An Inconvenient Attachment

Chapter Two: Unkown Man

A Saturday night at the park. The weather was quite nice tonight. The roads and pavements were still wet from the rain, I could still smell the rain. I went to the park a little earlier than usual, it's about 8-9 O'clock at night.

I sat down on a bench, it was a little wet. I could feel the cold water bleed through my black jeans. I sat back and sighed. I was hoping I would see Krampus again. Not sure if he comes by the park all the time. I never seen him at the park before. We'll just have to see.

From the corner of my eye, I see a guy sit down on a bench about five feet from me. I've never seen him at the park before. I know basically everyone that comes over to this park. Maybe he has been here but not when I'm here.

The way he dressed was interesting. He had a black leather jacket, a black band T-shirt, an emerald green scarf, and black ripped jeans. His style was really unique to me. Everyone here dresses "proper", but this guy dressed different.

His hair looked soft and beautiful. It was fluffy dark brown hair parted in the middle. The way it laid was just perfect. I noticed his hands were a bit veiny and decorated with rings. At least three or four on both hands. I found him cute.

I haven't really sat down and talked with a guy because one, I'm really shy, and two, my parents are pretty strict about boys, so is my older brother.

The guy looked my way and we made eye contact. I rapidly turned my head the other way, which made it obvious I was looking at him.

I looked back at his direction and saw him smiling a bit while looking at another direction. I had a confused look on my face, but I just shrugged and opened my book.

A few minutes later, I heard footsteps coming towards me. I rapidly looked up and saw the guy that I saw.

"Mind if I sit here?" He asked, his voice was a bit raspy.

"Uh, no, I don't mind." I responded while scooting a bit to my left to give him space to sit.

He began to speak, still leaving some space between us.
"Do you come here often?" He asked.
"Um .. yeah, yeah I do. I've been coming to this park for years." I stutter. I fiddled with my fingers barely making eye contact with him.

"Am I making you nervous or something?" A slight smirk crept up on his face.
Fuck. I make shit to obvious.

"Oh, uh, no you're not. Why'd you ask?" That did nothing but made me more nervous. The constant eye contact he made with me gives me a nervous feeling in my stomach.

"Well, I happen to notice you fiddling with your fingers and you're stumbling over your words." This is when I gather my belongings and make a run for it. But that's what thirteen year old Ruby would do, I'm a little different now.

"Oh, well thats just what I do all the time, you'll get used to it eventually."

If you couldn't tell already, I am antisocial. I've been isolated from people throughout my childhood. Including being homeschooled and not being able to know what it's like having friends to hang out with, look up to and talk to.

My mother insisted I don't need friends to succeed, because she believes that distracts me from doing the things I love or succeeding in life. A bit odd but I couldn't talk my mom out of it. I tried to mention if I had the right people as friends I could avoid that. That never convinced her.

It's unfair and weird how she has never done that with my older brother, Clay. He was allowed freedom because "he's a man", but that's no excuse and sexist in my opinion. You may ask how I'm allowed to even go to the park. Well, if you may know, I'm 16 years old and my mother has been lenient with me going places. But I have limits. Brown Café, Sunnyside Park, and the Library.

If I were to be alone I can only go to those three selected places. My mom insisted on me bringing a book along with me, so I can stay productive no matter where I'm at.

"Eventually?" He asks, a laugh escapes his mouth. "Sorry," I apologize."I didn't mean to say it like we'll be meeting again because I highly doubt that".

"What makes you think that?" He furrows his eyebrows. This man sure does ask a lot of questions, but people do say "a closed mouth doesn't get fed".

"Just look at you, you seem more cooler than I am. And I'm just a girl who doesn't know how to talk to people let alone reading all day." I rant.

There's absolutely no way he would want to meet up with me again, but it isn't like this was planned.

He lets out a laugh turning the other way, then looking down. "What?" I ask. "What's wrong with reading? Look, I read all the time and I find it cool finding another girl that likes reading as much as I do."

"Wow, I didn't realize how cool that was", I beam looking into his beautiful green eyes. Just in case I didn't mention, he has these amazing green eyes I began to love like 9 minutes ago.

After day dreaming and whatnot, I look on my apple watch to see the time.

"Oh crap! I gotta go, its late." I jump up.
"Oh alright, I'll see you some other time at the park", He then winks at me. I smile and wave him goodbye while running off.