in a hartbeat

all my urges of youth could be summed up in that moment. i had just come from a composting meeting and had time to wait for the sun to go down. i walked to the library and first sat on the concrete stoops outside the study room. that morning, i had put on my favorite elf shoes and button-less cardigan, the one my friends called 'that homeless one.' i jumped onto the metal railing right in front of the library and swung my legs in front of me. the position i was sitting suddenly made me feel very small, the same smallness you'd feel cruising around a different country. the sun became a calm glaze as i inhaled a portion of a stick. its potency took me by surprise. as i tilted my head up to look at the ocean wind circling the sky, he walked out from behind the library's opaque door. it was only 4 in the afternoon but the whole town had cleared out just for us. he looked at me in disbelief as i exhaled, my breath gliding safely throughout our coastal town.