Underground Hatred - My Hero Origins (MHO)

6: Chicken Nugget Meet-Up

Word Count: 2158

(Kat)

 The wind whipped against Kat's back, but the chill carried a lack of cold from the days prior. A warm front appeared to have approached—not turning the weather into spring-like warmth, but rather a brisk autumn day; the days were growing a biting freeze that were more associated with winter than anything else. The sun dipped from the sky to leave the moon in half its form against the twilight sky, purple and blue from the city lights that polluted it. No bats were in sight, but they flew at the edge of the city where more residential areas sat.

Cars whizzed by Kat on the road beside her. On the occasion, stereos were on full blast, rattling Kat's bones. Distance honks echoed in her eardrums, creating a headache of noise with the lit signs along the street. Exhaust drifted with the wind, leaves swirling at the pedestrian feet, as if they were playing a playful game as a puppy would. The lights and sounds warmed Kat, boosting some energy into her weary body that dragged each foot along like a weight was attached at the heel. The lights focused her eyes on the small things, reducing the lens' ability to zone out.

A coat covered Kat's torso, but she wore her grocery store uniform underneath the thrifted, deep green jacket that hung halfway down her thighs. Her hands pulled the cloth around her to keep in the heat. Her stomach grumbled beneath the wrapping, screaming of hunger; her lunch break previously in the day only held the sustenance of apple sauce, a bag of chips, and water. The lack of food allowed her mouth to salivate as she turned the block to smell fried food. A McDonald's sat close on her trail to the bus station (a farther one than she usually took; she decided to go for a walk that night).

"I'll stop," she murmured to herself, as if she was making a deal. "I'm too exhausted to make food at home, anyways—or even come up with an idea of what to make."

As Kat approached the establishment, she turned to enter the parking lot that was half-filled—the drive thru gone completely out to the road. She quickly passed by the face of a car in the line to get across to the side the entrance of the fast food restaurant sat at. Though, examining the front of the building, someone sat on the step with a bag in their lap, digging into the contents. In the distance, Kat barely recognized the person, but growing closer, the individual was lanky and held an awkward stature: familiar to Kat. Her eyes narrowed to focus in the twilight darkness, finding Davis to be sitting on the step and nibbling on a fry from the bag. Kat's eyes enlarged.

"Davis?" she asked, raising her eyebrows as she hurried across the pavement of the parking lot to end up on the sidewalk beside the building. "Is that you?"

The young man peeked his head upwards, the red visor covering his eyes like usual. He was midchew of his fry when he made eye contact with Kat. The two held a gaze for a moment, disbelief in Kat's face while surprise sat in Davis's. A gust of wind ticked the timer until Davis spoke in response.

"H—Hi Kat," he muttered through his fry.

An awkward giggle escaped Kat, a hand clapping itself over her mouth slightly. She smiled broadly at Davis, glad to find someone she knew; friends were hard to come by—if Davis was even a friend. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"I had a fry craving," he plopped the rest of his fry into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed before saying anything else. "T—They're pretty good."

"You're not wrong," Kat agreed. She motioned to the open spot on the concrete step beside Davis. "Do you mind if I sit?—If you'd like me to! If not, that's fine."

"Sure, I don't mind," he shrugged.

Kat sat herself on the step beside the man, placing him between the rail of the stairs and Kat. He continued to dig fries out of his bag while Kat settled herself. She plopped her purse on her lap and crossed her arms over her chest to warm her hands beneath her armpits. A breath blew out of her mouth to create a puff of steam drifting in the chilled air. Her eyes wandered to the line of cars, finding all kinds of people and scenarios in each car.