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"You really should settle down."

I rolled my eyes and nodded as if my mother could see me through the phone.

"Get yourself a nice young girl and continue your schooling. We worked hard raising you, don't put our efforts to waste!"

Somehow, I found it in me to fake a smile. "Alright, mom. Look, I have to go. I'm closing the store tonight."

"That's another thing!" She's always been relentless. "You're always job hopping! Pick a career and stick with it, you don't want to be stuck with dead end jobs your whole life, do you?!"

"I'll keep that in mind, mom. Bye." Without waiting for a reply, I hung up and headed for the train station.

It's been a week since I last saw the boy from the train. I knew that I'd probably never see him again, but I was disappointed none-the-less. Disappointed...another emotion I haven't felt before. Life is full of disappointments, so I had always figured it would be better to just let everything slide off of my shoulder, but for some reason, I just couldn't let this go. I wanted to see him again.

"You're late."

I turned in surprise to once again be faced with the deep, brown eyes of the boy from the train.

"What..?" Suddenly, words were hard to come by.

He looked down at his converse clad feet and shuffled nervously. "I was waiting for you..."

Waiting for me..? Why would he...

His soft eyes once again met my own icey blue, and my heart clenched at the pain that was so clear to me behind his gaze. "You don't remember me..?"

I smiled gently, the first genuine smile I have ever given anyone. "I do." The relief that claimed his face was almost too much to bear. Could it be that this kid was as interested in me as I was in him? "Why were you waiting for me?"

He shrugged and looked at his feet again.

"I was actually on my way to work..."

"I know." He answered with a nod. "Can I come with you..?"

Somewhere inside of me, I had a feeling of foreboding. I had met the boy only once, and yet he wished to follow me around like a lost kitten seeking refuge from the rain. Well, if that's what he needs... I simply couldn't deny that face.

"Sure."

When we reached the store, I pulled out one of the chairs from the break room and set it near the front counter. "You can sit here if you'd like. Do you need any food?"

He shook his head and accepted the seat quietly.

I watched him for a moment, wondering again and again what this kid wanted with me, but he never said. As I minded the store, all he did was sit and watch me, taking in every movement I made. Even with my back turned, I could feel the boy's eyes on me. Was he waiting for me to do something? To say something?

Having become so accustomed to my apathy, I didn't let his presence bother me too much, but as always, he stirred new feelings inside of me that I could not ignore. Was this the passion that I had so been longing for? Was attention all that I had wanted for so long? Somehow, I felt there was more to it than that.

After closing the store, I turned once again to the boy. "Do you need me to walk you home?"

After a minute or two of silence, he nodded and returned once again to his feet, brushing his sandy brown hair to the side.

As we walked, I considered questioning him. I wanted to learn everything that I could about the boy, but I couldn't manage a single sentence. Luckily, he beat me to the punch.

"How old are you?"

I glanced sideways at him and shoved my hands into my pockets. "20. You?"

"17." I felt relief wash over me. At least he was of age, I wasn't worried about looking like a pedophile anymore. Speaking of which...

"And I'm not a pedo."

"I know." He looked up at me, his eyes scanning me from the tip of my messy black hair to my plaid, faded glory slip-ons. "Sorry about that."

I hadn't expected an apology. "It's alright. I guess I could have come off as one; a boring guy like me approaching a cute kid like you..." Crap. Did I just admit that he was cute? What's wrong with me?? I'm into girls...right?

Unfortunately, the comment didn't go by the kid either. A blush crept onto his face and graced his cheeks.

I looked away quickly. Oh god, he's even cuter when he blushes... "So...what's your name?" I didn't want to keep calling him 'boy' and 'kid,' after all.

"Egan. You?"

Cute name... "Riordan, but my friends call me Rye."

"Rye..." He stopped suddenly and looked at the only dark house on the block.

"Is that where you live?" I stopped beside him and stared at the uninviting house.

"For now."

It was a curious answer, but I could tell that even had I asked, he wouldn't tell me anymore. "Alright then...maybe I'll see you again some time."

"Can I...?" He turned slowly to me, his innocent eyes once again making my knees go weak.

God, what is this kid doing to me? "Sure. You can drop by the store any time, it's not far from here anyway. See you around, Egan." I waved my hand lazily as I turned and headed back to the train station.

Maybe I really have found my passion. I thought to myself. But what form is it taking...?

Description
"You really should settle down."

I rolled my eyes and nodded as if my mother could see me through the phone.

"Get yourself a nice young girl and continue your schooling. We worked hard raising you, don't put our efforts to waste!"

Somehow, I found it in me to fake a smile. "Alright, mom. Look, I have to go. I'm closing the store tonight."

"That's another thing!" She's always been relentless. "You're always job hopping! Pick a career and stick with it, you don't want to be stuck with dead end jobs your whole life, do you?!"

"I'll keep that in mind, mom. Bye." Without waiting for a reply, I hung up and headed for the train station.

It's been a week since I last saw the boy from the train. I knew that I'd probably never see him again, but I was disappointed none-the-less. Disappointed...another emotion I haven't felt before. Life is full of disappointments, so I had always figured it would be better to just let everything slide off of my shoulder, but for some reason, I just couldn't let this go. I wanted to see him again.

"You're late."

I turned in surprise to once again be faced with the deep, brown eyes of the boy from the train.

"What..?" Suddenly, words were hard to come by.

He looked down at his converse clad feet and shuffled nervously. "I was waiting for you..."

Waiting for me..? Why would he...

His soft eyes once again met my own icey blue, and my heart clenched at the pain that was so clear to me behind his gaze. "You don't remember me..?"

I smiled gently, the first genuine smile I have ever given anyone. "I do." The relief that claimed his face was almost too much to bear. Could it be that this kid was as interested in me as I was in him? "Why were you waiting for me?"

He shrugged and looked at his feet again.

"I was actually on my way to work..."

"I know." He answered with a nod. "Can I come with you..?"

Somewhere inside of me, I had a feeling of foreboding. I had met the boy only once, and yet he wished to follow me around like a lost kitten seeking refuge from the rain. Well, if that's what he needs... I simply couldn't deny that face.

"Sure."

When we reached the store, I pulled out one of the chairs from the break room and set it near the front counter. "You can sit here if you'd like. Do you need any food?"

He shook his head and accepted the seat quietly.

I watched him for a moment, wondering again and again what this kid wanted with me, but he never said. As I minded the store, all he did was sit and watch me, taking in every movement I made. Even with my back turned, I could feel the boy's eyes on me. Was he waiting for me to do something? To say something?

Having become so accustomed to my apathy, I didn't let his presence bother me too much, but as always, he stirred new feelings inside of me that I could not ignore. Was this the passion that I had so been longing for? Was attention all that I had wanted for so long? Somehow, I felt there was more to it than that.

After closing the store, I turned once again to the boy. "Do you need me to walk you home?"

After a minute or two of silence, he nodded and returned once again to his feet, brushing his sandy brown hair to the side.

As we walked, I considered questioning him. I wanted to learn everything that I could about the boy, but I couldn't manage a single sentence. Luckily, he beat me to the punch.

"How old are you?"

I glanced sideways at him and shoved my hands into my pockets. "20. You?"

"17." I felt relief wash over me. At least he was of age, I wasn't worried about looking like a pedophile anymore. Speaking of which...

"And I'm not a pedo."

"I know." He looked up at me, his eyes scanning me from the tip of my messy black hair to my plaid, faded glory slip-ons. "Sorry about that."

I hadn't expected an apology. "It's alright. I guess I could have come off as one; a boring guy like me approaching a cute kid like you..." Crap. Did I just admit that he was cute? What's wrong with me?? I'm into girls...right?

Unfortunately, the comment didn't go by the kid either. A blush crept onto his face and graced his cheeks.

I looked away quickly. Oh god, he's even cuter when he blushes... "So...what's your name?" I didn't want to keep calling him 'boy' and 'kid,' after all.

"Egan. You?"

Cute name... "Riordan, but my friends call me Rye."

"Rye..." He stopped suddenly and looked at the only dark house on the block.

"Is that where you live?" I stopped beside him and stared at the uninviting house.

"For now."

It was a curious answer, but I could tell that even had I asked, he wouldn't tell me anymore. "Alright then...maybe I'll see you again some time."

"Can I...?" He turned slowly to me, his innocent eyes once again making my knees go weak.

God, what is this kid doing to me? "Sure. You can drop by the store any time, it's not far from here anyway. See you around, Egan." I waved my hand lazily as I turned and headed back to the train station.

Maybe I really have found my passion. I thought to myself. But what form is it taking...?