Click, clack, click, clack...

The keys of the keyboard noisily clicked as Hoody typed away, his gaze focused on the screen with an intense concentration. For once his mask was absent, stuffed into his pocket to avoid rousing attention while he used the computer at a public library. He had his own laptop for personal use, acquired from the belongings of a very forgetful camper, but he didn't usually have an internet connection. And while he could always take it to a McDonald's to get wi-fi or something, he'd rather not risk the laptop being traced.

Opening YouTube, he was vaguely surprised to find the site had changed a lot since his last visit. YouTube always seemed to be undergoing redesigns or revamps. Hopefully it wouldn't affect his account or ability to use it, but after logging in he was happy to find the "Upload" button right in the upper corner. A page loaded demanding the file to be uploaded before he could move on. Fine by him.

At this point he plugged a zip drive into the computer, waiting for the icon to appear on the desktop's background before opening it. A blank folder greeted him, empty save for a single icon titled "IMHERE.mp4". A smirk crossed his face at the sight as he switched back to YouTube and started uploading the file. As he waited for it to process, he filled out the title portion with a single word:

"WAITING"

~*~

True to his word, my little lunch date with Tim was nothing like a date. If this were his actual idea of a first date, there wouldn't be a second one. Fast food restaurants aren't exactly "romantic"—and this is doubly true if that place is also part of a gas station. It's convenient for people on road trips, sure, but actually eating inside them isn't too appealing. Gas stations aren't known for their hygiene, after all, and fast food places aren't known for their incredible meal. So, no, nothing romantic about this lunch.

Tim himself proved to be a pretty chill guy. It didn't take long for me to determine that he wasn't a creeper, showing no signs of making a move or anything. Overall, he was just your regular average Joe. We just sat at table in a back corner, chatting lightly about whatever happened to cross our minds. "So, you've seen branches fall like that before?" Tim asked, and I nodded as I took a sip of (fav drink).

"Yep. In third or fourth grade my class went on a field trip to some nearby woods. Nature walk and all that junk. While we were walking along we heard that same sound, and then a giant tree branch fell on the trail in front of us. Landed just a few feet away from the teacher, too. Luckily no one got hurt, but still, pretty freaky. Half the kids just bolted screaming that the forest was going to fall down on them."

Even as I spoke I felt the memories coming back, the cries of my classmates filling the air as the teachers tried to calm us down. Yep, that was one lovely field trip. While it was pretty unusual, the incident itself was pretty small in comparison to all the other stuff I'd seen. Other than the cracking sound the branch made before falling, I found it barely worth remembering and pretty insignificant. However, the look on Tim's face said he felt otherwise.

"So that's how you knew to run," he mused allowed as he dipped a fry in some ketchup. "I've never seen or heard that kind of thing before. I just thought that sound was thunder or something, I was looking up at the sky expecting to see clouds."

"Yeah, I think lots of people think that when they hear it. I just have some fast reflexes, that's all."

"I'll say." As he bit into a fry a rueful smirk crossed his face, shaking his head. "You know, it's funny. I go there to try to get over this stupid paranoia about forests, and instead I almost get killed."

"You're afraid of forests?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Tim paused, seeming to consider his answer before speaking.

"...Sort of," he finally said. "Lots of shit went down at my old town. There were a lot of factors involved, but a huge one were trips to these woods at a local park. If I hadn't gone there, I don't think most of that stuff would've happened. Eventually things got so bad I had to blow town. Now I can't see woods or forests without thinking about all that stuff, so I've been pretty wary of them ever since."

"Ah, I see," I murmured, nodding. While I didn't have all the details, I couldn't help thinking that his story didn't sound too different from my own. Both of us had seen some tough stuff and been forced to run, and both were looking for a new start. "So then... you're new here?"

"Yeah. Only moved here three months ago, though I left home closer to a year ago. I settled in one town for a couple months, but I ended up leaving that place too. What about you? You new here too?"

"Pretty much. I ran away from home a few months ago. Hopped on a bus with some money and clothes, and just rode as far away as possible. I've been in a couple cities now, this is the third one, I think...?" I shrugged. It was hard to keep track of it all when you're constantly moving. Tim just nodded, looking at me thoughtfully.

"I see... Hey, random question: do you do any drugs?" Immediately my mind flashed back to the corpse of the druggie at the word "drug", sprawled on the ground with that frothy red foam and his eyes rolled back in his head. A shudder ran down my spine at the memory, quickly shaking my head.

"Hell no," I muttered, grimacing. "You better not be trying to sell me drugs, Timothy."

"No, no, not at all," he said quickly. "I just wanted to make sure." As he spoke Tim reached into his pocket and pulled out an orange bottle, making me raise an eyebrow. Pouring a couple pills into his palm, he quickly popped them in his mouth and downed them with his drink. Only after he put the bottle away did he finally continue. "Sorry if I offended you or anything. I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't ask for any of them, had that happen before and it gets REALLY annoying."

"Contrary to popular belief, not all homeless people are druggies, you know," I muttered, though I didn't really blame him for being careful. I remembered a couple kids on prescription medication at my school would get pestered all the time for their meds, and it was pretty clear how much it annoyed them. Snatching one of his fries, I popped it in my mouth and swallowed. "So, if it's not too personal, what's that for? Cold, infection, diabetes...?"

"Sorry, too personal."

"Alright." I let the subject drop and didn't ask any further questions about it, instead changing the topic. "So, you're between jobs, you said?"

"Yeah. It's hard to get one without a reference, and, well, my last job before moving didn't end too well... Boss wasn't too happy with me for missing work, so he won't exactly give me a glowing review. Only job I've had since moving was a stint at a paint store, which was kind of decent, but I got fired last month."

"What happened? Bad temper? Made a mistake?"

"Bad coworkers. The assistant manager was the owner's son, and he blamed me for a mistake he made about a shipment. Owner wouldn't listen to my side, and I got fired."

"Yikes. That's rough."

"Tell me about it." Rolling his eyes, he then gave a small sigh as he took a bite from his burger. "It's not fun, I'll say that much... With all the usual expenses like groceries and stuff, I'm barely going to be able to scrape up enough money to pay this month's rent." At this point I paused, staring at my own half-eaten (burger/sandwich).

"...Uh..."

"I can still afford this much," he said quickly, sensing my apprehension. "Fast food isn't TOO expensive, so it's no big deal if I splurge on it one or two times. Especially for the person who saved my life." He flashed me a grin, which I returned.

"Hey, come on. That was no big deal." And it really wasn't for me. Again, pretty insignificant compared to the other stuff I've been through. Tim still clearly had a different opinion, though.

"So you DON'T want a free meal?" he asked in a teasing tone, making me pause.

"...On second thought, feel free to worship the ground I walk upon." Tim laughed as I took a big bite of my (burger/sandwich), shaking his head.

"Yes, Lady (Name)," he said in a melodramatic voice. "I shall worship you and do whatever you ask until the day my debt is repaid. Your wish is my command."

"Is this the part where you overdo the gratitude thing and I have to fake a dangerous situation for you to save me so you'll stop?"

"Eh, no. I'm grateful, but not THAT grateful. Besides, that always backfired in cartoons." We both laughed at this, shaking our heads as we continued eating. Glancing at my hands, I paused to study them, frowning slightly. Washing them in the bathroom before eating hadn't cleaned off all the grime, and there was still some dirt buried under my fingernails.

"...Hey, Tim, mind if I ask you for a weird favor?" I asked as I examined them thoughtfully. He glanced at me in surprise, but then shrugged.

"Depends. What is it?"

"Can I use your shower?"

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