She noticed the Spanish workbook sticking out of my backpack.

“You’re studying?”

I looked up.

Dark hair. Brown eyes.

“Tratando de… It’s getting easier.”

She laughed.

“Mine too. English. Some days easier. Some days… not so much.”

The bus lurched around a corner. She caught the seat in front of her with one hand before smiling and holding out the other.

“Mira.”

“Caleb.”

At the next stop, she picked up her bag and slid into the empty seat beside me.

“You… beach?”

She pointed out the bus window. Blue breaking through the shadowy green.

I nodded.

“Manuel Antonio. Last weekend… Semana pasado.”

She smiled.

“Ah! Monkey?”

I laughed.

“Yeah. Muchos monos. How about you? Did you go anyway?”

The driver leaned on the horn.

Mira waited for the noise to pass.

“Go?”

She pointed north.

“One day… United States.”

“Vacation?”

She shook her head.

“Flight attendant.”

She searched for one last phrase. Then smiled.

“The Land of the Free.”

More students stepped off.

Through the window I recognized the shops around the university.

Somehow we’d spent the whole ride talking.

Mira swung her backpack over one shoulder.

“Next weekend?”

“Sure.”

She thought for a moment.

“Burger King?”

I laughed.

“Yeah, Burger King.”

~

The day of our date came. I arrived early claiming a seat on the concrete steps out front.

Mira came a moment after and sat next to me.

I smiled.

She frowned.

“¿Quién es?”

“Soy Caleb.”

Nothing.

I smiled again.

“Mira?”

A bus came and went.

She looked back toward the street.

Neither of us moved.

I opened my mouth, but didn’t try again.

We sat together for nearly half an hour.

a foot apart.

Silent.

Waiting.

I glanced at her.

She glanced at me.

I looked away.

At last, she stood, adjusted her backpack, and walked down the sidewalk.