Read Part 7 here or from the beginning, here.
The last time she had met with a stranger had been yet another bus encounter.
It was a Saturday evening. She had eventually left Freya's house to go get the bus after spending the afternoon round there. They had spent a large portion of that afternoon watching YouTube videos. A large portion of those videos had involved cats. A good day by Kath's standards.
Despite it being relatively light out, the evening chill had set in, and Kath found herself wrapping her denim jacket round her to try and maintain some semblance of warmth. The bus had been late, as was always the case with public transport when you needed to be somewhere. Not that Kath minded, really. There was always a certain tranquility in these sort of between moments in life. The parts where all you could do is wait for the next thing to happen.
She had been deciding what song to play on her phone, Kath didn't own a separate device for music. One day, she hoped, but until then her phone would suffice. She scrolled through her measly playlist. Kath was unsure what sort of vibe to go for. What was she feeling? Perhaps something a little melancholic. Kath was in a good mood but she felt it appropriate to play Radiohead. No Surprises played as she leant against the bus stop, relaxing whilst she waited for her bus.
He tapped her on the shoulder. In a way, Kath had been expecting it. No surprises, she mused. He had come along to wait at the bus stop shortly after Kath. He'd been standing relatively close to her whilst she focused on her musical choices.
"Got a lighter?" the tall boy asked. Kath didn't, she had tried one cigarette in her life. It had been at a recent party she had been invited to by a friend of a friend. She didn't like it. She thought of it as another of the trials you went through in your teenage years. Although, if that was the case, Kath was only partway on her teenage journey.
Part 9
