Nights felt quieter somehow, and thats what drew me to them mostly.
I mean, not for the peace or anything, since peace sounds like actual rest, and rest wasnt something I got much of. It was more that nights didnt demand anything from me. No one expecting me to chat or act normal. I could just fade into the background, like the hum of the city that nobody pays attention to anymore.
Daytime was different, all autopilot for me. Id show up to classes if I remembered the schedule that day. Answer if someone straight up asked me something. Nod when it seemed right. People would say my name, and Id respond because, well, thats what youre supposed to do. But none of it landed as real. It was like I was trailing behind my own body, off by a beat or two.
At night though, breathing came easier without eyes on me.
Id usually slip out after midnight, once the building quieted down to that low rumble, pipes clanging a bit, traffic far off, some TV seeping through the walls from down the hall. Didnt head anywhere special. Just walked those narrow streets by my place, the ones that seem overlooked even by the city itself. Streetlights there flicker like theyre worn out from the job.
That tiredness made sense to me, I think. It matched up with how I felt.
There was this convenience store a few blocks over, the kind thats open all night because, apparently, folks need noodles or smokes at odd hours. I was one of them, except no cigarettes for me. Noodles werent even my thing really. But the stores lights were harsh and bright, spilling out onto the sidewalk like it was okay to just stand there without saying a word.
The door made that chime when I went in.
Clerk was the usual guy, never really looked at me enough to remember my face, which suited me fine. Grabbed a cold water from the fridge, it bit at my fingers, and lined up even with no one else around.
Thats when she caught my eye.
She was by the drink coolers, staring at the options like shed blanked on why she was there. Dark hair hanging loose over her face. Oversized hoodie, sleeves covering her hands, the sort you can disappear into. Didnt seem lost exactly, more like checked out, off in her own head somewhere.
At first, I didnt dwell on it. This place saw all types drifting through after dark, insomniacs or night shift people, or whoever avoiding going home for whatever reason. I was just passing through myself, another nobody.
But as I paid and headed out, it hit me that Id seen her type before.
Not a full clear memory, just bits. That hoodie again, the way she stood still by the drinks. Same late hour on other nights. Hadnt said anything to her those times either. Weird that my mind held onto that scrap.
Outside, air hung cool and damp from earlier rain. Street smelled of wet pavement and a hint of metal, maybe from the gutters. I drank some water even though thirst wasnt the issue, leaned on the wall next to the store.
Phone stayed in my pocket. Nothing worth checking anyway.
Time dragged or maybe snapped by quick, hard to tell at night when it stretches out unreliable like that.
Door chimed once more. She came out with a carton of chocolate milk, small one. Paused seeing me there, just a second to note it, then stood a bit away. Not too close, not distant. Like she picked the space on purpose.
Our eyes didnt meet.
Cars rolled by now and then, headlights sweeping over before vanishing down the road. A dog barked somewhere close, once, then quit like it changed its mind.
I wondered if she was waiting on somebody, or maybe hoping they wouldnt turn up. It seems like that could go either way.
Finished the water, crushed the bottle, plastic crackled sharp in the stillness. She jumped a little, then eased when she got what it was. Sipped her milk slow, careful not to spill I guess.
"I like nights too," she said out of nowhere.
Voice came even, not soft or bold, just straight. Like the words escaped without her meaning them to.
I turned, couldnt hide the surprise. She stared straight ahead at the empty street, not glancing over.
"Why?" slipped out from me before I thought better.
She paused, shoulders shifting up then down a bit.
"They dont ask questions," she said.
That hit somewhere inside, deeper than I expected, in a spot I usually kept closed off.
"Yeah," I got out. "That."
Quiet came back, but it felt okay this time. Shared almost, like we both caught the same low hum others missed.
She looked over quick after a bit, curious but not prying.
"You come here a lot," she noted.
Not judging, just saying.
"So do you," I said back.
Faint smile from her, not the posed kind, barely there really.
"Fair," she replied.
Pause again.
"Im going this way," she said, nodding down the street. "If youre not."
Hesitated on my end. Not the direction, since I wandered anyway, but this felt new. Even a small offer like that carried weight.
"I dont head anywhere specific," I admitted.
She nodded, like it fit right in.
"Then same here," she said, and started off.
I went after.
Talk stayed light after. Weather comment. How the city shifts look at night. Nothing big. Or maybe everything was in it. Steps fell in sync easy, like wed done this before, even if it was just minutes.
She slowed under a buzzing streetlight once, stopped.
"Glad you were around tonight," she said soft.
Looked at her proper then, and it struck me uneasy.
Me too.
For once in ages, that idea scared me a bit.
Caring, even small, seemed like starting something I wasnt sure about handling. It kind of trailed off in my head there, not fully settled.