Love Bites is a collection of short stories written by Wattpadders who love their romance as much as we do. With Love Bites we hope to celebrate the diversity of the category with stories of different subgenres, length and style. Whether you like Hi...
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She leaned against the display map on the platform across from mine, as she always did, with earbuds in her ears, wearing the brightest orange jacket I'd ever seen. Her black curls were twisted into some messy knot thing on top of her head, and she stared out before her, oblivious to the world. Oblivious to me, but not if I could help it.
An article I read once said that if you stared into a stranger's eyes for four minutes you'd fall in love. I moved into her line of sight for the next time she looked up. Maybe when she did, she'd see and fall in love with me. Wishful thinking, but worth a try. It's not like I hadn't tried everything else already. Last week, I wore this ridiculous yellow scarf, hoping the color would jump out at her here in the middle of gray platforms and black coats. Today I wore a bright red one and stood right across from her. There was no way she could miss me.
A screech cut through the murmurs in the station, and spliced my ear drum. She jumped, eyes darting down the platform and away from me.
Damn. Tyler was gonna pay.
I walked down the platform to where my little brother and his friends set up their instruments, an open and empty guitar case before them with the sign
Donations welcome! I'd donate an ass-kicking for what he just did.
He looked up through his mess of shaggy curls and saw me coming. For a minute, I felt sorry for him. At 13, he'd already been bitten by the music bug. Probably my fault. I'd been playing since he was little. It was all he'd ever seen me do. When I stopped, he started, like some music torch he had to carry for the family. It was my old Gibson he attempted to play.
The A train rattled by, blocking the platform across from me, and I didn't feel sorry for him anymore. She was gone.
A squeal shrieked through the amp again. "Tyler, what the hell."
His punk friends snickered behind him.
"Not like the rest of you are any better." I turned down the amp. "What are you doing down here anyway? Mom will skin you if she finds out. Why don't you practice in the garage like most kids do?"
I'd asked the question, but I knew why. He wanted to share his music with anyone who would listen, the same way I did when I was his age. Sadly, it was the New York City subway and there were acts everywhere. It'd take a lot to stand out, but he had balls, I'll give him that. More than I did, that's for sure.
"Because Rose needs a new bass and her parents won't pay for it. Unless you want to... or maybe you can play with us? Help us raise the money."
I considered the guitar or a minute. It'd been a long time, and it'd be a lie to say I didn't miss it...
My train groaned on the tracks and pulled into the station, dragging me back to reality. "Nice try. I gotta go."
I ruffled his hair and boarded the train, leaving him to his broken music and echoes of my broken dreams.
