Chapter 1 Butterflies #2
During the day, it's fine and most of the places are restaurants during the day. Not a night.
But, there's no other way to get to the other side of town square.
I put on my big girl britches and continue on my path.
That is until I spot someone sitting on one of the benches far enough away from the bars that it makes me feel comfortable enough to approach them.
Maybe it's another kind homeless person? A friend is a friend, whether they have a roof over their head or not.
I approach the bench and the closer I get, the more I want to turn back and walk away from the bench.
More often than not, I'm not a good guesser. But, I guess that this man is not homeless.
As I get closer and closer, I see the defined shape of his jaw and his wonderfully sculpted arms that are shaped from a distant light off the front of a bar.
Just as I'm about to say forget it to my 'let me go see if this man is homeless too' idea, his head snaps to mine.
The night surrounding us prevents me from seeing exactly what he looks like but I can feel his gaze on me.
It makes butterflies flutter in my tummy a little bit. Butterflies? What am I even thinking?
"Just so I feel better, you aren't going to kidnap me right now are you?" I mutter before closing my mouth tightly.
That was probably on the top five list of worst things to say to a stranger who's sitting on a bench at night.
He doesn't say anything and I'm quite thankful for that. I wouldn't want to embarrass myself further.
"Don't answer that question," I decide to continue after a few more moments of silence, although I don't think he was going to in the first place.
It's very possible he's figuring out how to kidnap me right now. Very possible.
Instead of responding, he just leans back against the bench. Maybe he doesn't talk. He could be deaf.
Or, maybe he's scared of me. I don't want to scare him.
"I'll be on my way..." I give a small smile in his direction, although he can't see it in this darkness.
He can't see me and I can't see him.
I could break out in a dance and he'd only see my shadow.
Taking a step forward, my foot catches right onto his.
You know what, this would happen to me.
I stick out my arms, preparing for their impact against the ground but it never comes. Instead, the stranger, and my potential kidnapper, catches my body on his arm.
We've got a strong man here.
"Wow, that's my bad!" I laugh it off as I stand back up straight.
I'm not clumsy. Usually, I'm very steady on my feet.
"It's dark, y'know," I explain, for some reason feeling like I need to do so, "I hope your arm's okay! You're foot too. I'm wearing flip flops so my toe is basically broken in half right now."
He clears his throat and I tuck a piece of my hair behind my ear.
I'm really talking this guy's ear off right now. He could literally have a knife in his back pocket and I'm telling him how my toe is dead.
"I mean, I don't know you but the way I picture you in my mind, you don't seem like the type to wear flip flops. I don't know where that sentence came from, it was supposed to stay in my head, that's my bad right there."
"Are you done?" the low rumble of his voice shocks me at first.
I mean, I wasn't expecting his voice to sound so...manly and just wonderful.
Now I really want to see his face.
"Yes! I'm done," I nearly faint and he stands from his seat on the bench. The man towers over me.
He begins to walk away.
"Goodbye," I call out softly and he stops in his tracks as he passes just in front of me. I watch the outline of his tall and muscular figure as he turns to face me.
Maybe he can be my new friend?
"Would you maybe like to go get some milkshakes or someth-" I stop talking when his footsteps begin to retreat.
What's wrong with me?
It's like it's impossible for me to make a friend. I'm not that odd, am I? I like to think I'm not.
I keep telling myself I'll stop trying but every time I see someone new, there's just this need. I want to be liked so badly and I don't know how to ensure that.
I let out a quiet sigh and just continue down Red Street.
~~~
By eleven-fifteen, I've found a small coffee shop all the way at the end of town square.
I sit down in one of the booths and reflect over my life choices. The horrible and unexplainable life choices that come to me in the blink of an eye.
Tonight, I chatted off a poor man's ears. A poor, seemingly attractive, tall man who was probably thinking I was a psycho person.
Especially considering I was walking around town square in the dark with a pair of flip flops on.
I massage my forehead and let out a quiet groan.
Oh how I wish we could all just have do-overs in life.
"What can I get you?" an older, very tired appearing waitress mosies up to my table.
"Oh, I don't have any money," I laugh sheepishly, "I'm not going to order anyth-"
Before I can finish, she walks away leaving me feeling down and terrible about myself for the second time tonight.
Man, I'm just on a roll.
It's times like these where I wish I could just have Mr. Terrip by my side. He's really great to confide in.
He actually makes it seem like he's listening.
The lady from before returns to me a few minutes later telling me that the shop is closing and that I need to leave.
So here I am, walking back down Red Street thinking about how I'm going to break it to my father that I don't have his moonshine or his money.
My eyes drift back to the bench where I met that man who didn't want to have a milkshake with me.
It's truly a shame on him, I would be a great milkshake-drinking buddy, at least in my opinion.
I still kind of want to meet him here again though. Of course I do. I'm all about second chances.
First impressions tend to make or break any type of relationships. That's my issue, I need to work on my first impressions on people.
I probably won't ever see him again.
Technically, I didn't see him.
I saw the outline of his body and the sound of his voice. His great voice.
I need to stop. He literally said three words that were slight insults.
Get ready for a lot of talking tomorrow, Mr. Terrip.
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First chapter: Done.
Thank you for choosing to give my book a chance!
Just for future reference, you'll learn more along the way :)
*Not edited*
Word count: 3111
-Ashlyn Montgomery