The Stranger at the End of the Street

s t r a n g e r s

She walked down the sidewalk she was familiar with. The hot, crusty, old sidewalk she's been walking on since she was little. In her small town of Rosenfeld, she trotted down the sunny sidewalk of her town, the sounds of her surroundings deafened by the sweet sound of mystic music seducing her ears.

She walked through the street like she would any other day, trying to find something to ease her from her boring mind. But alas, day after day she would find the same thing. The same, boring thing.

She continued walking down what felt like a long road, shoving her hands into her jean pockets, bobbing her head to her music. It was now playing an uplifting song. It was a Friday afternoon. Incompetent citizens were zooming down the roads in their cars, eager to get home from their long work day. For Rebecca, things were quite bland. She needed excitement. Yearned for it actually, but her boring town wouldn't let her have what she's always wanted; fun.

Under the scorching hot summer day, Rebecca fanned herself, hoping it would rid the beads of sweat that was rolling down her forehead.

God it's hot, she thought.

When she finally got to the regular corner store, she quickly ran inside to feel the cool AC engulf her body. She suddenly felt at ease, closing her eyes for a split second, her lips tugging into a slight smile. She opened her eyes back up again and darted to the section she always goes to whenever she goes to the corner store; the bakery section. Of course, not without saying hi to her favorite person in the whole world, Mr. Armstrong. She's a regular, so they've known each other for quite a long time. Around fifteen years to be exact. Rebecca has been coming to that store since she was around five, with her late mother Genevieve.

"Saved that last bit for ya, kid." Mr. Armstrong boomed in a chuckling way, pointing at the baked good that Rebecca always tended to get whenever she would come to the store on fridays.

"Ah, so it's gotten popular?" Rebecca asked with her dark eyebrow raised. They both shared a laugh, Rebecca shaking her head and grabbing the last piece of baked goo. She continued looking around the shop, grabbing a drink before letting Mr. Armstrong ring them up for her.

"I thought I was the only one who ate these?" Rebecca pouted, pursing her lips out and giving a sly smirk.

Mr. Armstrong laughed, shaking his head. "Times have changed, kid. You know those little tykes these days, they love 'em."

Rebecca's mouth shaped in an 'ah', nodding her head.

Her sweat clung to her body as the summer air filled the store through the open door. Cheap fans circled around the room acting as an air conditioner. the light music enlightening the shop danced through Rebecca's ears, prancing like children in a meadow full of sunflowers. Even though the day felt like another boring, hot summer day, Rebecca enjoyed it.

Mr. Armstrong put her goods into a paper bag and handed it to her. Rebecca, thanking him, turned and walked out of the store, ready for another few walks down the street.

She turned her head back and forth; her dark brown hair covering her face.

She grabbed her baked good out of the paper bag, ripped it, and threw it to the ground. Why? She always liked feeding the little birds that swarmed the streets occasionally. She's done it as a child and it's always been a thing she'd look forward to whenever she got it.

Off to hell,

Rebecca sighed exasperatingly in her mind. It's what she'd call the cemetery.

Along with her walks to the bakery of Friday's, she'd also visit her mother.

Rebecca walked across the street—not without a car or two honking at her, and continued down the familiar path she has engraved in her head.

Down the street, hop across the boulevard, down two lefts and up one right.

She remembered it as if it were a song.

She rolled her eyes with another puff of air. Friday's were never really exciting except for the fact that Rebecca could go home and sleep forever.

She was bored out of her mind.

It wasn't until her boring day got just a little bit better.
Something had caught her mischievous eyes.

A man at the end of the street.

Well this is new? She said with an eyebrow raised.

Though she didn't believe in love at first sight, she thought he was absolutely beautiful. Breathtaking, really.

Her heart sort of pitter-pattered. The way it fluttered sort of, well, set flames inside of her.

He stood tall, standing by the street sign, waiting for the "walk" sign to turn green.

He had a marvelous light almond colored hair that fell down his head. It masked his eyebrows underneath. His shoulders were the slightest bit broad. What he was wearing even grabbed Rebecca's attention too. He was really fashionable, a little too fashionable for a hot summer's day. He seemed from out of town. He must be from out of town. Rebecca certainly didn't know who he was as she knows everyone in town.

She quirked her eyebrow up in curiosity but thought no more of it. She walked down the pavement with her drink in hand, sipping. When she made it down the street, the bet she made with herself gasped in shock when it found out she won. She was right, he was prettier up close. Even though he was doing nothing but merely standing there made Rebecca's jaw drop. He was just beautiful on his down.

He turned his head for a split second in acknowledgment to Rebecca's presence but turned back. In those split seconds, Rebecca was still in utter awe when she caught herself staring at the most elegant, most enchanting man ever.

Now here's something we can work with, she thought with a smirk playing upon her lips.

She eyed him up and down again, from head to toe.

Should I say something? I should probably say something.

As she opens her mouth to speak, the bus arrives. And with that, a farewell from the stranger at the end of the street.