A Walk Down Memory Boulevard

         The bus drops me off at the bus stop, the clouds encircling around as though the sky could burst open with water at any moment. I give a look of great satisfaction to the heavens above and continue to walk, from the bus to the bridge that crosses the highway, listening to my CD player all the while. It's been a long day of work, but a good one nonetheless. I helped to get a few things sold from the store...that's the most important part about retail, isn't it?
I take my time walking across the bus stop parking lot. I feel like taking in the music and letting my feet wander slowly. There's really no rush to going home anyway.
         As I cross the street to the sidewalk, I see someone that looks oddly familiar, waiting at the light to continue walking. I stare for an instant, trying to recognize the face and put a name to her right as she glances up and begins to stare at me as well. Finally, without any real words, she begins to cross the street over to me, a look of astonishment resting on her face.
         And that's when I realize who she is.
         "Hey!" She calls out to me as she begins to trot across the crosswalk. "You really shouldn't be walking alone you know."
         "You as well," I offer back. She gives me a slight smile, then begins to slow her pace to match mine.
         "So how have you been?" She begins slowly, watching her feet on the ground. I look at her and laugh.
         "Haven't you gotten yourself out of that habit yet?" I ponder, her face reddening with slightened embarrassment. "Don't worry," I soothe. "It's only a matter of time before you'll start looking up at the world instead of down at your feet."
         "I guess so," She mumbles with a grin.
         "How was work today?" I change the subject, her smile broadening. "Oh, it was great! I was on the counter all day by myself, but Joe..."She blushes and backs away from her answer. I know exactly how she feels, and give her a smile to let her know. "He's so sweet, you know?" She tells me honestly. "He never puts me down, he never tells me I'm doing a bad job. He makes me feel really special. I don't know if I could ever find that in my life."
         "Oh, you will someday. And when you do, you'll look back and remember how you felt, and how much more special this feels." I tell her. We stop to wait for the walk sign to appear, she leans down to tie the lace of her shoe. "You really think so?" She questions me from underneath her hair as she's leaned over.
         "I know so," I state. We begin to walk once more when the sign flashes. "So other than your job..." I trail off, letting her know that I want to continue talking with her about her life.
         "Oh, everything's great! I'm in the apartments over there...I've got my learner's permit, and Becky's letting me drive her car around sometimes...it's kind of fun, but I don't know if I'm ever going to drive," She sighs exasperatedly. "I'm trying to save up for school too," she reminds herself more than me.
         "You'll get there," I assure. She looks up at me with her big brown eyes and stops for a moment, gazing intently at me, as though to see if my assurance is really the truth.
         "You sure know a lot," She finally accepts my answer, and continues to walk.
         "I only know what I know from experience," I explain. "If I hadn't have been through what I've been through, I wouldn't believe it either. There's still so much for you to learn...so many times that you'll be in love. Your life will change as you know it," I guarantee her.
         "I sure hope so, I'm getting really sick of this limbo crap. I just want to be in school, and become a journalist, and get on with my life. Love can come later," She tells me, walking to the side of the curb. I let out a sigh, looking to the clouds. "Everything okay with you?" She catches the look on my face as we continue up the road.
         "Oh yeah, it's just...sometimes I get sick of being a grown up. I would give anything to go back to school and just be free again," I say solemnly. She shakes her head with a laugh.
         "My senior year was fun, but not that fun," she jokes.
         "When the time comes, you'll miss it." I tell her pointedly. She just grins and laughs again.
         "I'm going to keep in touch with all my friends. It'll be like high school revisited. We're all going to be able to hang out and go to movies and stuff, we're gonna be like that forever," She tells me with a far off smile on her face.
         "If only she knew..." my mind thought.
         "Well, it's been fun talking," She tells me as we make it up to the street that her apartment complex rests on.
         "That it has," I agree. She gives me another smile and we stand there for a moment, thinking of what else to say.
         "Are you sure that everything's going to be okay?" She asks me again, a slight look of worry on her face.
         "Believe me, things work out to great. It may not be exactly what you have in mind, but in the end, you'll know the reason why," I say as she shifts her weight around on her feet.
         "You look different," she blurts out. I give a laugh.
         "Ahh, I wish I still looked like you," I tell her with a chuckle. She joins in, and then sighs once more, looking towards the sky.
         "You will," She predicts.
         "Here's your stop," I give an overexaggerated bow, her laugh running free.
         "Thanks for walking with me,"She begins to head onto a different path of sidewalk.
         "Anytime!" I call back, now walking past her.
         "Catch up with you again sometime?" She offers. I give a grin and a nod.
         "Of course you will. I'll always be a part of you." I tell her solemnly.
         The last traces of my eighteen year old self walk across the lawn to the home that she shares with a friend, as I continue up the road to my new home...just two streets up.