Raven and the Stray

Sorry in advance if this is bad, it's not my usual style.

The only light comes from a flickering streetlamp. Too cracked and old to hold its shine. Sounds like a sad metaphor. I should write that down. My notebook is overflowing with ideas: lyrics, poems, drawings, facts, and metaphors. I scribble the words onto a new page as footsteps approach me. “Such sad symbolism for someone so sweet.” the voice of a girl, no older than me, appears from behind me. I turn and she smiles apologetically as if she’s just realized how creepy that was. “Sorry.” she laughs, it’s small and gentle like a kitten but she is nothing like that. Her clothes are all black and mostly torn, I can’t tell if she bought them that way or wore them out. She’s not wearing any makeup besides black eyeliner underneath her eye. The rain from earlier has made it drip down her face and I’d think she’d been crying if she seemed soft enough to do that.

I smile at her blankly, if only to be nice. “It’s alright. I don’t think it’s sad though.” She straightens her spine and gains a new confidence in her posture.

“No?” She inquires.

“Anything broken can be fixed. It’s those who seem perfect I feel sorry for.”

“No one’s perfect.”

“Exactly. But if they seem it, no one will help them.”

“You’re a lot more depressing than you look.” She laughs again as she gestures at my clothes. I’m wearing pink, lots of pink. A crop top, short skirt, thigh highs, and platforms that only make me eye height of her.

“I just came from a photoshoot.” I giggle.

“Oh. Are you famous or something?” her eyes widen slightly “Should I know you? I don’t pay much attention to this sort of thing.”

“I’m not famous.” I laugh. I want to add not yet but I don’t want to get into my dreams with some stranger on the street.

“Ah. So why the photoshoot then?”

“My friend’s a photographer and they wanted practice. Told me to dress up.”

“And that you did. You’re very pretty.” she smiles “Oh! I’m Poppy by the way! What’s your name, pinkie?”

“It’s Raven.”

“Oh wow. We should swap.”

I laugh again before going silent. She seems unsure what to add but I can tell she wants to keep talking to me. I’m too tired to make friends. “So…” she starts again “Where are you from?” curse me for taking the bus. I should’ve just asked Ash for a ride but no.

“I live a few blocks from here.” as I say it I pray this chick isn’t a stalker. “What about you?”

“I kinda live everywhere. I don’t have a place right now so I’ve mostly just been crashing on my friend's couches and eating their food like a stray cat.”

“Oh. Why don’t you have a place? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Shit’s expensive.” Fair.

The bus finally starts approaching and when I go to get on I hear Poppy follow. The bus is empty but she sits right next to me. I look out the window and hope she takes the hint. I can tell she’s a total extrovert, which is fine, but I’m not. My social battery is at an all-time low and I do not have the patience for this. “Am I annoying you?” she breaks the silence with a question I did not want to answer. I don’t like being rude but sometimes I can’t hold it back.

“Yes,” I say coldly. I feel bad but I’m way too tired to feel guilty about it.

“Oh. Sorry. I’ll leave you alone.” she moves across the aisle and as I look at her sad face I realize she really does look like a sad stray cat.

“It’s okay.” I give her a soft smile and she returns it but doesn’t say another word. I feel a bit guilty. That was way too harsh. The next few minutes are spent in silence. I keep glancing at her, trying to think of something to say. I can’t think of anything. So I say nothing. She catches me looking at her and just smiles at me, I laugh at my stupidity but the silence stays, echoing in my heart.

When we reach my stop we both stand up. I let her get off first. “You have a friend here?” I ask. She nods and we both go into the apartment building. We enter the elevator together. “What floor?”

“Seven…”

“Oh! Same!” Once she’s stopped talking I feel like I need her back. I can’t help but crave her voice in a way I don’t understand. “What’s the apartment number? I can help you find it if you need.”

“It’s 713. I think I’ll be able to find it though.”

“Oh, that’s right across from me.”

“Really?”

“Yeah!”

“How strange.”

“Maybe it’s fate.” I laugh. She looks at me for a moment, I can see her cheeks go pink. She looks away quickly once she realizes. I can’t tell if this is all coming off as a fun coincidence or stalkerish.

“Sorry about before. I tend to panic when I meet new people.”

“It’s okay, I get it.” a pause “I’m sorry too. You aren’t annoying, I’m just tired and not in the mood to socialize right now.” she smiles back at me like she’s thinking about saying something. I see the words get stuck in her brain and she soon gives up and begins to speed out of the elevator. I go after her. I barely keep her pace as we approach our doors. As she reached for hers I, like an idiot, say “I should be better tomorrow!” she turns, confused, and I begin to panic again. I laugh “Sorry. I just mean… if you wanted to talk tomorrow… my social battery will be full.” she stares in silence and I begin to wonder if I made a mistake.

She turns back to the door for a moment. Thinking again. She smiles. “Do you like coffee?”

“Yes! Yeah.”

“Okay… see you tomorrow.”