hxralds:_\

_“Right.”

_{[ She smiles and nods, looking past the stranger for a moment before looking down at her shoe. How foolish I must look, she thinks, shifting her weight, feeling the gum stretch and squish. She sighs and looks back at the stranger. ]}

_{“Thank you. For telling me, and all. I’m not sure I honestly would have noticed.”}

_{[ Her eyes have since roamed elsewhere, landing on a particular place to lean on. She looks back at the stranger for a moment and thinks of how to ask. ]}

_{“Do you mind sparing a nickel for a good cause?”}

     _{“Well, technically … I pointed it out for my benefit. But sure, yeah, I’m a fairly hospitable person.”}

  _{[ He laughs a little, sheepish, before extending his hand out to her. ]}

     _{“’M Christopher.”}

  _{[ He nods quickly and soundlessly, pulling out from his wallet –}

       _{–– a twenty dollar bill. He hands it to her. ]}

     _{“This isn’t for a meth lab or anything, right?”}