Red and Blue Socks

Chapter Three

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I don't know why it was her specifically that I kept noticing, it was like an itch that I kept trying to reflexively scratch. She'd get on the bus and I'd look up, taking a small mental note of what she was wearing or if she seemed to be going home from work.

Before long I had figured out a few things about her, first there was the fact that she worked at cluck's chicken and she was either a slob or a clutz. It seemed like every time I saw her after a work shift she was covered in grease, so either she didn't wash her uniform very often and didn't care how disgusting her clothes were or she had a tendency to spill things on herself.

After a while I concluded it was probably the latter, it was the bright pink children's band-aids that kept appearing with each passing day that I saw her that tipped the scales in the clutz favour.

The second thing I figured out was that she was definitely a college student and that her dorm was two stops before mine, additionally it was one that I've heard is notorious for getting noise complaints. Which made me wonder why she always had her headphones in. Personally, if I was going back to a noise trap I'd want as much quiet time as possible, and I wouldn't spend the only possible break with music blaring in my ears.

The third thing was more of an annoying observation rather than a fact I had figured out.

It seemed like no matter what the weather or the day she would always get on the bus with the same stupid grin on her face and say hello to whoever she sat beside. Because that was the thing, she never sat alone. Even if they bus was all but barren, she would go out of her way to sit beside someone, wave and smile as she said hello and then sit quietly with her fingers tapping on her knees as she waiting for her stop.

There didn't seem to be a pattern to it, or any real reason, I mean she didn't even try to talk to the person. So she wasn't like one of the drunks that would sometimes wander onto the bus and breathe heavily onto the person beside them while loudly stuffing their face far too close for their patron's comfort.

It was a question that I couldn't seem to find even one remote explanation for, and that frustrated me beyond all reasoning.

There was one upside to my findings. She only seemed to sit in the front half of the bus when choosing a victim to encroach upon. If the only person on the bus was sitting in the far back she wouldn't approach them and would sit alone. So, as long as I made sure to sit in the back of the bus, she wouldn't bother me and I would be free to stare out of my peeling, tinted window while casually glancing over to make my inspections.

While we're on the topic, I guess there is one other observation I should mention. Although, this one was not so much about her as it was about myself. I realized after a while that it was just her that I was keeping such close tabs on. While it was a habit to people watch in general, it was rare that I became fascinated with one person in particular. Usually after the initial time, I would conclude a few simple, small things and, unless they did sometime odd, I would generally give them no more than a passing glance afterwards.

Maybe it was her smile, it was so... pure. People tend to have a few different smiles. There's the smile that you give in greeting, it's usually small or painfully large, rarely sitting in the middle where it would be the most relaxed.

That smile is usually forced, or rather, reflexive. It's expected. If you are introduced to someone, or are waved hello to, it is generally custom to offer a small smile in return. It's so ingrained into our society that if you don't receive the smile that you expect then you automatically assume they are having a bad day or they didn't see you.

What I've always found odd about smiling is that we are the only species that smiles to show good will. In the animal kingdom, the act of curling up lips to show teeth is a threat or shows discomfort or displeasure. It's the gesture a wolf makes right before they lunge for your throat or to tell another of their pack that they need to back off.

Maybe that's why the smile on a clown or when someone smiles at you when they're mad it is that much more terrifying while usually the action would be a friendly one.

I'm off topic again. Where was I? Smiles, right. Well, besides the greeting smile which is very similar to the ones we use in family pictures or ones we use at functions we don't really want to be at there's two other significant ones.

First is the sad smile. Just like the name suggests it's the one we use when we truly do not feel like smiling but once again social expectations dictate it. Like when we're asked if we're okay, and truthfully the answer is 'no' but we answer with a quiet yes, or I'm fine. Generally afterwards a small, sad smile follows to try and prove our pathetic attempt to prove our words but it always seems to fall quickly as if the words are too heavy to lift up and our lips are once again pulled into a frown.

The last one is the one that she always seems to tote around. It's genuine. Happy, carefree, relaxed and seems to be as natural to her as breathing.

Her smile, it was like... If she stopped, it would have to be forced. Because it just seemed so... simple. Like there was no stress, no worries, nothing in her life that weighed on her lips so that they were able to stay permanently in their uplifted state.

I couldn't understand it.

She lived in a dorm that was one of the lowest rated in the state, one that was so loud that I had to wonder how anyone could possibly study or even sleep for that matter. She worked in a crappy, bottom rate job that left her constantly covered in disgusting crap and left her with new burns or scrapes almost daily. The clothes she wore that weren't from work were worn and old, like she didn't have any money to replace them. So then what was it in her life that made her overlook everything so completely that she was able to just sit on the dirty city bus and smile like that?

It was a month later, after another infuriating study session with my tutor that I was honestly beginning to think had either never taken the class I was in, or had failed it miserably, that I decided to find out.

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So that's chapter three! I hope you all enjoyed it and next time will be their first meeting: dundundun! ...? Maybe.

No they'll def meet. Prolly.

Anywho, I'm out. -Kiravu