I'm Sure You've Heard It All Before

it's a fine day to talk to strangers

I'm on Spotify scrolling through my Queen playlist trying to find a song that fits my mood this morning. It's been five minutes since I got on the subway and so far, I'm torn between Somebody to Love or Get Down, Make Love.

Somebody to Love is what I finally chose because the slow tempo really chills me down.

I swear this song makes me feel high.

This morning was not it. I felt so fucking numb when I left my house. It's not fair that it is raining and sad as shit outside when I thought I was going to have a fine day. It's not fair.

I throw my head back and my head hits the window. I hit it again on purpose just because it feels right. Then again because the first two didn't hurt all that bad. I throw my head forward and there's a kid with round glasses and wavy brown hair looking at me with a confused-as-hell but the concerned expression on his face. He's clinging onto the pole and is standing up. I stare at him because he should be minding his own business. Only then did I realize, we're wearing the same school uniform. But it's weird because I've never seen him at school. I rack my head of all the images of everyone in the hallways and classes but nope. Never seen him. Which is why I start talking to him.

"You go to WHS?" I ask. He had turned around after I stared him down but he whips his head and looks at me.

"Yeah,"

This guy looks around like something is gonna pop out of nowhere.

I take out my earbuds.

"Why haven't I seen you?" I don't know why I'm so curious.

"Um, I...I don't know? I've been attending since I was a freshman. I'm a sophomore now though." He smiles slightly.

"Oh really? I'm a junior. Probably why we've never seen each other, then." I shrug and plug my earphones back into my ears and look forward trying not to look at this kid.

Okay so, I feel slightly bad for never seeing him around campus or in the hallways. It sort of sucks to hear from someone that hints you're an unforgettable person. I start pulling my earbud wires and twisting them around my fingers.

Damn it.

I tap him on the side of his arm.

"Hey, sit down."

His facial expression is blank. There literally no other word to describe it. Like zero emotion.

"O-okay," his hands are around the straps of his messenger bag.

"So, sorry for not knowing who you are. Our school is usually pretty tight with each other and I'm always off to the side with my earphones on trying to avoid human interaction."

I really hope my "human interaction" comment came off as sarcastic. Otherwise, I'll sound stupid. It does though.

Because he looks at me and laughs. Then he shakes his head.

"Dude, it's fine. It's like you said, I'm a sophomore and you're a junior."

"I know but... I don't know. Forget it, man." I'm smiling at him.

"So," he starts, "I see you're a fan of Queen." He points at my bracelet that has their logo printed really tiny on it. I don't know he was able to see it was Queen's logo.

"Oh, yeah I love them. Total geniuses." I look up at him and he's nodding as he gets me. I realize he has freckles.

"Definitely. I saw Bohemian Rhapsody in the theatres and I was crying like a baby during the Live Aid scene."

I did too.

"Me too!" We're beaming at each other. Literally. Beaming.

"Wait, my god, what's your name? I can't believe I haven't asked."

"Robin," I say.

I hold out my hand.

"Franco," he chuckles lightly and shakes my hand.

Franco.

It's so weird. I feel like I already know him, you know? Like we're already friends.

"Glad I finally met a fellow Queen fan. So many nimrods out there who don't know them." I say this to him. He nods.

Then the subway makes an announcement that we've arrived. I didn't even realize we stopped moving.

"Do you want to walk to school together?" I can't believe I asked him this. Then I feel dumb. We just met, why would he want to? I'm so weird. Now he thinks I'm weird.

Definitely.

"Yeah, sure."

Oh. Nevermind.

He grabs his messenger bag and throws it around over his shoulder.

We walk off the subway. He's on my left and I'm on his right. When we climb up the stairs I realize that the school is literally right in front of us. This means we have to say goodbye before we part ways which I really don't want to.  Franco is dope.

We're at the steps of the school when he says "Alright I guess this is goodbye." He said this dramatically and laughed right after.

"I guess this is," I sigh, sadly. Then we're both right back to laughing.

"I guess we're friends now, aren't we? Give me your phone. I want to give you my number."

God, he said this so confidently. I don't find it weird at all.

I hand him my phone. While he puts his number in my phone he says, "Text me a Queen lyric later so I'll know it's you."

He gives me a fist bump and smiles lightly.

"Later."

He hops up the remaining steps and disappears into the school building.

Okay. Franco is fucking cute.

AN: Ignore the Trump sign in the photo 🙄