It’s hot. The whole planet is heating up. A lot. I find myself walking toward the Downtown Eastside to go to a building there. I’m nowhere near that area yet and trouble finds me, it always finds me.

He has no shirt on, long dreads, tattoos that are somehow visible on his dark skin, and he looks angry. I hear him first calling some lady passing by a silly bitch. She walks on like he’s not even there.

He looks at me. “Nice chain, bro.” He says.

I remove an earbud even though I heard him. “Pardon me?” I ask.

“I said nice chain.”

“Thanks” I say. He’s talking about my lanyard.

“It would look good on me.” He starts walking toward me aggressively, arm outstretched in that gimme gesture.

I realize he doesn’t understand the situation completely.

“That’s close enough.” I say, I raise my arm slightly to let him know he can stop walking this way.

“I just want to see it.” He says, fake grin and all.

“You can see it from there.”

“I said it would look good on me. Understand?”

“I can tell you where to buy one.” I offer cordially.

“How much?”

“$45”

“Why pay $45 when I can have yours for free?”

“Because you can’t.”

“I can’t?”

“That’s right.”

“Shit. Who made that?”

“My mom.”

“Ohhhh, shit man, ok you can keep it.” He says, proud of himself, like he’s doing me and society and the whole world and all of humanity some favour.

“I plan on it.” I smile.

We stare at each other for what seems like an eternity.

“You can go.” He says.

“I know.” I say.

“So go.” He says impatiently.

“No.” There aren’t any smiles from anyone anymore.

“Pffft. Fuck.” He says as he walks off.

I let him get a block away before I turn to keep going.

I must smell nice to guys like this. I pass the Jeep that has some lady sitting in it eating her lunch and enjoying the show. I smile politely and carry on.