The Lonely Hearts Club

Serenity

ANNA

Serenity

being calm and peaceful

Tuesday, 17 January 2017

 The bus driver wrinkles his nose as I get into the bus. As if he was not used to smoking teenagers. I do not sit down although there are many empty seats. I never do. The bus driver is listening to old country music. Now it would be my turn to wrinkle my nose but instead I open Spotify and click on Shuffle. Whoever came up with the name of this playlist must have been high. I mean who thinks 'Hm, Rabbit-proof advice seems like a good title for this playlist'?

I am out of the bus before the doors are completely open. Linkin Park is screaming into my ears while I am walking towards the little group waiting in front of the school center. Katharina says something and I nod as if I heard what she said. She starts walking and we follow her; Skye, the quiet girl of my Geography class, and I come in last. 

The area we have to explore is ten minutes away from our school. Trees build a wall around a small lake. Swans are swimming through the sea grass, ducks are sleeping in the meadow around the lake. Involuntarily I stop and watch the scenery. You do not often see something so peaceful in our busy world. I realize that Skye is doing the same. We forget about everything around us.

"Hey, ladies! You can dream on later. We got to do!"

I roll my eyes at him but Ben only laughs. I can feel Skye's eyes on me as we follow the boy to a not so fascinating place. Katharina pulls out a card and begins to read the instructions out loud.

"'You can find seven different kinds of stones in this small area, what is very uncommon. Find out what these sorts are, what makes them special and why they are here.' I think we should part up, one group of two and one group of three, to find more sorts in a shorter time."

"You come with us!" I try my best not to roll my eyes at Ben. Of course he and Tim want Katharina in their team, they are too lazy to do anything on their own.

"Okay, you go left, we go right!"

We both do not say a word while studying the ground.

"I think I found something." She is pointing at some grey stones in the grass. Her fingers are long as if she was a pianist. I do not think I have ever seen so beautiful hands. "Should I take it with me?" I nod and she puts the chunk it her backpack.

"Do you like music?" Wow, Anna, very good. Ask a girl you do not know if she likes music. Are you forgetting your principle? You do not talk to others!

Skye looks at me in surprise. Yes, girl, I am surprised too. "Yes. I love music. What are you listening to?"

I forgot that I still have my headphones in. "Right now I am listening to Young God by Halsey. It is a playlist."

Skye nods and gives me a shy smile. I do not think I have ever seen such a beautiful smile. "I like Halsey. I cannot wait to listen to her new album!"

"I am sure it is going to be incredible. I mean, we are talking about Halsey!"

She giggles and I cannot help but smile.

"You are beautiful when you smile." I look at her in disbelief. "I mean, not that you were not beautiful when you do not smile, you are just -"

"Thank you." That is the nicest thing someone said to me since forever. 

We continue studying the ground but all I see are normal pebbles.

"Do you think the others found something?", she asks after a while of silence.

"Ben? No. Tom? Maybe. Katharina? Of course, no stone is able to escape the sharp sight of our leader."

"I wish I had her determination. She is so organized and gets straight A's."

"But she barely goes outside to have fun."

"Neither do I." Skye laughs dryly.

Same, I think, but I do not say it out loud. I cannot overcome myself. Skye and I could not be more different: She is quiet because she is shy. I am quiet because I do not want to talk to most people. She is nice. I am not. 

The silence is spreading again but it is this rare kind of comfortable silence. We walk besides each other, each of us dwelling on our own thoughts. I do not know how much time has passed by as I hear Tom's voice. "We are going home. Time to watch the football match!"

"Did you found anything?"

"An Archondrite." Katharina hands us a stone that looks like the one we found. "You?

"The same, I guess." Katharina nods when Skye hands her our stone. "I guess we have to keep looking for others during the next days. I have to go now or I will miss my bus. See you!"

Katharina and the boys are heading towards the bus station. I throw a look at Skye.

"Do you have anything else planned for this evening?"

She shakes her head. "I only have to be at home by 11 pm."

"Want to drink a milkshake?"

The ice cream parlor is closing as we arrive but the woman behind the counter is still willing two sell us two milkshakes. Chocolate for me, Stracciatella for Skye. I direct us in the direction of a car park. It is closed right now but you can easily clime onto the flat roof and watch the stars.

"Is this legal?" Skye's tone is skeptical.

"Sure!" I do not know it to be honest. But I have been doing it for about three years now and nobody ever said a thing against it so I guess it is okay. "You will like it."

We are sitting next to each other, sipping our milkshakes. The city below us seems small and unimportant. The moon and the stars are shining so bright that we do not need another light source. Up here I always feel like I am free. Free of responsibilities, free of expectations, free of all the mistakes I made. My mind is completely clear and quiet. The noises from the streets form the matching background music. Someone is playing a classical play on the violin. I do not look at Skye but I notice her scent. She smells like a mix of roses and mint. Her breathing is slowly and relaxed, just like mine is. I was right when I thought that she would understand the magic of this place. I could see it in her eyes as we were watching the swans and I can see it now. Skye's eyes are gleaming just as if she caught the stars in them.

"Thank you."

"For what?"
"Taking me with you, showing me this place. It is - " She is searching for an adjective to describe it but she cannot find any. I know it. I have tried it myself. 

"You are welcome." I am on the verge of thanking her too but I do not do it. I am too afraid she would not understand what I mean and that would be very awkward. So instead of doing anything I just keep sitting next to her, feeling good.