Looking up [On Hold]

call for a change, part 2

[A:N/ So this is part two. Originally, the second half of this part was the start of the actual chapter two. So, anyway I hope you enjoy the story! Be sure to comment, vote, and follow! A:N/]

All at once, I stopped in the middle of the street, wildly turning my head from side to side. My actions caused me to earn many glares from people in the tightly condensed crowd, but I didn't care as I started my way toward what I thought was the end of the street, mumbling 'excuse me' as I bumped into more people than I could count.

"Elle, there you are!" exclaimed a raspy and familiar voice.

I turned my head to the right and quick to make out the familiar yellow teeth, thread-less gloves, and the face of my two-year friend, Bob.

"Bobby boy!" I excitedly yelled as I ran the fifteen feet to him, again earning glares from the strangers on the edge of the street. When I got five feet away from him, I stopped. It was nothing personal; it was just that he didn't smell nice. It was a mixture of mildew and unwashed flesh. But, I'll probably smell like that in a similar situation.

"I knew you were coming, I could sense you," said Bob, matter-of-factly.

I faintly smiled. "And how could you do that?"

He didn't answer me at first. Just looked out into the distance, above the crowd, at the fading moon and the emerging sun. When he got like this, eyes glazed over and everything, it was easy to assume that he was just another typical, lazy New York bum. But, he was way more than that, at least to me. I looked him over and his attire. He was wearing a long-sleeved plaid shirt that had so many stains that any attempts to count them would be futile, on top of the shirt was a big bulky black coat that has definitely seen its share of winters. He also had on hole ridden jeans and nameless boots whose soles were coming up in different places. All were probably given to him. But, his eyes were magnificent. They looked like they held all the secrets of the universe, so wise.

Before I could bring him back to life, he spoke again. "You have an aura. A powerful one. It's different, anyone could recognize it, even me," he told me without even the faintest of smiles. He seemed so sure, that I almost believed him. The keyword, almost.

Snapping out of it, I tilted my head. "Well if I am so different, why am I here?" I asked, motioning toward my surroundings.

"Only God knows." With that, he went back to looking at nothing in particular. Or so I thought. I tried looking at everything, trying to see its hidden meaning. To see what he saw. All I saw was my breath coming out in white puffs and people on the main side of the street acting like they had somewhere to go that they cared about.

Turning back around, I decided to share my joy. "Guess what, Bobby boy?" I eagerly asked, slightly jumping up down.

He turned back to me and looked me over, probably wondering what had me so happy, "What?" he genuinely asked.

"I got the internship at Helping Hands!" I squeaked, my voice coming out higher than usual. My feet were dancing to their own little beat.

"That's great, I told you, powerful," he told me proudly. His smile told me that his reaction was real. It reminded me of how a father would compliment his daughter. Too bad I gave up on mine a long time ago.

Soon Bob smile faltered. "Hey, don't you have a bus to catch?"

My smile soon dropped and reality settled in, like a big iron ball in my stomach. "Oh my god, yes I do!" I frantically told him as I searched my pockets.

Finding the change, I quickly dropped the seventy-five cents on the sidewalk and issued a quick, "Bye." Before running toward the bus stop I could hear Bob laugh behind me as I zoomed down the street. The thought of me possibly missing the bus caused all manners to evaporate out of me, as I bumped into more people than I could count without even bothering to say excuse me.