Serenity

04 Quirks & Bad Home Situations

CHARLIE

I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw her face. She had on this big goofy looking grin that made her cheeks look humongous. But she wasn't smiling at me though, she was smiling at a squirrel that stood still on top of a tree branch just staring at her with it's head cocked to the side.

The girl was exceptionally petite, smaller than most teenage girls I've seen. My eyes trailed her up and down and clung onto her skirt that made Mia pop into my head all of a sudden. She wouldn't be caught dead wearing anything if it didn't have two pant legs.

Her hair was memorizing. It was glittering in the sunlight like sparkling diamonds.

I should probably turn around right now and leave before she catches me watching her like some freak, but it was too late. As the squirrel crawled up the base of the tree and disappeared into the leaves, the girl turned towards me and we locked eyes.

What I found strange was her smile grew wider for a split second before it dropped altogether. We both just stood there, staring at each other in this awkward moment of silence. All until she finally decided to speak.

"So, are we just going to keep staring at each other or..." The girl spoke. "Because I'm totally fine with that. But I hear a way to make situations less awkward is by talking."

I tried opening my mouth to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. It was like my tongue was tied in a thousand knots.

"No talking, got it," the silver haired girl nodded.

She began walking around, touching the gruff bark of the trees, stealing glances at me every now and then.

I wanted to walk away and go home in that moment, but I couldn't. I felt frozen, it was as if my feet were glued to the dirt below me.

For years I've been coming to this spot and not once have I ever seen another living person here. But here we are today, and there's a random girl here playing with the hem of her skirt in my spot of the woods.

"Hey, mister," I felt a finger poke my cheek.

I stumbled back, not realizing that this girl was somehow right next to me.

"Wow, you're jumpy," she chuckled.

I felt my palms sweat as this girl smiled for no reason at all.

"Guess you're not really good at talking to new people huh?" She asked. "I'm not good with people at all. My friends and family say I come off as too aggressive and loud and in your face."

Well her friends and family were spot on with that. I mean, who walks up to a complete stranger and pokes their face?

The daring look in her cloudless sky blue eyes screamed an obvious answer.

"But, I don't think that's such a bad thing," the girl shrugged.

I cleared my throat, finally finding my voice again.

"Ever heard of the saying stranger danger?" I asked.

She twirled and snickered at the way her skirt swished around.

"I haven't actually," She smiled. "What does that mean?"

Is this girl for real?

"Uh, it means you should stay away from people you uh, don't know," I told scratching the back of my head anxiously.

It felt like I was talking to a third grader.