“Hey! Beautiful”
I heard the voice coming from somewhere behind me. Two thoughts crossed my mind – they’re calling to someone else or its someone I know, and they're trying to get me to look so they can tease me.
[[Look to see who they're calling->look]]
[[Don't look, just keep walking->keep walking]]About forty feet behind me was a boy my age. He was a couple of inches taller than me and wearing a teeshirt who’s sleeves strained against his biceps. His hair was black. His face was shaven except for a little mustache that crawled along his upper lip. A few hairs poked up from his shirt’s collar.
[[Wait for him]]
[[Turn and run]]I decided the best thing to do was to ignore them, look straight ahead, and walking like I hadn’t heard a word.
Then I heard someone running up behind me. My heart started racing, and I’m sure every muscle in my body tensed. My mind was racing, asking the question, “If I run, can I outrun them?”
[[Keep walking->waling 2]]
[[Run]]I started to second guess myself, “It doesn’t matter, I should run anyway,” when the running stopped and was replaced by a silence that seemed unreal.
Suddenly the silence was replaced by the sound of a falling trashcan and the oomph of someone hitting the ground.
“¡Oye! Hermosa”
This time the voice was much softer and tinged with pain. Two things were certain – the person was talking to me, and It wasn’t someone I knew, because none of my friends speak Spanish.
[[Look back->look trashcan]]
[[Keep walking->don't look at trashcan]]I was about to answer the question, “It doesn’t matter, run anyway,” when the running stopped and was replaced by a silence that seemed unreal.
Suddenly the silence was replaced by the sound of a falling trashcan and the oomph of someone hitting the ground.
“¡Oye! Hermosa”
This time the voice was much softer and tinged with pain. Two things were clear – the person was talking to me, and It wasn’t someone I knew, because none of them speak Spanish.
[[Look back->look trashcan]]
[[Keep walking->don't look at trashcan]]I glanced over my shoulder, not knowing what to expect. What I saw wasn't any of the things I imagined. I boy my age was lying on the ground with three trashcans beside him. Bottles and cans and paper covered the ground.
[[Turn around and start walking again->look away]]
[[Go help]]I forced myself to keep walking – to keep my eyes forward.
I heard the person stand up. I listened to the grunt and pain. I expected them to start following me again, and I was ready to run.
But they didn’t. Instead, I heard then picking up the trashcan, throwing bottles and cans back into it.
This made me want to stop and look at who would worry about a trashcan.
[[Stop and look ->trashcan 2]]
[[Keep walking->keep walking 2]]He was my age – a couple of inches taller than me and wearing a teeshirt who’s sleeves strained against his biceps. His hair was black. His face was shaven except for a little mustache that crawled along his upper lip. A few hairs poked up from his shirt’s collar.
He was pciking up the trash and throwing it back into the trashcans.
[[Go help->Go help 2]]
[[Turn away]]I almost looked. I paused for a second and took a deep breath, but before I could turn, I heard them walking behind me again.
I started walking a little faster than before. I looked ahead – searching for a place I could go where there were other people – where I would be safe.
Ahead I saw a small cafe.
[[Walk towards cafe->cafe]]
[[Just keep walking]]I turned slightly and headed towards it – increasing my pace.
As I reached the door, I heard the voice again, “Ei! Bela.”
I froze – door half open. This stranger, who was following me, spoke English, Spanish, and Portuguese?
I can’t deny that I was curious. This man, because from his voice I was now sure it was a man, had called me beautiful three times in three different languages.
[[Turn around]]
[[Disapear into cafe->in cafe]]I increased my pace, trying to hold my body straight to show the courage I wasn’t feeling.
Then I heard the voice again, “Ei! Bela.”
I froze. This stranger, who was following me, spoke English, Spanish, and Portuguese?
I can’t deny that I was curious. This man had called me beautiful three times in three different languages.
[[Turn around->Turn around 2]]
[[Run to cafe->in cafe]]I turned my head slowly, feeling my long hair resisting me and my cheeks heating up. I smiled a little – from the safety I now felt and the small boost in my self-worth.
I don’t know what I expected – a boy, an old man, maybe a blind man who couldn’t see me or the trash can.
My little smile turned into a big one, and my flush was full.
He was my age – a couple of inches taller than me and wearing a teeshirt who’s sleeves strained against his biceps. His hair was black. His face was shaven except for a little mustache that crawled along his upper lip. A few hairs poked up from his shirt’s collar.
That’s when I noticed I was staring. Not glancing at, not looking at, no, full-on staring.
[[Turn away]]
[[Look down]]I slipped through the door and into the crowd. Once I was safely inside, I turned to see who was following me.
He was my age – a couple of inches taller than me and wearing a teeshirt who’s sleeves strained against his biceps. His hair was black. His face was shaven except for a little mustache that crawled along his upper lip. A few hairs poked up from his shirt’s collar.
That’s when his eyes met mine. That’s when I noticed I was staring. Not glancing at, not looking at, no, full-on staring.
I looked down and watched his feet through the crowd as he walked towards me.
“You dropped your phone.”
The instant he said it, I could feel it missing from my pocket.
He handed it to me.
“Thank you,” I said.
He turned, walked across the cafe and out the door.
[[Let him walk away]]
[[Stop him->stop him 2]]I felt him stop behind me.
“Do you speak English?” he asked. “You dropped your phone.”
The instant he said it, I could feel it missing from my pocket. I turned about and faced his. He was still smiling.
He handed it to me.
I said, “Thank you.”
He turned and walked away.
[[Let him walk away]]
[[Stop him]]“You dropped your phone.”
The instant he said it, I could feel it missing from my pocket.
He handed it to me.
“Thank you,” I said.
He turned and walked away.
[[Let him walk away->Let him walk away 3]]
[[Stop him]]My heart fought with my head as he walked away.
There was some guy I didn’t even know, who saw me drop my phone and chased me down to return it - who ran into trashcans for me - and all I could say was thank you.
But, I didn’t know anything about him.
[[Go after him]]
[[Let him walk away]]“No,” I yelled.
He stopped.
I ran up beside him. “Let me buy you a drink.”
He turned to me and smiled.
“Why did you call me beautiful?”
His smile grew. “Because you are. Didn’t you know that?”
[[Credits]]I ran after him. “No,” I yelled.
He stopped as I approached him.
“Don’t go.” I yelled.
He turned a looked at me as I ran to him.
“Let me buy you a coffee.”
He smiled and nodded his head.
I asked, “Why did you call me beautiful?”
His smile grew. “Because you are. Didn’t you know that?”
[[Credits]]I watched him walk away. I wondered why he had called me beautiful - three times. Was it possible that he thought I was? Was it possible that I was beautiful?
I’ve thought about that hansom stranger many times over the years, about how he did something for a stranger, how he called me beautiful. It changed me.
Now I’m the one who goes out of their way to help other people - two be kind to others. And I’ve learned that I am beautiful, on the inside as well as the outside - and I’m not quite as embarrassed when someone tells me I am.
[[Credits]]Thanks for reading, "Hey! Beautiful"
The original non-interactive story was posted on Instagram by Douglas Clarke (@altivecer) and was inspired by a drawing created by Sara Paz (@thiswhimsyme).
Created with Twine
Copyright 2019 A Good TaleI made my way outside and called out after him, “No."
He stopped.
I ran up beside him. “Let me buy you a drink.”
He turned to me and smiled.
“Why did you call me beautiful?”
His smile grew. “Because you are. Didn’t you know that?”
[[Credits]]I heard him stand up. I listened to the grunt of pain. I expected him to start following me again, and I was ready to run.
But they didn’t. Instead, I heard then picking up the trashcan, throwing bottles and cans back into it.
This made me want to stop and look at who would worry about a trashcan.
[[Stop and look ->trashcan 2]]
[[Keep walking->keep walking 2]]I offered him a hand, and he stood with a grunt.
He was my age – a couple of inches taller than me and wearing a teeshirt who’s sleeves strained against his biceps. His hair was black. His face was shaven except for a little mustache that crawled along his upper lip. A few hairs poked up from his shirt’s collar.
He started picking up cans and bottles and throwing them back into the trashcans. I started picking up trash, too.
As we worked, he said, “You dropped your phone.”
The instant he said it, I could feel it missing from my pocket.
He handed it to me.
I said, “Thank you.”
We finished picking up the trash, and he said, “Thanks for helping,” then he turned and walked away.
[[Go after him]]
[[Let him walk away]]I started picking up trash, too.
As we worked, he said, “You dropped your phone.”
The instant he said it, I could feel it missing from my pocket.
He handed it to me.
I said, “Thank you.”
We finished picking up the trash, and he said, “Thanks for helping,” then he turned and walked away.
[[Go after him]]
[[Let him walk away]]I was nervous as I waited for him to catch up to me, but he had a friendly smile on his face.
When he reached me, he said, “You dropped your phone.”
The instant he said it, I could feel it missing from my pocket. I turned around and faced him. He was still smiling.
He handed it to me.
I said, “Thank you.”
He turned and walked away.
[[Let him walk away->let him walk away 2]]
[[Stop him]]I started running. I heard him start running after me. My heart was racing - fear embraced me.
“¡Oye! Hermosa”
This time his voice was much softer, but I was certain that he was talking to me. What I didn’t know was why he was speaking in Spanish.
I kept running.
I heard him run into some trashcans. I expected to hear him get up and start chasing me again, but that’s not what I heard. Instead, I heard him throwing cans and bottles into the trashcans.
[[Look back->look trashcan 4]]
[[Keep runing]]My heart fought with my head as he walked away.
There was some guy I didn’t even know, who saw me drop my phone and chased me down to return it, and all I could say was thank you.
But, I didn’t know anything about him.
[[Go after him]]
[[Let him walk away]]I glanced over my shoulder. He was putting the trash back into the cans. I wondered what kind of guy would do that.
My fear had turned into curiosity, but my mind still urged caution.
[[Go help pick up the trash->Go help 2]]
[[Keep runing]]I ran down the street until I saw a cafe, I knew. I figured I’d be safe there. I stopped when I reached its door, panting, and tried to catch my breath.
As I opened the door to go in, I heard the voice again, “Ei! Bela.”
I froze – door half open. This stranger, who was following me, spoke English, Spanish, and Portuguese?
I can’t deny that I was curious. This man had called me beautiful three times in three different languages.
[[Turn around-> Turn around 2]]
[[Go into cafe]]I turned my head slowly, feeling my long hair resisting me and my cheeks heating up. I smiled a little – from the safety I now felt and the small boost in my self-worth having been called beautiful three times.
That’s when I noticed I was staring. Not glancing at, not looking at, no, full-on staring.
[[Turn away]]
[[Look down]]I slipped through the door and into the crowd. Once I was safely inside, I turned to see who was following me.
That’s when his eyes met mine. That’s when I noticed I was staring. Not glancing at, not looking at, no, full-on staring.
I looked down and watched his feet through the crowd as he walked towards me.
“You dropped your phone.”
The instant he said it, I could feel it missing from my pocket.
He handed it to me.
“Thank you,” I said.
He turned, walked across the cafe and out the door.
[[Let him walk away]]
[[Stop him->stop him 2]]I turned my head slowly, feeling my long hair resisting me and my cheeks heating up. I smiled a little – from the safety I now felt and the small boost in my self-worth.
My little smile turned into a big one, and my flush was full as I looked at him.
He was my age – a couple of inches taller than me and wearing a teeshirt who’s sleeves strained against his biceps. His hair was black. His face was shaven except for a little mustache that crawled along his upper lip. A few hairs poked up from his shirt’s collar.
That’s when I noticed I was staring. Not glancing at, not looking at, no, full-on staring.
[[Turn away]]
[[Look down]]