"Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?"
Garth Nix
He rose from his seat on the couch and glanced at Sebastian momentarily. "I'm heading to the market. We don't have shit in this house." His friend shrugged, his hair a mess and his clothes wrinkled by the girl sitting on his lap. Jace rolled his eyes and grabbed his keys. Before leaving, he checked the fridge and made sure he wrote down the crap they needed to survive for another week.
The ride was quick and the night cold. He wished he had worn a thicker coat. Snow would soon drop and freeze the city with its pureness. Jace sighed and leaned his head against the steering wheel. He had a lot of thoughts on his mind. None he could act on. He hated that about himself. He was never brave enough to do what he wanted.
Climbing out of the front seat, Jace walked through the automatic doors the bright lights of the shop stinging his tawny eyes. He nodded towards the cashier who regularly worked there and trudged to the back where the milk was. He grabbed two gallons just in case Sebastian got tired of beer. That was actually wishful thinking.
A pack of ramen noodles. 24 pack of beer. Three apples and a few oranges. Instant rice. Anything that was easy to make. Jace dragged the cart towards the front of the store and waited for the girl ahead of him to finish paying. He caught some of the conversation involuntarily. "All I have is a twenty."
The cashier shook his head. "It's twenty six forty two."
The girl sighed and pushed away a few items. "Here. Count these only."
The cashier scanned the purchases. "That'll be twenty one seventy six."
Jace raised a hand. "Here, I'll pay."
She turned suddenly, her eyes narrow. She had shoulder length crimson curls and vivid green orbs. The freckles on her cheeks were quite noticeable along with her pale skin. His head ached at her appearance. She looked familiar. Pulling out his wallet quickly to avoid her gaze, he handed the cashier seven dollars and told him to keep the change.
The girl grabbed her things without looking at him and left. Jace shrugged and paid for his stuff. When he walked outside, she was standing along the brick wall of the mini mart. Her bags were on the cement beside her. "You okay?" He asked her, cocking his head to look at her.
"Fine." Her voice was soft. Quiet.
"Have I met you before?"
Jace pursed his lips. "I don't think so."
She released a breath. "Yeah. That must be right."
"What do you mean?" Did she recognize him like he recognized her?
"I thought I saw a glimpse of someone but don't bother. It's nothing." She wrapped her red scarf around her neck tighter.
Jace waited. "What's your name?"
"Clarissa."
"I'm Jace." She nodded and tucked in a strand of her hair.
"Are you waiting for a ride?"
She shook her head.
"Did you run out of gas? Car trouble?"
She shook her head.
"It's pretty cold. Are you gonna stay here all day?"
She turned to look at him and her red lips parted. "I feel like-like I should wait here. Like it's a sign."
His eyebrows rose in confusion. "Destiny?"
She smiled and stared at the sky. "Maybe."
"Then I guess it's my destiny to stay with you until you leave."
Clarissa sat on the sidewalk and he did the same, a good two feet between them. "I think I saw you somewhere. I don't think we met but I probably just glanced at you like strangers, you know?"
"Yeah. That sounds realistic."
"How old are you?" He asked her, shifting his legs so that he could sit comfortably.
"22."
"You look...older."
She gazed at him like she was reading him. "And how is that?"
Jace tried to come up with a reason. "I-I don't know. I just-"
"And you are?"
"18."
"I guess I'm older than you."
"Yea." He responded lamely.
The sky was beginning to darken to a shade of ebony and the stars started to fade. Jace's fingers were numb. His feet could barely move on their own. The cold only increased in its pressure.
"Do you believe that people have new lives when they die?"
Jace dropped the leaf he was playing with. "New lives?"
"Yeah. Suppose you die, you take on a new life in a new time with new people."
"That seems a little-" He stopped himself.
"Say it. I won't be offended."
"Stupid."
"Why?"
Jace ran a hand through his long hair. He ought to cut it. "Because it's not possible."
"So...you're a realist?"
Jace gave her a strange look. "Isn't everybody?"
"No. There are dreamers."
"And what do dreamers think?"
She reached her thumb as if to touch the blackening sky. "They think that they don't belong here."
Jace didn't say anything. He didn't have anything to say. He watched her rise and grab her plastic bags. "Thank you for paying."
She stared at him for a few seconds more and started to walk off in a different direction, shoulders squared.
"Clarissa!"
She stopped before she could step onto the crosswalk. "Don't you have a number?" He caught up with her and tugged out his phone.
"I don't think that's a good idea." She replied, looking away.
"Why?"
"Because."
"Oh." She hadn't liked him.
"I think we've met before, Jace."
"But where?"
Clarissa blew a curl from her eyes. "I don't know."
"Why are you telling me all this?"
"Destiny."
"Destiny?" He asked. He was tired of her riddle speak.
"If it brought us here, then it'll bring us somewhere again. In the future."
Jace shook his head. "I don't understand any of the shit you're saying."
"Bye Jace." She told him.
He didn't respond and for once he felt like her walking away was something he shouldn't let happen. He ran after her.