Nikola Burns and the missing vessel.

Hair on fire, maybe not

Going to downtown was a gruel task .Spring had just started a few weeks ago. Still, the wind was bitingly cold and the last hurrah of winter covered the streets with snow. Before Nik could get to the building where Brianne and Harp were picking him up, he  had to walk the snowy streets of downtown. His shoes ,stepping on the slush of melting snow.  

He walks into  the suncor building, wet and cold .

Calgary has lots of high rises. They interconnect in a web of hallways that go above the streets of downtown to avoid walking in the cold winter weather. He was in one of those Buildings that works sort of as an intersection for these walkways. 

He goes into a hallway that opened  to the center off a lobby.The humdrum of morning breakfast chatter was loud. white collars and gray suits pass by briskly through the lobby. He got himself a caramel latte with whipping and chocolate syrup.  And takes a seat on a sofa . His body sinks into the cushions.

He was gonna wait for Brianne here.

In front of him, a painting was propped on the wall. Nik looked at it. It was a painting of water lilies in a pond.  He takes a sip of his coffee and huffs a contented sigh.  He can't seem to take his eyes off the painting. It was a painting of water lilies on a pond . But there was something else. The painting looked alive  like the water lilies were bobbing on the surface of the water. he closes his eyes and refocuses. It was still moving . He imagined that this was how sea sickness felt.

He must have looked odd staring at a painting like it was a math equation he couldn't understand ,because he could feel someone looking at him.

A boy with red hair, and about the same age as nik was standing on the side . NIk , could see the boy looking at him from his peripheral vision. Nik looks down.( When is Brianne coming?), he thinks.

Nik squirms on his seat slightly. The lobby, suddenly seemed warmer. His coffee a bit too sweet. For a second, he thought that the room would burst into flames like in his dream. He clutches his necklace ,rubbing it. Staring made him uncomfortable. From the boy, it was unnerving. From what glances Nik could get, The boy was wearing an all black ensemble.
(He looks like a ninja that got lost in downtown).He chuckled in his mind at the thought. Jokes aside , it looked cool on the boy. It fit the boy's tall physique comfortably.

It took a second for Nik to realize that, now, he's also looking at the boy; stealing glances . He cringed inside. In his defense ,the boy with red hair was still definitely looking at him because when he looked up,  they made eye contact, painfully. Nik's eyes shoot away to the marbled floor.

His right pocket vibrates and and he checks his phone. It was a message from brianne."come out we're here ". The boy with red hair was walking towards him . Nik stands up, drink in hand. And with a final glance at the boy, he walks out to the revolving glass doors.

Nik can't help it but he had taken a mental snapshot  of the boy's face ,and he can't take it out of his mind.  

Harp was on the backseat car window, both hands out , waving frantically at Nik. The tall boy barely fit in brianne's car.

Brianne opens the driver's seat for Nik .  "hey guys", Nik says.

As soon as  Nik gets in the car, Brianne looks at his face with a disgusted look. She grabs a tissue from the compartment . Nik tried to avoid it but it was too late, Brianne had already  wiped his face. "There was cream on your face".

Harp's  hands grab Nik on the back and shakes him vigorously. " Happy birthday Nikinikssss!!", he turns and says,"ha! First one to say it to nik. definitely a better friend"