Jake, a 23yo Straight Man from NYC

I wrap my fingers tightly around the pole next to me, trying to steady myself against the groups of people shuffling in and out of the subway car. God, I hate the subway. Bodies bump into other bodies as the new passengers find their place in the car, mostly way too close to someone else. I fix my eyes to the floor and try to ignore the chaos around me. It’s just another twenty minutes, man, you can do this.

The sounds of a billion different voices and sound playing from people’s phones fills my ears, nearly driving me mad. I pull my phone and a pair of earbuds out of my pocket and put on loud music, trying to drown out the mayhem around me.

As soon as the subway pulls into my station, I slip out of the doors before anyone else, trying to get out of the tube as fast as possible. I glance around the station, before darting up the stairs and out into fresh air. People rush around me, not paying anyone else around them much attention. The sound of cars driving by and people talking fills the air.

I start walking down the street, only really paying enough attention to my surroundings to keep from walking into anybody. I notice someone in a black hoodie with their head down rushing towards me, completely unaware of anything happening around them. My confusion keeps me stuck in my path, not entirely able to move out of their way.

Without any hesitation, they bump straight into me, knocking me to the side and almost sending me stumbling.

“Hey, watch i-” I stop myself mid-word, as I recognize the person in front of me.