Blank Slate

Chapter 2: To Appear

Chapter 2: To Appear

Katelyn Bishop

Katelyn Bishop stood, waiting for the subway to squeal through the morning's cold impatience. The hot coffee in her hands sensed the impatience, but began to cool down when she needed it most. Katelyn stomped angrily. It was supposed to be here. Katelyn twisted her arm artfully looking at her wrist watch. "11:45". That's just great. Well done, Kate. She scolded herself in the shadow of a gloomy Chicago day. She was going to be late. Her work never accepted that excuse, but what else can you do when you have unreliable subway systems. Katelyn put her colder-by-the-minute coffee on a nearby ledge while she tied up her hair in a pony tail. As she did this fluid movement, a man stumbled into her.

Katelyn huffed, "Hmmpf."

I do exist you know, she said in her head while pinching herself. I am real ya know.

But, it really didn't matter what she thought. She would always be passable. So invisible.

Katelyn picked up her coffee and began readjusting herself after that man bumped into her so carelessly.

She gave evil eyes to that man. He had blonde hair from the back and looked to be dressed up in a suit.

The crazy thing... it wasn't a business suit like everyone else's. It looked like a high-class, debonair, James Bond tuxedo.

Finally, the subway screeched into the terminal. Katelyn's eyes glinted a jittered happiness. She was still late, but at least she wouldn't be late, late.

Does anyone else have a scale of lateness in their head? No? Just her, okay.

Katelyn basically fought tooth and nails to get a seat.

The problem?

She had to look at Mr. Jerkaholic for the rest of the ride.

She refused to grant him even eye contact. Not that he would notice her. Not all five feet and four inches of her, anyway. To distract herself, Katelyn began writing things in her to do list.

1.Get Mr. Jerkaholic's name so the insults are better thought out.

2.Bump into Mr. Jerkaholic on purpose w/ coffee

Hey now that's an idea. Katelyn shook her coffee cup but there wasn't much left. Aww damn.

As she did so, strands of her black hair kept making their esteemed reappearance.

Annoyed, Katelyn put away her to do list. Two things isn't really a list, but hey, at least she distracted herself from Jerkaholic.

Okay... maybe not.

Katelyn's eyes skimmed over him.

His dark green eyes bore past her at the woman sitting beside her. Of course. Never me, she thought to herself. A hot guy would never look at me, let alone spit in my direction, she thought.

Katelyn was average. Average height. Average black curly hair, nothing shiny or pretty about it. Average blue eyes. Average facial features. She could be lost in a crowd of one... and quite often was.

Not that Mr. Jerkaholic was hot-okay-he was... but never let the enemy know what you think of them. Shhh... those are war secrets.

While skimming (just like you would in a book. Jerkaholic didn't deserve more than a onceover), Katelyn found him to be quite muscular, objectively, of course. Blond hair rippled off his skin and his dark green eyes seemed lost in a storm of thought.

Other than that, his eyes seemed baggy and sleep deprived. Well, that was a standard icon of workers in general, Mr. Jerkaholic, seemed different. It was like he was just emotionally tired.