Along the railway

Supermarket

(From the perspective of Ally Hills)

My life had been relatively average for the most part. I grew up in a Californian home beside the railway tracks with my sister and my parents. That was until November 18th.

I woke up to the yells of my parents downstairs. The narrow beams of sunlight that escaped from my broken blinds burned my cold pale skin, making my bed less comfortable than ever. I tiptoed across my carpeted floor and loosened the latches of my  window and lifted the heavy frame, climbing out onto the roof. I shuffled down and sleekly slid down onto the drive. From there I ran past the windows of my living room, where my parents fought loudly,  and walked away towards the supermarket. I was never the biggest fan of exercise but anything was better than being around fighting. As I followed the train tracks towards the nearest 7/11, the yells faded into the gentle hissing of the trees, which swayed in the summer breeze. I walked light footed across the wooden tracks, occasionally flinching as the pebbles stabbed my bare feet.

I entered the run down building and the cashier barely left the page of his book on which he seemed deeply concentrated. I grabbed a bottle of beer and dropped it onto the counter and he raised an eyebrow. 

"May I have ID, you don't look 21." He said

I lowered my head and carried the bottle back to the fridge, embarrassed. But a girl in the back of the store whom I hadn't yet noticed piped up.

"Come on! She's obviously having a rough day, just let her have it." She insisted. But the cashier shook his head, unconvinced, until returning to his book.

The girl walked towards me and grabbed the bottle, I stared at her dark brown eyes as she slipped it into her purse. She walked out and I followed, intrigued.

She stopped on the train tracks and sat cross legged, eyes still locked into mine. I sat opposite her and she handed me the beer. I opened it hesitantly.

"Who are you?" I asked 

"My name's Stevie." She answered, smiling at my obvious intrigue

I felt bad that she hadn't payed for the beer and reluctantly took a sip of it.

"I swear this isn't like me, I usually pay for everything but I'm broke and you look like you need a beer." She said

I nodded appreciatively. And continued to stare at her, enticed by her smile and deep brown eyes. I looked at  her the way Disney princesses looked at  their Prince Charmings... But my Prince Charming was a princess.

"I like you already. I like that you're not afraid of silence." She said, grabbing my beer and taking a sip.

"I like you too." I replied. She tucked the strand of brunette hair that invaded her face behind her ear and smiled shyly.