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Huh? Isn’t there something missing here? How did this happen? These questions took up the majority of my thoughts as I stood alone under the beating sun. The flimsy alcove of the bus stop provided little shade to stop my clearly heat-stricken delirium.

“Hey!” Henry’s voice called out from behind. I turned haltingly to face him. He was still running up the small hill to meet me when I saw him. He smiled and handed me a water bottle. I couldn’t help thinking he was the one who actually needed it. “Sorry for making you wait.”

“No problem,” I replied. “Thanks.”

“Ah I think that’s our ride. Got here just in time,” Henry said.

“I want to see it before it’s filled to the brim with tourists.” That’s what Henry had told me last week. Bradford was a small town just outside the city, near the beach. There was a little dock and everything. Supposedly, its popularity had skyrocketed over the years too, so I didn’t think much of the reason but...couldn’t he have seen it without me? I wondered. The last thing I expected when I walked into the bookshop was to be confronted with an invitation. Yet there I was.

I glanced over at Henry. I could just barely see his blue eyes through the messy locks of brown scattered across his forehead. They were staring out the bus window intently but slyly flicked in my direction. He grinned and pointed out the window, not giving me time to be surprised. I leaned closer to the glass and peered out.

“Oh! It’s a bird.” My gaze followed the white feathered creature as it happily fluttered along nearby the bus.

“You should take a picture,” Henry suggested.

“Oh, right!” I fumbled for my phone. I must have smacked every possible pocket on my clothing before I remembered it was in my purse. I coughed. “Not something I’m used to carrying…” I mumbled. I ignored Henry’s chuckle at my lame excuse, trying to focus on the bird. The second after I pressed down on the button I was tossed back to my seat by an extra jolt from the bus’s wheels. Unconcerned by my lousy balance, I peered down at my phone. “It’s actually pretty clear!” I exclaimed through a wide smile. “Usually I’m not too good with phones.”

“Impressive,” Henry said. His face was only a few inches from mine as he craned to see the screen. Warmth crept up my ears when I realized how close we were and I immediately straightened up.

“Thanks,” I laughed.

Soon after this, we arrived in Bradford. The town had a surprisingly simple, nearly rustic feeling to it, despite recent expansions and I could see the glistening ocean even from my view out the bus window.

Henry bounded off the bus, flying past the steps and landing with a thud on the ground. He took a deep breath and swung his arms. Meanwhile I trailed behind, carefully stretching my foot down to meet the floor. I haphazardly stumbled the rest of the way when my companion let out a loud “woop!” He peeked over his shoulder at me.

“You ready?” he asked.

“As I’ll ever be,” I replied.

We made our way into town and took our time to leisurely explore and stroll along the boardwalk. Eventually we came across a small marketplace. My eyes were immediately drawn to the lovely statue in the center. Without thinking I simply wandered over for a closer look. It was a tall, pristine sculpture of a woman, pouring water from a vase.
“Wow this is pretty isn’t it?” After a few moments of getting no reply I added. “Reminds me of Aquarius.” Still nothing. Maybe he hadn’t heard me? I turned to Henry or at least I thought I did. I would have probably been right if he hadn’t suddenly disappeared from anywhere in sight. I quickly fell prey to an unsensible amount of panic. I must have done circles around that fountain, and the whole square for that matter, at least a dozen times. When I was at the end of my rope and gearing myself up to shout his name, he reappeared just like that. I was speechless. He was oblivious to the wild goose chase I’d gone on while he was away. Boy, what a pair we made. “Where’d you go?” I finally asked.

“Hm? I went in there.” He gestured behind him to a small bookstore and held up the book in his hand.

“Oh…” I hadn’t thought to check inside one of the buildings.

“Just wanted to see how ours compared.”

“Oh?”

“I think it’s best I don’t tell you who won.”

I snorted and followed Henry as he started walking again. He leisurely tossed his change into the fountain when we passed it. “Let’s keep exploring,” he said.

The light was just starting to fade when we found ourselves on the bus back home. The energy I’d borrowed from excitement for most of the day was beginning to wane as well and my eyelids felt heavy. I found myself leaning against Henry just as I had earlier that day but this time I didn’t move. He didn’t seem to mind.

We arrived home in the late evening. I shook my head firmly at Henry’s multiple attempts to ask if I’d like him to walk me home. “I’m used to the area after all,” I told him. His uncertain expression was clear enough but he left it at that. Before we parted ways he pulled out the book he’d bought and handed it to me. It was a little photo album of scenery in Bradford. I thanked him and after a somewhat awkward hug, finally began my journey home.

While I walked I peeked through the book by the dim light the scattered street lights provided. I stopped suddenly when I noticed a picture of the same bird Henry and I saw that morning. I slowly walked forward again, bringing out my phone. “Nearly identical…” I murmured.

Even after I was tucked comfortably away in my bed I couldn’t get mind off the photos. I stared up at my phone, leisurely scrolling through dozens of similar pictures I’d found online. “I guess it wasn’t that special after all.”

Description
body div#devskin0 hr { }

Huh? Isn’t there something missing here? How did this happen? These questions took up the majority of my thoughts as I stood alone under the beating sun. The flimsy alcove of the bus stop provided little shade to stop my clearly heat-stricken delirium.

“Hey!” Henry’s voice called out from behind. I turned haltingly to face him. He was still running up the small hill to meet me when I saw him. He smiled and handed me a water bottle. I couldn’t help thinking he was the one who actually needed it. “Sorry for making you wait.”

“No problem,” I replied. “Thanks.”

“Ah I think that’s our ride. Got here just in time,” Henry said.

“I want to see it before it’s filled to the brim with tourists.” That’s what Henry had told me last week. Bradford was a small town just outside the city, near the beach. There was a little dock and everything. Supposedly, its popularity had skyrocketed over the years too, so I didn’t think much of the reason but...couldn’t he have seen it without me? I wondered. The last thing I expected when I walked into the bookshop was to be confronted with an invitation. Yet there I was.

I glanced over at Henry. I could just barely see his blue eyes through the messy locks of brown scattered across his forehead. They were staring out the bus window intently but slyly flicked in my direction. He grinned and pointed out the window, not giving me time to be surprised. I leaned closer to the glass and peered out.

“Oh! It’s a bird.” My gaze followed the white feathered creature as it happily fluttered along nearby the bus.

“You should take a picture,” Henry suggested.

“Oh, right!” I fumbled for my phone. I must have smacked every possible pocket on my clothing before I remembered it was in my purse. I coughed. “Not something I’m used to carrying…” I mumbled. I ignored Henry’s chuckle at my lame excuse, trying to focus on the bird. The second after I pressed down on the button I was tossed back to my seat by an extra jolt from the bus’s wheels. Unconcerned by my lousy balance, I peered down at my phone. “It’s actually pretty clear!” I exclaimed through a wide smile. “Usually I’m not too good with phones.”

“Impressive,” Henry said. His face was only a few inches from mine as he craned to see the screen. Warmth crept up my ears when I realized how close we were and I immediately straightened up.

“Thanks,” I laughed.

Soon after this, we arrived in Bradford. The town had a surprisingly simple, nearly rustic feeling to it, despite recent expansions and I could see the glistening ocean even from my view out the bus window.

Henry bounded off the bus, flying past the steps and landing with a thud on the ground. He took a deep breath and swung his arms. Meanwhile I trailed behind, carefully stretching my foot down to meet the floor. I haphazardly stumbled the rest of the way when my companion let out a loud “woop!” He peeked over his shoulder at me.

“You ready?” he asked.

“As I’ll ever be,” I replied.

We made our way into town and took our time to leisurely explore and stroll along the boardwalk. Eventually we came across a small marketplace. My eyes were immediately drawn to the lovely statue in the center. Without thinking I simply wandered over for a closer look. It was a tall, pristine sculpture of a woman, pouring water from a vase.
“Wow this is pretty isn’t it?” After a few moments of getting no reply I added. “Reminds me of Aquarius.” Still nothing. Maybe he hadn’t heard me? I turned to Henry or at least I thought I did. I would have probably been right if he hadn’t suddenly disappeared from anywhere in sight. I quickly fell prey to an unsensible amount of panic. I must have done circles around that fountain, and the whole square for that matter, at least a dozen times. When I was at the end of my rope and gearing myself up to shout his name, he reappeared just like that. I was speechless. He was oblivious to the wild goose chase I’d gone on while he was away. Boy, what a pair we made. “Where’d you go?” I finally asked.

“Hm? I went in there.” He gestured behind him to a small bookstore and held up the book in his hand.

“Oh…” I hadn’t thought to check inside one of the buildings.

“Just wanted to see how ours compared.”

“Oh?”

“I think it’s best I don’t tell you who won.”

I snorted and followed Henry as he started walking again. He leisurely tossed his change into the fountain when we passed it. “Let’s keep exploring,” he said.

The light was just starting to fade when we found ourselves on the bus back home. The energy I’d borrowed from excitement for most of the day was beginning to wane as well and my eyelids felt heavy. I found myself leaning against Henry just as I had earlier that day but this time I didn’t move. He didn’t seem to mind.

We arrived home in the late evening. I shook my head firmly at Henry’s multiple attempts to ask if I’d like him to walk me home. “I’m used to the area after all,” I told him. His uncertain expression was clear enough but he left it at that. Before we parted ways he pulled out the book he’d bought and handed it to me. It was a little photo album of scenery in Bradford. I thanked him and after a somewhat awkward hug, finally began my journey home.

While I walked I peeked through the book by the dim light the scattered street lights provided. I stopped suddenly when I noticed a picture of the same bird Henry and I saw that morning. I slowly walked forward again, bringing out my phone. “Nearly identical…” I murmured.

Even after I was tucked comfortably away in my bed I couldn’t get mind off the photos. I stared up at my phone, leisurely scrolling through dozens of similar pictures I’d found online. “I guess it wasn’t that special after all.”