cigarette daydreams

/3

It was cold outside. Sweater weather. Good thing Lydi never went without.

Unlike the rest of the students, who shivered in their sadly unprepared t-shirts, Lydi stood completely still by the bus stop. That was how Karden recognized her. That, and her lipstick.

She saw him coming. His letterman jacket was as red as her lips.

Karden stuffed his hands in his pockets as he approached. He didn't know what he was doing. Just because Connor had convinced himself that he found Lydi Stern interesting didn't mean he had to talk to her.

In fact, he'd much rather talk to Amber. She had about a hundred words in her vocabulary, and most of them revolved around shopping, but at least he knew what she was thinking. Usually, it was about Gucci handbags.

The bus stop was empty. Karden knew from common gossip that she never took the bus with everybody else. That was why he knew she'd be here twenty minutes after the bell.

He slowed to a stop fifteen paces in front of her. She did her head-cock thing again. Her dark eyes appraised him.

He tried not to squirm. He could face down six foot six tall defensemen. He could take on a five foot nothing hipster.

But he didn't know what to say. So he pulled out a cigarette.

"Hey - Lydi, got a light?"

"Literally, metaphorically, or spiritually? Because I have none."

Karden stumbled for a beat. "That's a bit gloomy, don't you think?"

"It's punk rock."

He held in a sigh and put the cigarette away. "You shouldn't smoke, you know."

"You asked me. I didn't make the cigarette teleport into your pocket."

"It's just a warning for you. And I'm trying to get off them."

"The warning comes too late. But thanks anyways."

A bus roared up to the stop. Lydi shouldered her bag and gave Karden a mocking salute. Her red lips smirked. "See you later, Karden. Maybe next time, I'll have a literal light."

Karden didn't know what to say - Hope so? That would be nice? See you?

None worked. It didn't matter besides; the bus was already gone.

But Connor hadn't been wrong. Lydi was interesting.

And her?

Well, she never left his head.