World of If

The Girl With Smiling Eyes

Danny got on the bus that was headed towards Michigan with shorter hair and a very quick dye job. Something he was sure no hairstylist would approve of. His hair was supposed to be blonde, but looked slightly orange around the edges. His hair was also still slightly damp, which he was sure didn't help. In any case, he shove the entire thing under a hat; the hat he had found at the bus depot being shoved into his duffel.

Things were definitely looking up, the sun was starting to come out for the first time in several days which made the ride to Michigan much more enjoyable. The other thing that lifted Danny's mood happened shortly after he had gotten on the bus shoving his duffel in the overhead, he was one of those people that needed more leg room, or at least as much as he could be allowed.

Most of his trip had been spent with an empty seat next to him however by the time the bus started filling up he didn't get so lucky.

"I guess I have company." Said a smooth female voice.

Danny looked up and nearly swallowed his tongue.

Standing next to him was a curvy, willowy woman dressed in stylish fall attire her wispy blonde hair poked out from under her hat as she studied him carefully as if she wasn't quite sure what to make of him.

He watched as she shoved her suitcase into the overhead, shouldered her carry-on, and flopped down in the seat next to him.

"I'm Dahlia, by the way." She seemed to add this as an afterthought as though she had forgotten.

"Danny." Danny managed to finally get out.

"So, where you headed?" Dahlia asked, still eyeing him curiously.

"Canada." Danny replied shortly, praying she wouldn't ask any more questions.

"Me too!" Dahlia replied brightly, "I'm going to hang with my cousin for a little bit, at least till after Christmas." She shrugged in a noncommittal sort of way.

Danny already liked her despite his intentions to be aloof, there was something spontaneous about her.

"I don't know where I'm going." Danny mumbled vaguely, "I haven't decided yet."

"Well you can always come with me," Dahlia offered as if the matter was already decided, "I'm sure Elsie won't mind."

"Well, you don't have to... I mean... I wouldn't want to impose..." Danny stammered.

"Nonsense, I'll call her and explain everything when we get to Detroit."

"Well if you're sure." Danny mumbled vaguely, not even sure what about this woman made him keep talking. "I guess we have a deal."

"Great!" Dahlia enthused.

For a while they sat in companionable silence watching the freeway go by as the bus zoomed along. After a while they fell into easy conversation getting to know each other and Danny had to admit it was nice to have someone to talk to.

Danny woke up from a nap with a kink in his neck. On his other side Dahlia turned to look at him, she looked amused.

"Sleep well?"

Danny groaned and gave her a wry smile.

"I'll sleep better once I'm in a bed."

"Hopefully soon." Dahlia replied cheerfully, her eyes twinkled mischievously, Danny thought he could get used to that.

Several hours later they arrived in Detroit, now it was only six hours to the Canadian border but they would have to change buses one last time before crossing into Canada. Danny looked around nervously as they changed buses for the last time and nearly jumped out of his skin when Dahlia bumped his shoulder.

"Jumpy are you?" She laughed, "One would think you're on the run or something."

Danny laughed it off, but he couldn't tell her how right she was.

"It's complicated." He finally replied, "I don't want to bring you into it though."

Dahlia raised her eyebrows looking annoyingly curious.

"Look, I'll explain it later," Danny finally replied hastily, "let's get out of here."

Danny couldn't say why he felt so uneasy Detroit was no different than any of the cities he had passed through in the past week maybe because the depot was unusually busy and Danny caught glimpses of security guards here and there.

They're just doing their job, they're not out to get me. He told himself though that did little to ease his anxiety.

He wasn't that worried until just before they crossed the border. The trip towards Canada had been uneventful, the bus was slightly quieter and he and Dahlia had seats across from each other from which they talked and laughed and shared what they could scrape together of a lunch.

At the border papers were checked. He didn't need much to get into Canada just a few forms of ID, which Danny had on him and it was getting past that he was worried about.

As he expected the guard came on the bus checking identification from passengers, however, as Danny expected he stopped when he glanced at Danny's ID.

"This doesn't look like you," the guard mumbled gruffly.

"Well it is!" Danny exclaimed desperately. "Eye color, height and weight are the same. Can't you just let me go?"

"Not quite yet." Then he mumbled something into his walkie-talkie, said something to the bus driver, and walked off the bus briefly still holding Danny's identification.

"What was that all about?" Dahlia whispered.

"Probably just a misunderstanding." Danny muttered.

The guard at the stop returned several minutes later.

"Well he checks out as far as I can tell though I'm not quite sure..." He looked at Danny's suspiciously. "If I ever figure out why your stuff didn't quite match up I'll have your butt back here in the States so fast it'll make your head spin."

Danny gulped then hastily shoved his identification back in his bag before anyone could ask anymore questions. The guard eyeing him beadily before nodding to the driver again and making his exit.

Once again Dahlia was giving him a look and not one he particularly liked.