The bus stopped, just outside of Fresno, California. She stepped off the bus, just for a break. The air smelled much like the air at the Vegas bus station. There was a hint of something different though. The bus was parked at a gas station, and it wouldn’t have been too much to just grab her purse from her seat and run for the hills.
Which she, of course, did. She left her remaining tickets on the driver’s seat, and headed north for the city on foot.
She had a good deal of cash on her, enough for a deposit at a no-tell motel/apartment complex. It was the same in every city. It was enjoyable, walking around and just taking in the atmosphere. It was a good way to get her bearings. The best place to start was the crap area of town. It’s where the cheap stuff was.
“Hey, lady. Psst, over here.” Senga almost didn’t hear it, and would have kept walking if the young man didn’t step out in front of her.
“What the hell?” She stepped back, and blinked. The young man standing in front of her looked familiar.
“Aw, you don’t remember me?” The man pouted, and looked rather dejected.
She had to give him a good, long look. He was probably only 16, but looked younger, and scrawny. His face was soft, cheeks all round and rosy. His hair was blonde, and baby fine. The leather jacket he wore was ill-fitting, and just added to the overall effect.
“Eric?! What are you doing here?” She grinned and threw her arms around him. Eric was next in line for Eros, more commonly known as Cupid. He looked the part so much; she was surprised she didn’t recognize him.
He grinned, and she swore his age must have dropped about 5 years. “My Spidey senses were tingling, and I followed my nose. And here we are. Having boy troubles?” Senga raised an eyebrow, and turned on her heel. She couldn’t deal with this now.
“I’m getting that tingly feeling from him too. He’s upset, having trouble dealing with it. And, how could you turn down going to Key West with him? I mean, escaping to KEY WEST? What are you smoking?”
Senga kept walking down the street. Eric followed close behind her, practically barking at her heels.
“Do you need a place to stay? I have the best place by the water. And it’s like Key West!” He was skipping down the sidewalk, grabbing at her hand. She laughed a little and shook her head.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea. And you’re still a teenager, how can you afford to rent an apartment? And how do you even pull that off?”
Eric shrugged with a deceptively innocent glint in his eye. “Mind control powers? My landlord looooves me.”
“That’s disgusting!” Senga gasped, horrified. “Wait, so you just lead the poor woman along?”
“Poor man, hon, poor man. I’ll talk to him, and see if I can get you added to the lease.”
She shook her head, those small butterflies creeping up into her stomach. If she added her name to the lease, she’d be leaving a paper trail. “No need.”
Eric tilted his head to the side, curiously. “But, but…”
“I don’t feel comfortable signing my name to a document like that. But thanks. I’ll find my own place.”
“And pay in cash all the time? Puh-leeeese. So ghetto.”
“And it doesn’t leave a trail. I’m sold.”
“Just stop at that bus stop right there, and we’ll be on our way.”
Senga stopped, just short of the sign post, nearly walking into it. “What, what? Hello random.” She rolled her eyes and sat on the sticker covered bench. She slouched a little, and picked at the three inches of band stickers that were plastered over the wood. At least, she thought it was wooden.
“So what do you say?” He asked, flopping down on the bench beside her, with his head in her lap. He was such a puppy dog. She sighed a little and did her best to think about it. But it wasn’t working. She couldn’t think. She just wanted to relax. And she couldn’t even think about getting on another bus. “Well?”
“Fine.” She rolled her eyes, and sat back on the bench to wait.
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