"Are those steel-toed"
"Hm?"
"Your boots, are those steel-toed?"
She looked down at her shoes and wiggled her toes. It was visible through the black leather of her boots. "Oh, no. They're just Doc's."
"Oh."
"Yeah, I don't kick people very much. So."
The boy coughed and ran his hands through his hair. He didn't say anything for a moment, but he knew if he kept silent too long the moment would be lost. "So, are you coming from the march?"
The girl looked up at him again. Oh, she understood now. She knew what was going on. "No, I didn't know there was one. I don't read the paper anymore, so . . . "
"Oh, right."
"Yeah, I went to one last weekend. I signed up for a newsletter, but I didn't get an email or anything for this one. Was it a candlelight thing, or . . ."
"Um, no, there was a rally, then we marched a few blocks. The cops were there and stuff."
"Wow."
"Yeah . . . "
"There could be different organizers I guess, different people putting them together. That's probably why I didn't hear about it."
He sat in silence for another moment. His palms were sweating and he knew this was it, this was the Exact Right Moment. If he didn't do it now, he would feel lousy all night. "I could, um, I mean I usually hear about the rallies and stuff, so if you wanted I could let you know about the next one . . ." he let his voice trail off. He met her eyes for a second, then looked to the floor of the train car.
"Well, I'm going out of town for a few weeks, so it's kind of hectic now . . ."
"Oh, sure, I was just saying . . ." Retreat, retreat, pull back ground forces!
"I could give you my email though, just in case something comes up soon or whatever." She was already digging for her pen and a scrap of paper.
Relief flooded him. It would only occur to him later that this may, perhaps, be a polite rejection. But for the moment, he'll take what he can get.
"Let me know if anything comes up," she said. "This is my stop."
"Hey, mine too!" he says, perhaps too enthusiasticly. "What a wonderful coincidence!"
She says nothing as the they exit the train together.
"Hm?"
"Your boots, are those steel-toed?"
She looked down at her shoes and wiggled her toes. It was visible through the black leather of her boots. "Oh, no. They're just Doc's."
"Oh."
"Yeah, I don't kick people very much. So."
The boy coughed and ran his hands through his hair. He didn't say anything for a moment, but he knew if he kept silent too long the moment would be lost. "So, are you coming from the march?"
The girl looked up at him again. Oh, she understood now. She knew what was going on. "No, I didn't know there was one. I don't read the paper anymore, so . . . "
"Oh, right."
"Yeah, I went to one last weekend. I signed up for a newsletter, but I didn't get an email or anything for this one. Was it a candlelight thing, or . . ."
"Um, no, there was a rally, then we marched a few blocks. The cops were there and stuff."
"Wow."
"Yeah . . . "
"There could be different organizers I guess, different people putting them together. That's probably why I didn't hear about it."
He sat in silence for another moment. His palms were sweating and he knew this was it, this was the Exact Right Moment. If he didn't do it now, he would feel lousy all night. "I could, um, I mean I usually hear about the rallies and stuff, so if you wanted I could let you know about the next one . . ." he let his voice trail off. He met her eyes for a second, then looked to the floor of the train car.
"Well, I'm going out of town for a few weeks, so it's kind of hectic now . . ."
"Oh, sure, I was just saying . . ." Retreat, retreat, pull back ground forces!
"I could give you my email though, just in case something comes up soon or whatever." She was already digging for her pen and a scrap of paper.
Relief flooded him. It would only occur to him later that this may, perhaps, be a polite rejection. But for the moment, he'll take what he can get.
"Let me know if anything comes up," she said. "This is my stop."
"Hey, mine too!" he says, perhaps too enthusiasticly. "What a wonderful coincidence!"
She says nothing as the they exit the train together.
VIEW 5 of 5 COMMENTS
Welcome to SGChicago. If you didn't see the "throwing rocks" thread, some of us are bowling at Diversey on Monday evening.
Come along.
Bowling: oak, dollface, ReiToei, and pilar said they'll be there, along with a couple of new folks. If you meant that you're concerned about finding the group, my hair should be a good beacon.