He was here again. The last she'd seen of him was quite some time ago. She had been watching him on the bus for the past few months, but it was as if he had disappeared a few weeks ago - as if he had dematerialised. Today was the first day he appeared again after then.
He was different from the others. Anna had never thought about anyone like this for more than a day. It was always a fleeting notion, never a lasting experience. But here she was, going about her day, with him on her mind even when he wasn't in front of her. He had haunted her thoughts constantly for the past few months. He was cute.
A week passes as she watches him. And then two. Then three. He wasn't going anywhere this time. He would always be on the bus before she got on, and he would still be there when she got off. Occasionally, he would glance her way. They made eye-contact a few times, but he would always look away, as if looking her way burned him.
He was odd though. He looked like he wasn't from here. His clothes weren't like the other guys from where she was. Her guess was that he was probably a foreigner. That would explain his baker's boy hat, along with the eccentric waistcoat. They were probably in fashion somewhere else. Probably.
On the 23rd day of his reappearance, she decided she would talk to him. Building up the courage as she got onto the bus, she went and stood adjacent to where he was rather than her usual seat near the back of the bus. It was as if his aura changed. The calm demeanour had suddenly changed into one of panicked. Anna wondered if he was as anxious as she was. As she turned to face him, he looked away.
Odd.
But she didn't come stand here just to stare at him. She wanted to talk to him. And talk she would.
"Hi."
She'd never thought a single word - two letters, one syllable - would hold enough power to make all the colour drop from a person's face. As he finally turned to look at her, horrified, she wondered if she'd done something wrong. Maybe she should have just kept looking at him from afar.
Maybe.
"How can you see me?" He whispered, his face beginning to look grey - making him look sickly. He looked as if he wanted to continue, but something held him back as he turned his face away. She didn't understand what he meant. Obviously she was able to see him, he was right there. A beat passed, not a word was said. Then he looked back and a shadow passed over his face. "You shouldn't be able to see me, Anna."
