Introspective Strangers [h.s.]

Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Home may have been a bit of an exaggeration. That wasn't where I was headed. Or at least – that's not where I found my feet taking me, nor did I find myself getting on any of the busses going in that direction.

I was headed somewhere else; somewhere that I knew I should have gone from the start.

I had allowed myself to wallow on that bench – to wallow in general for long enough. No longer was I sad or upset but pissed. Downright furious.

"Who does Isaac think he is?" I muttered to myself, shaking my head as I reached up to grab one of the straps hanging from the ceiling of the bus. I swayed as we rounded a corner, but thanks to the anger in which my feet were firmly planted, I didn't move an inch.

"Honestly," I breathed, clenching my jaw and going over everything that he had said to me. I was vaguely aware that my hands had started to shake, but I brushed it off. "Best friend my ass."

"Got something on your mind, sweetie?" a voice sounded sweetly from beside me and I glanced down at a woman sitting to my left.

She was grinning up at me, her outfit a jumble of bright colours and patterns with a floppy yellow hat hanging idly off her head. In her lap was a paper that she had open, proudly displaying a half-completed sudoku puzzle. In the seats on either side of her were a handful of bags and items strewn about, leading me to believe that she'd been sat there for a while.

"I..." I closed my mouth and shook my head, not entirely sure what I would say to this complete stranger sitting beside me on the bus.

"You seem a bit stressed," she frowned and reached into the pocket of her skirt before holding her arm out and opening her hand to display something sitting in her palm. "Clementine?"

"No, thank you," I breathed with a grim smile, "but I appreciate the offer."

"Suit yourself," she shrugged and began unpeeling the fruit. As she popped a piece in her mouth, she added, "Can I give you some advice?"

A quick glance outside told me that we were only a few blocks away from my anticipated stop, but I sighed and nodded, nonetheless.

"Whatever is bothering you," she began, tucking the skin of the clementine away into a napkin before shoving it back into her pocket, "I always feel is best to get off your chest to someone who can give you an unbiased opinion."

"So, you?" I said with a small snort.

She shrugged again, waving her arm between us. "Me, someone else. Whoever."

I blinked at her a few times before swallowing and for some reason mumbling, "I'm having... boy troubles, I guess you could say."

This caused the woman to pause. She folded her hands in her lap and raised an eyebrow at me. "Mm. Boy troubles. My favourite. Tell me... you say troubles – is it one guy you're having these issues with? Two? Multiple?"

"Just one," I said quickly, wincing slightly before adding, "Well – I guess two, but one of them is just my friend. He's not super supportive of the other guy. Doesn't really like him."

She nodded slowly. "And you love them both?"

"I..." her words had me cringing. This was twice today now that someone asked me if I loved Harry. Being ready to engage in a relationship was one thing... coming to terms with any feelings I could be harbouring somewhere was a whole other. "I care about them both differently. In very different ways."

"And you're upset that your friend doesn't like this other boy that you seem so privy to?"

She spoke in such a weird manner that I found myself having to mull over her words a few times before responding.