You step on to the tram station platform as the screeching sound of metal scraping metal fills your ears and echoes down the tunnel, no final destination in mind. With your wallet stuffed with a fair amount of cash and your cigarette stock nearly full, you've got no worries. As the air finally catches up with the tram, it whips your buzzed-on-one-side, bleached hair around your face, forcing you to pull it away from your eyes ringed with black eyeliner and dark green eyeshadow.
A tattered dessert camo backpack is slung over your left shoulder, with a single, half-filled notebook and the latest guitar magazine within, and you've got your favorite black beanie stuffed in your back pocket, along with your slightly crushed Marlbro Reds. You've only got one earbud in, but the music is loud and your favorite band is playing through the tiny speakers.
In the other is your old leather wallet, purchased years ago back when you still obsessed with video games that your older brothers played. Two chains connected it to the front belt loop of your tight black skinny jeans, and some keys, a bottle opener, a small knife, and a few old bracelets dangled from the wallet clip.
As you wait for the tram to slow to a halt, you can feel the sideways glances and full-on stares of the other platform walkers, but those are of little consequence; you've long been accustomed to strange looks, especially since you got snake-bites and more than a few tattoos. Your freshly-pierced nose smarts where the ring entered your left nostril, and you scrunch up your nose at the unfamiliar object.
Finally, the tram grinds to a stop, and you gesture for a smartly-dressed businessman to climb aboard ahead of you, as he seems antsy to find a seat. Climbing on behind him, and carefully minding his swinging suitcase, you spot a seat beside a sad looking middle-aged man, dressed in a simple polo and long denim jeans.
Plopping yourself beside him, you flash him a bright smile before tucking your back beneath your seat and wrapping a strap around your foot. The man makes no response.
The tram lurches forward after a few moments, and not long after, you're on your way to anywhere and everywhere. You sit back comfortably, laying your head against the curved window. At first, you pay no heed to the sad man to your left, but after passing two more platforms, you decide that you'll attempt to brighten his day. Sitting up slightly, you lean to the right to gain access to your back left pocket, where you withdraw two beaten sharpies, one silver and the other red.
Taking the silver one between your lips, you uncap the red and turn over your left hand, quickly drawing two parallel lines vertically and crossing them with two horizontal lines. Capping the red one, you drop the silver in to your hand and hold it towards the man as you tuck the other safely back in your pocket.
"Wanna play a game of tick-tack-toe?"
ns13.58.64.128da2
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