today was a warm winter day. as it rained outside, dewy droplets formed on everything you could touch or see. a little earlier, when it was darker outside, i had thought the air was stigmatized; my heart inverted on itself because i saw an apparition of myself across the yard, gently tapping the undersides of leaves. i was so determined to not see my own face, that i left home early for the bus.

across the way, hoover ave, i saw my friend, nina, looking at her phone under her red umbrella. dressed in pastel, i was struck by the impulse to caress her hair, soft and hanging over her chilled cheeks. to get to the other side, it must have been my crunching footsteps that made her raise her gaze. "hey." i exclaimed, "do you have gum by any chance?" as usual, she didn't respond. instead, she curled her fingers into a bunny and reached for my hand. i don't remember getting so close, but soon i was under the umbrella as well, holding her sweaty palm.

"i didn't finish the homework." this time she did respond, "not new." "hmm." i hummed and asked, "john offered me a joint yesterday; have you tried it before?" "nah." something about the ways her fingers shifted prompted me to ask, "how did you sleep last night?" after a long pause, the bus softly rumbled as it pulled in from the distance and came to a stop. she let go of my hand and stepped onto the bus' steep platform, almost determined to get out of the drizzle. as i got on, she smiled, shook excess water off her umbrella, and said, "i didn't, really."

waiting for her to shift down the aisle, she added, "someone had their lights on all night; i was convinced it was actually the daytime; and it was so warm, too, that i had pull the blanket up till my feet touched cooler air." last night, too, i hadn't slept with a blanket over my feet, so i said, "hm, same." and settled into the tight seat next to her.