The Bench on the Lake

     Jackson sat on the bench that overlooked the lake. It was the afternoon and the ducks quacked loudly as they dove in and out of the water. He looked at his phone, checking the time for the fourth time since arriving only seconds ago. He wondered what his date would look like. He knew she had changed from photos, but they were never detailed enough
   
     Elaine was in the car. It took a lot to convince her parents to let her even meet a boy, let alone - alone. The car pulled up beside the lake, and she got out of the car. She closed the door quietly and walked towards the figure on the bench.

     Jackson looked at the time on his phone again. Had she forgotten? Maybe something came up. He decided to call her, but then he heard a voice.

     "I used to come here after school my freshman year. I'd tell my step-mom I was going to the library or something, then just come here for an hour or so. I'd do homework, or watch the ducks, or count the people. It was peaceful. It's like, you could be anyone and as soon as you sat on this bench, you could be the queen of England, but you'd just become a part of the scenery. A part of the peace."

     Jackson smiled. "That was beautiful."
     "I figured it was a better start to this conversation than, 'Hey' and 'Hey' then an awkward silence."
     He laughed, then they got up and walked around the lake.