The Other Side

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It was a friendly gesture, and a sudden departure from her previous demeanour. He wondered if she was bipolar. Should he shake her hand? What if he did it wrong? Would she become angry again? But if he didn't shake it, she would most certainly be offended...

Tom reached out and tentatively took her hand, deciding it best to try not to offend her. "Thomas Skinner," he said, and then wondered why he had used his full name.

They sat quietly after that. Cindy was still smiling, though she no longer looked his way. They both stared ahead at the children running around kicking the ball.

"It's a nice day, isn't it?" she said after a while.

Tom turned to look at her. She had just made a comment about the weather. He wondered if she shouldn't have started with that – before she poked him and all. He still felt like he knew her, and she had been outside his house.

And now she was here. He had to know. She was still smiling. This was a good time as any to ask. He took a deep breath. "Are you following me?"

It wasn't the question that was supposed to come out of his mouth. He wondered what was wrong with his tongue.

Cindy chuckled. "Am I following you..." she repeated, mulling the sentence over. She turned to look at him, the smile still on her face but a curious look in her eyes. "Now why would I do that?"

"I saw you outside my house."

"Yes, you did," Cindy nodded. "And then you ran off," she grinned.

Tom didn't remember running. He had walked quickly. And she hadn't answered the question. "You are following me," he said. "Why?"

"I was looking for something."

"What?"

"I don't know." Cindy looked away, towards the running children. "Something different..." she said absently.

Tom was different. But only one other person knew that, and that person was Emily, his sister. Even his parents didn't know. He hadn't felt ready to tell them yet. And here was Cindy, a complete stranger, and part of him wanted to tell her.

He still thought she might be crazy, but he felt like he could trust her. He wondered why. He was sure he didn't know her now, even though she still seemed so familiar...

"I might be different."

"You might be a little too different," Cindy muttered.

"Huh?"

Cindy smiled at him innocently. "Nothing."

Tom stared into her large red eyes, a little unnerved. He had heard her. He was a little too different, she had said. He was about to ask her what she meant, but Cindy broke eye contact as she turned suddenly to face the running children.

They sat silently and he was glad for it. If they had spoken for much longer, Tom knew he would have told her. A stranger he had just met, and he was ready to tell her his biggest secret. Surely something was quite wrong with him.

A while passed before Cindy stood up. "Well, it was... interesting, odd, weird meeting you."

It was all of that because you were all of those, Tom thought. He watched her as she walked away, and for the first time he noticed the long black piece of cloth that draped down her shoulder. Was she wearing a cloak?

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