Itching

A Story by Judah

When Lucas first saw her, he felt the itch.

It started the moment Lucas first saw her in the hallway of their apartment building. She was running through the hall, soaked from the rain, and he was just exiting his apartment with an umbrella in hand. She shook her head, her tight curls an endless wave, as she patted her jacket for her apartment key, and then he felt it.

The itch.

The itch to know her name.

It was a simple task, for all he had to do was introduce himself, but before he could speak, she was already in her apartment. He stood there for a minute, unsure of what to do. At this moment, he had forgotten why he had even left his apartment, as his every thought was centered on her. The scent of her flowery perfume filled the hallway and tugged a smile on his face. From then on, he found himself lingering in his apartment hall, the itching to know her a non-stop symphony in his head.

Yet, every time he saw her, the words never came out.

“She seems nice,” he tells his friend, Brian.

His words sound a bit hoarse from disuse, but he tried to call Brian weekly to keep himself talking. Brian and him have been friends since childhood, and he was the only person who could manage to get words out of Lucas besides his own family.

His friend was half-asleep, lying on his couch with his phone on his face so all he saw was his friend’s cheek,

“Just write down what you want to say and give it to her," Brian responds, and then the sound of his friend's snores follows.

After the call, he took his friend’s advice, determined to finally scratch the itch plaguing him and learn her name. He lingers in the hall almost all day, and then he sees her.

But she’s not alone. Her arms are curled around a man’s neck, and she moves to kiss him.

He runs into his apartment, locking the door, and the itch is gone.