IamtheshyStargirl PLATINUM, Lothlorien, Utah
44 articles 16 photos 2206 comments

Favorite Quote:
Boredom instigates extreme creativity.
~Amoniel

"Bowing gratefully to all of my subjects, 'thank you. Thank you. The pleasure is mine." Nah, I'm just kidding. We're all kings together.'"
~Thesilentraven

Oh I adore this story, so perfect, simple, confusing, and gorgeous :)

Heart rent, Soul torn, Savored as life.


on Jan. 24 2011 at 10:17 pm
_butters_ SILVER, Trinidad, Colorado
6 articles 18 photos 27 comments

Favorite Quote:
Your life is an occassion, rise to it.
~Mr. Edward Magorium

This made me giggle I could so see myself doing that except I wouldn't be intoxicated. But it is an awesome piece I love the description and the comedy of it all!