strawberries & cigarettes / / phan

two

dan

"what? are you breaking up with me, b-brendon?" i stammered on the verge of tears. he nodded, and i just walked away in response. i walked in the opposite direction of my house and downtown.

it was small and quaint. small, locally owned shops and restaurants lined the streets. daylight was getting longer every day, but it was already getting dark; it was around dinnertime. multiple happy couples and their children walked into some of the restaurants, and i was here all alone. this has happened to me too many times in my high school career; standing alone with people together all around me. i've tried so many times, but nothing has worked.

i make my way down, what appears to be an empty alleyway, in between a bar and a bank. there's a young man standing on the brick wall that belongs to the bar. he seems to be struggling with lighting a cigarette. i quicken my pace, but he stops me.

"hey, kid, do you have a lighter on you? mine's deciding not to work," he slurs. i can smell the lingering stench of alcohol in his breath.

i stop in my tracks. "yeah, yeah, my brother has me carry one around, here." i dig my hand into my back pocket and hand it to him.

"thanks," he replies. he lights the cigarette and takes a long drag. he fiddles with the lighter, then hands it to me. i shove it in my pocket and start to walk away. "wait, kid."

i stop again. "yeah?"

"what are you doing out here alone?"