The Imperfect Encounter

Chapter 3: The Convenience Store

The night was cold, filled with chill and anticipation. The city was bathed in the warmth of Christmas light, with a soft breeze blowing like an eerie whisper, setting the mood for joyful adventure. In those lights stand two strangers, one opposite the other, who just missed their train.

Not so long after, the station was filled with the sound of Sam walking towards Mike, which only grew louder the more she got close. Mike saw the girl and recognised her as the girl he had encountered sometime ago in the cab mishap. They both looked at each other with surprise and a bit of anger, but that was mostly Sam.

"YOU-" said both simultaneously when, in an instant, the sound of her step died and was replaced with a thud sound. Sam fell to the floor.

"Are you okay?" Mike says this with concern while extending his hand for help.

"Save you, pity," Sam bitterly says while slapping his hand away.

Mike backed off a little and gave her space to stand up. Sam tried to stand up but fell. Mike rushed to grab her but stopped hesitantly..

"You sure you don't need any help?" Mike says while he looks down and sees that her knee is bleeding.

"Im oka-" Sam didn't even get a chance to finish her sentence when she was halfway in the air in Mike's arm. She punched Mike with her elbow in his stomach, and he barely was able to maintain balance, but he managed to put her down on the floor safely.

"Ow, are you crazy? Why would you do that?" says Mike, with a bit of pain in his tone.

"No! You are crazy. Who told you you could lift me up just like that?" says Sam, getting mad at him.

"Your leg is bleeding. We need to tend to the wound before it gets worse or infected. I was just going to carry you to the bench over there before you hit me like a crazy gorilla," explains Mike.

"Well, do not use your useless brain for such useless thinking. I can walk there on my own," says Sam while she tries to stand up again and falls "ouch."

"Look, you clearly can't stand up. Let me help," says Mike while getting on his knees ahead of her.

"If you don't want me to carry you in my arm, at least get on my back so I can piggyback you there."

Having no other option. Sam slowly got on his back.

"Okay, hold tight. I will stand in 1-2 and 3." Mike stood up swiftly and started caring for Sam while she stayed silent on his back.

"You know you are a little heavy," said Mike while he was near the bench. Sam quickly reacted to that by hitting him on the back with her hand.

"Ow, will you just stop hitting me?"

Mike put her on the bench and kneed to the floor to check for her injury.

"Let's see how bad it looks." He said.

Mike gently touches her leg and checks her injury while she sits still and watches him.

"You have some scratches, and it's bleeding too, but it doesn't seem bad. We might want to stop the bleeding with some cloth, though. Do you have a handkerchief or something?"

Mike looks up, and his eyes meet hers. In that fleeting moment, he can see that she was staring right at him.

"You okay? Is it hurting badly? You haven't said anything for a while," Mike asked with concern in his voice.

"I-im okay. It does hurt a little," Sam says, startled.

"So do you have anything to wrap your leg in?" Asks mike