It was a cold winter day. I was strolling through town with my dog, adorn in a long coat, skinny jeans, and boots. It was around Christmas, and I was looking for a present for my dorm mate.
I was twenty years old, and was going to college to become an electrician. As was my aforementioned dorm mate, Ramona. She had to have a good present, considering the early present she got me.
My present was my dog, a Czechoslovakian wolfdog, who I named Puffin. Ramona had her moments, and that was one of them. She could really be a good friend.
"You see anything yet, Puffin?" I asked. She just blew out a steam of warm air through her nose. "Guess not…"
I huffed and sat down on a bench in a nearby park. Puffin sat next to the bench, looking at the children making a snowman nearby. When the cold air blew in my face, I stuffed my freezing hands in my pocket. I was stupid enough to forget my gloves.
I felt around in my pocket. There were things in there. I pulled the items out and laughed in nostalgia. It was a small white flag and a charm bracelet with charms that looked like the flags of different countries.
It reminded me of my middle school, when my friends and I pretended we were were friends with the countries' personifications. So many fun memories with those girls. I hadn't seen those guys since eighth grade.
I put the items back in my pocket and called for Puffin for us to go get some lunch. I had decided on a small Italian restaurant nearby, where I was a regular. I was friends with the owner's family, which made my visits even better.
The door opened with a ring and a waiter my age ran up to greet me. His name was Marco the third, named after his father, who was named after his father. "The usual, Rilee?" I nodded. "And for your puppy?"
"The same" I gleamed. He ran into the back of the restaurant and I took a seat near a window. I kept looking out the window, watching the people pass by. Most were normal strangers, but one struck a cord within me.
It was a man around my age, wearing a brown bomber jacket and glasses. His eyes looked blue and he had sandy blonde hair with a cowlick. Looking at him made me pat my cowlick and take off my glasses. It was an odd reflex, like the one I had in middle school. The man looked like…
Alfred Jones. Aka, America.