I first met Cecile when I was in the 10th grade. I had gone to the coffee shop across the street from my school for lunch, and there she was, standing at the bus stop. She had on ripped jeans, bushy brown hair with purple high lights, a Nirvana T-shirt that was cut up, what looked like her dad's old work boots and a denim messenger bag. And a cigarette dangling from her lips.
"Those things will kill you," I said as I approached her. Why did I approach her? I thought she was really attractive and I am not a shy person.
"Might. It might kill me if I smoke enough. Just like that tree might kill me if it falls. Hell, even you might kill me. Who knows?" She replied. She had the subtle hints of an accent when she spoke. I was always shit with accents, so I couldn't pin it.
"Are you from around here? I don't think I've seen you in school before."
"Nah, man," she said looking at her boots, removing the cigarette from her full lips, "I just got enrolled today. I don't start classes till Monday, though."
"So what made you want to come to this shit hole of a school?" I asked with a light laugh. She exhaled smoke and a chuckle, giving me a once over, as if she had not noticed I had been standing in front of her before.
"My Papa. He says this place has a great program for engineering and mathematics. He says I could build a space craft one day if I study hard." She didn't look like she really wanted to build space craft's.
"Well you don't seem to pleased with that idea," I said. She sighed and gently shook her head, her tiny ringlets bouncing with the gesture. "What is it you want to do then?"
She blew some smoke, bit her lip and looked me up and down once again. With a half-smile and another head shake, she put the cigarette back in her mouth.
"What?" I asked, beginning to smile myself.
"I barely even know you, and I'm telling you my life story practically. You don't even know my name, and I don't know yours."
"My names Alicia, and I'd hardly say that's your life story. I'm sure there's more to it than just building space ships. I'll tell you what, though, how about we go out for coffee? I can tell you more about the school, you can tell me your real life story, and then you'll actually know someone when you show up on Monday. We can pretend we're old classmates from England?"
"I'm from Australia," She said with a laugh, "so's my Mum. But my Papa is from Yorkshire, so you're close. Alright, when do you want to go on this coffee date?" She took a couple steps towards me, dropping her cigarette butt on the ground and stepping it out.
"You free right now?"
"Now? Don't you have class or something?"
"Nah, it's just algebra. Not like we're learning to build space crafts or anything." She laughed at that.
"Alright then," she said grabbing my hand, "Let's go."