"Hey," I look up from my book to see a man, probably in his 20s, sitting next to me. 

"Um...hi?" I ask, half a question and half a statement. I have a bit of a cold and my voice sounds weird, kind of nasally and high pitched, and I hope the guy doesn't get worried that I have COVID. I've already been tested, and I'm double masking, but I can't afford to miss any more school. I'm already falling behind, and I have D's in 4 of my classes. The book I'm reading, Sense and Sensibility, is for school. I hate that I'm using my lunch break to read in the park near my school instead of eating with my friends (well, friend), but it's honestly kind of nice. The birds are chirping melodically, the air smells pleasantly sweet from the crepe stand nearby, and the cool metal of the bench feels good in the humid 80 degree heat. Little tip for you, never move to Florida, especially not in the middle of May. 

"So, I'm on my daily walk around the 

park, right? And all of a sudden, I see this gorgeous girl, and I think to myself, "hey, self, why don't you go say hi? God knows you could use some social interaction," the guy says, a small grin playing at the corner of his mouth. He's dressed in black from head to toe (black skinny jeans with rips at the knees, a tight black t shirt, and a pair of Docs), yet he somehow doesn't seem to be even mildly sweaty. Weird. 

"Um," I say nervously. I'm rarely ever approached when I sit in the park, and I've literally never had an older guy sit next to me. He's cute, but I'm not looking for such a... illegal (?) relationship. "I'm, um, kind of... 17?" I manage to stutter out. He leans in, and I'm suddenly all too aware of the garlic pizza residue in my mouth. 

"I'm gay," he says, all deep and smoky, staring deep into my eyes. His eyes are a shocking shade of green (think Harry Potter), and all of a sudden my breath catches in my throat. That is, before he leans back and bursts out laughing, all the heat disappearing from his eyes. "Oh, jeez, you should've seen the look on your face! I'm not trying to date you, just trying to make some friends. I didn't realize you were so young, though, so if you aren't comfortable with me speaking to you just say the word," his smile looked sincere now, and I could feel my heart rate returning to normal.

 "Um, no, sorry, you're um... you're good. Sorry. I'm not very good at talking to people, lol," I spit out in a single breath, flushed from embarrassment. He shakes his head, and gives a tiny laugh. 

“So, mysterious park girl, who are you?” And all of a sudden, the blood drains from my face. Crap.