Sunday
I took a long look at the glass in front of me. We were sitting at the bar in a small, dingy, ovecrowded pub. I was about halfway through my second drink. We still hadn't said much. I was still surprised to have run into him, across the continent and in a completely different city, completely unprepared to see someone from my past. I hadn't recognized him at first: his hair was really short, he had gotten rid of his horn-rhymmed glasses and he was clean-shaven. His attire was different, too. Instead of the characteristic ripped skinny jeans and the second-hand leather jacket with patches sewn sloppily on, he was wearing straight-cut blue Levi's and a long sleeved black shirt. He was sitting on a table, his feet resting lightly on the benches. He was leaning forward slightly, holding a sketchpad in his right hand and a charcoal pencil in his left, concentrating on the old brick building in front of him. I gave him a quick glance, smiling. He looked up from his work and smiled back at me. Suddenly, he looked familiar, but I coudn't pinpoint where I knew him from so I just kept walking, trying to remember where I had seen him. I could still feel his eyes in the back of my neck. Ì heard him jump off the table and then running towards me. I quickened my pace.
"Hey! Hey! Wait," he screamed "please wait for me!"
Suddenly I knew exactly who he was. I turned around to see him standing in front of me, his blue eyes shining. He was thinner and taller than I remembered him. His lips curved upwards in a half-smile.
"Nadia."
"Elliot."
"It's been years."
"Yes."
"Four?"
"Five."
"Five."
"Yes."
He swallowed, his smile dissapearing. Then he looked at me again and his expression softened.
"You look terrific. Grown."
"You look like you work for Hollister."
He threw his head back and laughed, his entire body rocking. I allowed myself a smile.
"You're as blunt as ever," he said.
"Sorry."
"Don't apologize. I like it."
"Oh."
"What are you doing here?"
"Working, you?"
"Same. Let me buy you a drink."
"You can afford that now?"
"Shut up. Let's go."
tbc
Labels: ui
; written on the stars at 3:57 PM
