Va

Va [vuh] was a word you were supposed to say when you had nothing else to say. For whatever reason, it was always capitalized.

Often, if it was silent, Jared would just randomly say Va. He proposed that, theoretically, no conversation should’ve ever had any silent moments, as any empty space should’ve necessarily been filled with Va. Nobody really followed this, though – not even him.

More importantly, there was a pose and gesture you were supposed to do with Va: raise your index finger, squint your eyes, and stick out your buck teeth. This pose was so popular that Jared and Audrey soon did it in all of their family photos. For years, their parents had trouble ever getting a serious photo of Jared because he would commit to the bit so strongly.  ❒

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