(A/N sorry it's short! Try to ignore typos, just wanted to upload tonight!)
Heather
You know the person that you meet on the street? Or the person you met in your favorite store? You know that one person that captures your attention and nothing can ever be whole again without you talking to this one stranger. That’s what it was like to meet Chip. He was smoking a cigarette outside of Stop and Go.
Chip was one of the people that were beautiful enough to catch some attention but also be easily overlooked.
Stopping somewhere in between Texas and Arizona I saw Chip for the first time. The smoke he exhaled were something I craved so badly. I was never the one to smoke, but I was never the one to run away either. There was something so appealing of the thought that a cigarette could melt away troubles.
As I walked into the Stop and Go, I took note of two things:
One, the strange old man that was sitting on the floor and not moving.
Two, the way people passed the old man like it was nothing.
I grabbed a drink and paid for a tank of gas. The cashier reminded me of Dad. She reminded me of someone who lost all hope in things. She reminded me of the constant fear that one day I will grow up to live a life that is unfulfilled.
Walking back outside I watched the cigarette stranger put out his tobacco friend and make his way over to me. When I say Chip’s eyes for the first time I remembered they looked as if they promised only good things. The promised a hopeful smile. When I realized Chip was standing in front of me it was too late, I was staring at the most beautiful guy I have ever seen. Which beautiful is an odd way to describe a boy, but it fit. For the oddest reason he stared back at me. I was never the one to turn heads or make boys go absolutely lustful. We were just two strangers staring at each other as if we knew who the other was.
The silence was broken when the beautiful stranger started talking, “Did you see the old man in there or am I in a dream where old men sit on the floor and no one says a single thing about it?”
“Oh yeah. What the hell is with that?”
“I’m Chip by the way.” He said holding out his hand.
“Heather.” We shook hands and then he propped himself up against the car.
“I never really understood the point in shaking hands, there is just something so odd about greeting someone with a body part.”
“Then why did you offer me a body part to touch?”
“It would be more polite to offer my hand up than my penis.” He said with a smirk.
I flushed red and headed over to start pumping gas. Walking pass Chip I took in his scent, smoke mixed with cologne. The old Heather would be disgusted with the smell but some wild inner self was so attracted to the smell I almost launched myself onto him. I held it together enough to put the gas pump into the car and began to fuel.
“Where are you headed then?” He pulled out another cigarette from his back pocket. He patted around for a lighter,
“I don’t really know. What about you? You seem about my age and as I recall I was trying to be the coolest eighteen year old and run out.”
“Eighteen?” He said with a unlit cigarette between his teeth, “No darling, I’m twenty-two with a lot ahead of me.”
“You look younger than you appear stranger.”
“What are we some wild west movie. My name is Chip and yours is Heather and the world has brought us together for some extraordinary reason and we cannot reject the world’s orders. So which way are you driving?” He said, he finally found a lighter and lit the cigarette.
“Im heading to Arizona, just driving ’til I see the coast.” The gas clicked off and I put the gas pump back to the stand.
“Well it looks like you have a new partner in crime.” He said, “Wait right here.” He walked over to where he was standing and retrieved a duffle bag that was sitting against the wall.
What the hell was he thinking? He just met me and I just met him. He couldn't possibly think I was going to allow him to get in my car.
Old Heather would think like that. I thought to myself, new Heather is all about beautiful strangers that could possibly rape and/or murder me.
He walked back over to the car, “Do you really think I’m letting you in my car?” I said, he looked at me like I was a cute little girl asking about Santa Claus.
“Of course you are darling, who else are you going to talk to. Plus I have money to pay expenses!” He said as he walked over to the passenger side of the car. “Are you comin’?” He said as he opened the door.
I stood there and finally came to the realization that if I was stupid enough to run off to God knows where I was stupid enough to pick up a hitchhiker. I walked over to the car and opened the door, I stood in the opening and peered down, “One condition.” I said, knowing this was a bad idea, “You don’t touch the radio.”
“Well hell! Is that all darling?” He said, and then I sat down in the driver seat and shut the door. I turned the ignition and put the car in drive.
