The Blue Bracelet

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

May sat at a table in the same café as before, tapping her colour-splashed fingers on the table. The cheeseburger and egg and ham sandwich in front of her were going cold.

After a few more minutes, she decided that her sketch of a Shetland pony back in the studio needed her attention more, and that Ms. Hartford would be expecting her back by now. Going up to the counter, she handed the two plates to the waiter.

"The sandwich to go, please. And could you keep the cheeseburger? It's for a, uh, friend. He's called Skye. If he comes in, can you give it to him?" The waiter handed her the wrapped up sandwich without a word, labelling the girl with paintbrushes sticking out of her bag and an obviously imaginary friend as downright crazy.

"Thanks." She turned to go, but bumped into someone. "Sorry!" She blurted, eager to leave.

"Hang on, is that cheeseburger for me?" The person said. May turned back to see Skye smiling shyly at her, accepting his cheeseburger from the now blushing waiter.

"Hey." He smiled lopsidedly, nodding towards a table.

"Hi." She eyed him up as she pulled a chair out. His eyes weren't as desolate, and his cheeks weren't as taught. "You look.. different."

"I do? Well it hasn't been so hard for me since I met you; my luck seems to have gotten better and this cheeseburger isn't my first meal in three days." Skye admitted embarrassed, and unable to look May in the eye. "That's why I came here - I thought you might be here again, and I wanted to say thank you." He looked down at his burger, his fingers pressing down on it, making tomato ketchup and mayonnaise ooze down the sides. "You seemed really kind, and it's nice that you remembered me, even though I was pretty rude to you.. sorry."

"Aw. OK. Well, I always come here for lunch." May chirped, biting her sandwich. A waitress whooshed past, holding four heavily-leaden plates.

"You do?" Skye raised his eyebrows interestedly, taking his first bite. Uncomfortable with what she'd just given away to a stranger, May cooled her enthusiasm as Skye carried on. "Anyway, how've you been? I mean, I don't know anything about you..." Skye asked leaning over the table.

"Well, that's gotta be a good thing; shows you don't stalk me.." May murmured uncomfortably, noticing a double decker bus going past and half-wishing she were on it at that moment. Skye blinked uncertainly.

"Yeah, I guess." He said, crestfallen, before an awkward silence fell between them. A child wailed for an ice cream, catching May's attention.

"Why are you covered in paint?" Skye asked after studying her hands for a few minutes. Surprised back into the present, May just blinked at Skye for a few milliseconds, before quickly adjusting.

"Why do you have to steal for money?" She countered, raising an eyebrow, daring him to answer. Their eyes now locked in a fierce battle of daring.

"Fine. How about we play that game, you know, I ask you a question and you answer it, and the other way around." Skye suggested, breaking the staring match to eat the burger in his now-sticky fingers.

"Vice versa." May offered him, but he just gave her a puzzled look. "It's a shorter way of saying 'or the other way round'." May explained, air-quoting his words. Skye just nodded passively and licked his lip where some ketchup had smeared."Sure, let's do that."

"OK, then. My idea - my turn first." Skye said smugly before continuing with his question, "Where do you live?"

"Err... I don't really feel comfortable telling you that... We basically just met and, well, you /do/ steal.." May admitted, edging slightly further away from the stray boy she seemed to have picked up.

"OK then, would you pay me a tenner to fall down some stairs?" Skye asked, licking his gooey fingers. May stopped looking at her sandwich and stared at him incredulously.

"You what?!"

"C'mon, at least answer my question before asking another.." Skye whined at May, who had regained her composure.

"Fine then, no, I would not. Who would do- wait, that's not my question. My question is..err.. Do you like kittens? Or animals in general?"

"They're alright. Not fussed about them, I guess." Skye shrugged non-commitally. "Where'd you get that bracelet from, anyway?" He pointed at the blue bracelet which May was subconsciously fiddling with.

"Oh, this? Uh.. Can't remember.." She blurted out, looking down at the salt and pepper shakers on the linoleum table in between them. Skye looked a little surprised at her sudden response. "What have you been up to over the week?" May asked quickly, munching on the remains of her sandwich.

"Not much - nothing interesting, really. You?" Skye dismissed her question quickly, his hand reaching to his throat suddenly.

"Painting. Coming up with ideas for paintings. Uummm, what else? Oh yeah, painting." May listed on her fingers. Skye blinked in surprise, again.

"So, you're a dog handler, huh?" Skye teased, his lips curling in a grin. Falling cutlery caught May's eye for a second before she looked back and rolled her eyes at Skye

"Alright, so you paint. Anything else? Meeting with friends? Family? Boyfriend?" Skye continued, his eyes glowing with intense interest. Backing away slightly, May looked at the clock over the door and decided it was time to leave.

"You know what, I better go. My, um, teacher will be expecting me back now. Bye!" She rushed, taking her sandwich wrappings with her as she got up. Skye turned to say 'goodbye', but the door bell was ringing before he'd uttered a word, the plastic wrapper falling slowly into the bin next to it.