The Night Ride

      To tell the truth he was beautiful, beautiful in away most men aren't and will never be. I think it was because even though he looked like he could have stepped clean out of an Anne Rice novel, he had an air of humanity around him. He was completely imperfect. From his untied shoes to the paint on his finger tips.
      He sat down next to me. I had pulled my knees to my chin, and was hiding myself in them when he did. He gripped at his hair and caught me looking. He smiled at me. I supposed I might have looked much like a child sitting in the chair like I was. I must have looked disheveled and abandoned. Alone in some street in an unfair world. Together we satted and waited for the train.
      I caught myself staring and look away just at the moment he would turn to look at me. I don't think that he ever noticed it though. He must have been waiting for someone. I couldn't help but smile however, because we both looked so much like to characters out of completely different books. Like they had opened on the page where the author crosses two of his favorite novels.
      Finally he spoke to me," I...your not, umm normal are you?" He must have regreted saying it almost immediately since I could already feel my face turning red. " I'm sorry, I just, your kinda old to be sitting that way and to young to be out alone." He said hiding his head behind a hand like he was embarressed more than I was. " I'm 16." I said and unlocked my long legs from they're akward postions.
" Oh, I can see that now, I'm sorry." I nodded. He looked towards the trainyard. Than at the clock, and back at me. "Getting on or waiting?" " I'm getting on."  He nodded. " Alone?"
      I sighed and looked away. He was staring at me with uncertain eyes. " I'm running away." To my suprise he didn't try to stop me or convince me with words. " I did that once." He looked at the train, " Best train ride of my life." I looked at him and his paint splashed jeans. His shoes where worn and splattered as well. " And? "  He smiled," I never came back."  I felt my frown lines pop, " Home?"  He shook his head , " Naw, I came back home." He looked at me solemly. " But a piece of myself never got of that train."