Girl Meets Him

Girl Meets Crazy Hat

"There she is again," Riley said.

"Crazy Hat's always there," Maya sighed.

"What do you think her deal is?" Riley asked. "Former movie star? Olympic figure skater?"

"Bum on a bench," I decided.

"But look at how she looks at everyone. What goes on in a head like hers? I guess we'll never know," Riley explained.

"Hey, Crazy Hat! What goes on inside your head?" Maya asked.

"And a new adventure begins," I said.

"You, you, and you, come here! I'll teach you about life," Crazy Hat said, patting the bench.

"Can't. Stranger. You want me to sit on the bench, I'm gonna need three forms of identification," Riley said.

"Trust me. I know who she is. She's all right," a cop assured her.

"Okay, Copper," Riley said, saluting him as I grabbed her arm.

"Hey, that's Officer Copper to you," the officer corrected her.

I sat down with her. I was between her and Crazy Hat. I felt slightly uncomfortable, sitting with a woman I barely knew. "Mornin', Evelyn. Never gonna stop rainin', is it?"

"That's okay, Eugene. These three little dollies are about to give me one of their designer ponchos," Evelyn explained.

"They're garbage bags, Eugene, but you have to put a hole for your head," I explained.

"Ah, so you can breathe." Eugene smiled.

"So the garbageman doesn't throw you out." Riley frowned.

"Yep, that happened," Maya confirmed.

"I was yelling, but he didn't care," Riley said.

"We rescued her from the truck," I said, smiling.

"She chased me all the way to 33rd Street," Riley finished.

"Wow, now those are friends," Eugene said with a grin. "Me? I don't chase nobody for nothin'."

"What if I stole a banana?" Maya asked.

"I'd be very disappointed in you," Eugene said.

"Okay," Maya said, pouting.

"I have observed you three are good friends," Evelyn said.

"Don't miss a thing, do you, Crazy Hat?" Maya questioned sarcastically.

"No, I don't. Now, you're about to be late for school, I'm about to be late for addressing the United Nations," Evelyn said with a smile. "Have a good day, dollies. Be good people. Learn all you can."

Evelyn walked away. I sat in the middle. I sighed, playing with the garbage bag poncho.

"How does that happen to someone, Maya, (Y/n)? Do you think that could ever happen to us?" Riley asked.

A stranger put money in Riley's hand. I pulled out her wallet from my purse. She stuffed it in there for emergencies.

"Well, at least nothing worse than that could ever happen," Maya reasoned.

A garbage man tried to grab Riley, but I quickly yanked her away. I glared at him. He moved away quickly.

"Worse can happen," I said, panting from the sudden burst of energy.

~~~

"Belgium, 1831-"

"No!" Riley interrupted.