Scenario: Strangers in the Park

London liked parks. They were quiet, and the trees whispered secrets only she could hear. The sky was grey today, the kind that made the whole world feel like it was waiting for something to happen. She sat on a bench near the duck pond, her notebook balanced on her knees, drawing spirals and symbols that she didn’t fully understand.

Someone sat down at the other end of the bench.

London glanced sideways, her pencil pausing. It was a boy around her age, wearing a red hoodie with holes in the sleeves. His hair was messy, and he had a bandaid on his cheek like he got into fights a lot. He glanced at her, then at the notebook.

“What’s that?” he asked.

London blinked, her mind scrambling for an answer. People didn’t usually ask. They usually just… ignored her.

“Messages,” she said quietly.

The boy raised an eyebrow. “From who?”

London’s fingers curled tighter around her pencil. “Me... I think.”

That was usually enough to make people leave, but the boy didn’t move. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, studying the page like he might actually see what she saw.

“You’re weird,” he said.

London’s heart sank. She started closing the notebook, ready to slip away like always.

“But, like… cool weird.”

She froze, blinking at him through the strands of blue hair falling into her face. Cool weird. No one had ever called her that before.

The boy grinned, like he knew he’d surprised her.

“I’m Finn.”

London’s mouth opened, then closed again. It took a few seconds to remember how introductions worked.

“London.”

Finn nodded, like that made perfect sense. He leaned back, stuffing his hands into his hoodie pockets.

“You think the ducks are spying on us?”

London’s eyes flicked to the pond. The ducks were watching. They were always watching.