7 6. Sam Swif (1/2)

After changing my cast (which by the time I reached a hospital was drenched in blood), I grabbed two burgers and a soda from a random restaurant and walked to a random park, close to the university.

I watched kids running around, people walking their dogs, and couples snogging as I looked for an unoccupied bench which I couldn't find. Slightly irritated at the crowdedness, I headed toward one with a girl in a black dress, sitting and listening to music or whatever through her earphones while tapping her sneakers-clad feet.

Good. She was in her own world. I sat there, keeping as much space between us. She didn't as much glance at me.

I unwrapped my burger and began eating it hungrily. I was staring all the while at the girl's tapping feet and the anklet she wore that kept jingling. It was a silver anklet with many charms. There were the letters 'S' and 'R', elegantly surrounded by tiny, dangling sapphire jewels.

”Don't you just feel at times that you want to listen to Sam Smith or like those extremely depressing songs? Like you need it.” I heard someone say and lifted my head to find the girl looking in my direction like she was expecting an answer. My lips parted in surprise.

I took in her glossy black hair that hung at her shoulders, pale skin, sunglasses, and heart-shaped lips and cleared my throat quietly.

”Yes?” I replied, believing like this was the strangest conversation I ever had.

I didn't even know who was this Sam Swift she was talking about.

”Come here. Listen along-” She patted the place next to her, looking straight ahead.

I looked at her curiously, then slowly raised myself, and nested myself next to her. I saw a smile tug at her lips. Looking straight ahead of her, she asked- ”Can I have your hand?”

I frowned, not understanding what she wanted. I almost moved away, but she found my left hand and gently pulled it toward her. She then placed her mp3 player there and squeezed my fingers shut around it.

I stared at her like she was crazy. She acted so and that unnerved me. Because her apparent 'instability' was pregnant with ambiguity. And ambiguity is the enemy of a murderer. It translated to lots of alarming questions. And mainly, really- what the hell?

I watched her carefully remove an earbud and hold it in front of her face. I stared at it cluelessly.

”Will you take it?” She requested softly, and I hesitated before reaching out for the earbud. I hesitantly placed it next to my ear while cursing myself for putting me in such a situation.

My own actions surprised me. I was supposed to be alarmed. Ready to swing the gun in the back of pants in her face any second. But I decided to give her a chance.

”Now-” She said, smiling. ”-choose a song.”

I studied her more as she stared straight ahead of her expressionless. I frowned before looking down at the mp3 player distractedly and selecting a random song. I hated music anyway.

It was 'too good at goodbyes' by Sam Smith. Or Swift. Or whatever was his name. It's unnecessary to detail.

”Good choice-” She said. ”I really like this song!”

”Yes,” I lied and she nodded, tapping her feet again.

”So? What brings you here?” She asked and I looked at her face. She wasn't looking at me which made me incapable of assessing her body language properly. God, she was being a Rubik's cube that I failed solving.

”I don't know. It was very random, really. I just wanted some fresh air.” I said curiously, wanting to see where this would take us.

”Same. But correct me if I'm wrong, you sound very stressed.” She said nonchalantly, and I snapped my head in her direction. How did she do that? One must examine the facial expressions of others to be able to make such notions. I would know because my ability to translate body language was exemplary.

”I do?” I feigned surprise.

”Yes.”

”How did you know?” I asked a bit impressed, a lot shocked.

”I just...know.” She smiled again. ”But a little bit of Sam Smith and talking to strangers would definitely do the trick.” She chuckled and I for once smiled. She didn't sound like a danger to me...in spite of her peculiar actions and assumptions.

But I remember liking the sound of her laughter.

”Yes. Definitely-” I chuckled lightly and she nodded at nothing in particular. She then turned to me slowly and removed her earbud. I eyed her with interest as I removed mine.

”What's your name?” She asked as I watched her perfectly dark-blue, nail-polished fingers reach for the bench in caution.