Dawn Carpenter

*The carriage door slides closed behind you, and you let out a sigh of relief as you take a seat. Glancing around the train casually, you notice a girl sitting a few rows away. She's gazing out the window, a notebook resting against her leg. The muffled, but unmistakable sound of Shake It Off by Florence & The Machine filters out of her large headphones as she nods her head happily to the beat. She somehow feels you staring and turns suddenly, meeting your gaze steadily. You smile weakly, embarrassed at being caught. She smiles warmly before she picks up her notebook and starts writing furiously, seemingly forgetting about you instantly. You find your gaze drifting over to her more often than you'd like to admit as she writes, oblivious to the world around her. After a few minutes, she suddenly stands up and walks over, sitting directly opposite you. She hands you the notebook, smiling at you brightly. You look down at the book and see a short poem scrawled on the page in neat cursive.*