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'to .irrch right. Her sneakers squeaked. Louise winced, took

her last steps,and resumed breathing again.

He was still standing there.

Why wasn't 'he moving? Didn't he, have a life? The man

had to ·hav,e·tITingsto do, why the hell wasn't he moving? Oh

my god,Louise thought. Not that god had been responsible

for h~r ~piphany. Not that she even had a god, only an

imagination, and it was about the only thing she believed

in anymore. But more to the point, Louise realized she had

been giving him the eye. Whereas before she had just made a

slight fool of herself and maybe 'a few pad decisions, her

,anxiety t rans't'rorned itself into physical duress. And the

.'only'thing' that wou~d refloeve that arinoyingly soft pressure

on the, side of her head was the man's leaving.

~ut he.didn't. He was still standing there, looking at

her strangely. Louise took an extended blink. But nope. When

Louise opened her eyes, he was still there. She realized

how 'much she'd like a cigarette right now. Louise heard the

man, sip' his" soda. She cursed silently and continued looking
away.

Louise wasn't an awkward person. She was just put in awkward

situations of her own making. Not that she was calm, or

peaceful, but she was a very open person when you got to
know her like'she did herself.

From the corners of his eyes, the man smiled. Louise

was confused. But she was also put strangely at ease. The

man had a little smile iike he was laughing at a joke,'not

Louise, because Louise had nothing to do with it. How,could

she? The man was just laughing at something he found funny

in-a very private way, and the way his muscles contracted'

and his'lips sp~ead showed that he was a nice, friendly guy.

Louise smiled too. Everything was o-kay.

'I'eh man was the first to speak. "You look thirsty;" he

said. Louise nodded. The man nodded too. "I thought so.

The way you were looking at m~ 'pour my soda.' It:' s hot out

-t.he re c " Louise blushed. He laughed. "Here, take mY',soda, rr-,

he p ro f f ered; ho Ld.inq t he soda out at arms length. It was

r

s'till'a'good deal away from Louise. Even if she had wanted:

'to accept it, ~he would haye had to move.

"Oh, no thank you," said Louise quickly. "I don't like
soda."

"Really?",osaid the man . His eyes had opened and his head

had ~~ved a fra~tion of an inch back. He lowered his arm. "I

tho~Qht all teenager~ liked soda."

Louise' laughed' a Ii t t Le , It would have been so much

easier for her,to have just moved and the man, to walk by

empty-handed. And" now, because of her fear, she found

herself ~arryincj a conversation. She 'was almost a victim.

But hey. The man hadn't stopped and told her to go buy