Riding with the CTA- A Short Story
Created | Updated Feb 18, 2004
“Do you like my new hat?”
“It’s alright.”
“Okay, what do we do?”
“Nothing, really, let’s just stay here.”
“Ok.”
“Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“Oh, never mind, you wouldn’t like it.”
“How do you know if you don’t tell me?”
“I just do, okay? I know you very well.”
I was listening to those two people have this conversation in the train. Their voices were very loud because they were the only ones talking. In front of me, though, was a young man around my age. He looked pale but I guessed it was something to do with the fluorescent lights. He was very beautiful despite this. He had black curls that were just beginning to fall over his ears, strong eyebrows, and marvelous hazel eyes framed with long, dark eyelashes. He was relaxed -almost asleep- in his plastic seat when I had come in through the sliding metal doors. We exchanged glances a couple of times as the pair behind me chattered on about nothing. Then he got out of his chair and came to the space next to me. We made eye contact as he moved and my stomach jerked because I knew he was going to talk to me.
He sat next to me. He was so close that our knees were touching and he turned to me to say, “Hi, how are ya?”
I could smell his cologne, spicy but with just a hint of something floral. I could have kissed him right then.
“Oh, I’m okay I guess. Are you going somewhere interesting?”
“Not really. I’m going home right now. Where are you going?”
“Actually, I’m on my way home too. I just came from the movies
with my friends.”
He was thinking something, I could see it. Then he looked at his hands and then shyly to me, “Well, since we’re both not doing anything, I guess-“
<Yes!> I thought. I’ll go anywhere with you!
“I guess we could do something, you know, and get to know each other, if you want.” He looked hopefully at me, bracing for the worst.
“Yeah, that sounds really good. It’s a very good idea. I’m actually kinda hungry,” I tried to not say something stupid, but I tried to not to try too hard, or I might have said something stupid.
“Great. Have you eaten Indian food before?”
“No.”
“You’re gonna love it. I know this really good restaurant, like, three blocks from here.” He moved his hands a lot as he spoke. They were long-fingered and there were veins near the surface of his skin, He still looked a little nervous, but he spoke with electric energy. I could feel it coming from his eyes and from under his clothes where his knee touched mine.
“It’s alright.”
“Okay, what do we do?”
“Nothing, really, let’s just stay here.”
“Ok.”
“Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“Oh, never mind, you wouldn’t like it.”
“How do you know if you don’t tell me?”
“I just do, okay? I know you very well.”
I was listening to those two people have this conversation in the train. Their voices were very loud because they were the only ones talking. In front of me, though, was a young man around my age. He looked pale but I guessed it was something to do with the fluorescent lights. He was very beautiful despite this. He had black curls that were just beginning to fall over his ears, strong eyebrows, and marvelous hazel eyes framed with long, dark eyelashes. He was relaxed -almost asleep- in his plastic seat when I had come in through the sliding metal doors. We exchanged glances a couple of times as the pair behind me chattered on about nothing. Then he got out of his chair and came to the space next to me. We made eye contact as he moved and my stomach jerked because I knew he was going to talk to me.
He sat next to me. He was so close that our knees were touching and he turned to me to say, “Hi, how are ya?”
I could smell his cologne, spicy but with just a hint of something floral. I could have kissed him right then.
“Oh, I’m okay I guess. Are you going somewhere interesting?”
“Not really. I’m going home right now. Where are you going?”
“Actually, I’m on my way home too. I just came from the movies
with my friends.”
He was thinking something, I could see it. Then he looked at his hands and then shyly to me, “Well, since we’re both not doing anything, I guess-“
<Yes!> I thought. I’ll go anywhere with you!
“I guess we could do something, you know, and get to know each other, if you want.” He looked hopefully at me, bracing for the worst.
“Yeah, that sounds really good. It’s a very good idea. I’m actually kinda hungry,” I tried to not say something stupid, but I tried to not to try too hard, or I might have said something stupid.
“Great. Have you eaten Indian food before?”
“No.”
“You’re gonna love it. I know this really good restaurant, like, three blocks from here.” He moved his hands a lot as he spoke. They were long-fingered and there were veins near the surface of his skin, He still looked a little nervous, but he spoke with electric energy. I could feel it coming from his eyes and from under his clothes where his knee touched mine.
