01. Kicks and Buses; 581 words

Upon their very first meeting, Tiffany’s eyes fell on Yuri’s shoes, of all things. Aged sneakers with dingy, loosely-tied red laces and no logo on the side. Definitely not brand name. In fact, Tiffany owned the true version of these knock-offs at home.

It made her feel like a snob, but what else could one expect when riding on the bus for the first time? Public transit would carry people of lower financial standing. However, the musty smell, squabbling elders, and stomach-upsetting stop-and-start motions paled in comparison to this girl’s shoes. Slightly yellowed and curled at the toe. They deserved the nearest trashcan, if she had any say.

Tiffany blinked away--suddenly interested in the darkness outside the window--as the wearer looked up from her worn textbook.

“Do you have the time?” she asked, shutting the book with a soft snap. Applied Biology.

Dirty shoes, hand-me-down books, and apparently no cell phone. All deviations from Tiffany’s regular crowd. Tiffany flicked at her iPhone screen, refusing all eye contact as she mumbled, “7:34.”

“Huh. Little delayed today.”

Tiffany shrugged a shoulder.

“What brings you on the bus tonight?”

Taken back by the pleasant voice, Tiffany turned her head slightly. The girl was quite pretty. “Excuse me?”

“I’ve never seen you before.”

“Do you live on the bus or—” Tiffany cut her sentence short. Maybe this girl did live on the bus.

What an thing to say.

“Nahhhh.” She laughed. A raspy, genuine chuckle. “Kinda feels like it at times. I take this route every night. Evening classes and all…”

“Mm.”

“I uh,” she started, crossing her legs. “I like your shoes.”

Panic tensed at the pit of her stomach. Had she been caught? “My shoes?”

“Yeah. I apologize for staring, but they’re really nice. Coach?”

Tiffany checked her feet, momentarily forgetting her own wardrobe. “Chanel.”

“They’re spotless. You must take crazy care of them.” She hooked a thumb into a shoestring and tugged. “I’ve had these babies for two years. My lucky shoes.”

The woman was even prettier now that she got a better view. “What makes them lucky?”

She focused on Tiffany’s eyes and continued, fussing with the dirty lace all the while. “You may have noticed, but they’re not the real deal. Some off-brand kicks I picked up at a department store.”

“And that makes them lucky how?”

She smirked and Tiffany couldn’t help but return it.

“Because of my adventures. I can run around the city. Smear sidewalk chalk, trot across fresh asphalt. Take random hikes in the park—really live life—without worries about ruining a pair of three hundred-dollar shoes.”

Tiffany felt like an anyway. “Good point.”

“So, I ask again…” She released the string to twist at the ends of her jet black hair. “What brings you on the bus?”

She pursed her lips in thought, already comfortable with this stranger’s presence. “No reason. I saw that the route was quicker and…I wanted to try something different.”

“You wanted to get your shoes dirty, so to speak?”

Tiffany giggled through her fingertips. “You’re interesting.”

“Interesting…I like that.”

The talk fell off from that point. Tiffany thought up a non-weather-related conversation starter when the woman grabbed a rail to yank herself up.

“This is my stop. Same time tomorrow?”

Had this question been asked fifteen minutes earlier, she’d laugh right in her face. Instead, Tiffany studied the woman’s soft, expectant face. “Okay.”

“Coolio. I’m Yuri, by the way.”

“Tiffany.”

“See you on our bus adventure tomorrow, Tiffany.”

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02. Sealed with a Chew; 482 words

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