About a boy

A chapter from a book I wrote that serves as a short story. In the book it explains the backstory of one of the characters.

Let me tell you a tale I think it’s time for you to know. This tale is about a girl, nothing special about her. She believed she was different and unique, but soon learned that everybody thinks they’re different and unique. She drifted through life without much tragedy or heartache, that is until the day her father died. Her dad was a kind man who she will always remember fondly. Smiles given often, hugs given frequently, love given freely. He was not a man who acted in kind to receive kindness, he was a man who would genuinely smile in the face of the nastiest sneer. He had a wife who loved him, and a daughter who would tell her children what a great man their grandfather was. He left behind a million good memories and very few regrets. In light of this, it’s hard to say his death was a tragedy, but that didn’t stop it from devastating a fifteen-year-old girl who wasn’t prepared for a life without him.

In high school she met a boy and instantly fell for him. He made her laugh when nobody else could, he made every mundane day an adventure. She never said anything, but she was sure he knew how she felt. He showed he felt the same, so she let it go. The girl loved him for what he was, a free spirit. When there are two paths to go by, he would always choose the one riddled with undergrowth. If she stopped loving him for not loving her back, then she never loved him for who he was in the first place, only who she thought he could be. Her love never went away, but instead renewed as love for a friend, and she didn’t regret it for a second. He was the greatest friend a girl could ever hope for. He always knew what to be. He knew when to be a goofball needed for a laugh, and he knew when to be silent, a shoulder to cry on. She used this shoulder quite a few times. Things changed subtly when his parents passed in one awful day. He changed in ways only she could see. His smile still shined, his eyes were still bright, but the source of the light changed. It was more artificial now.

She still loved him as much as she could, but this love would be betrayed. When she needed him most, he disappeared. After she graduated high school, when she was lost as to where she would fit into the world, at her most vulnerable, her anchor dislodged and floated away. She could never tell anybody, but it was the exact same feeling as when she lost her father. She felt detached from the world, as if everything was drifting around her and she couldn’t hold on to any of it. How could she, when the most certain thing in her life turned out to be an empty promise? The world crashed down around the girl, and she crashed down with it. She had never felt so alone. Nobody prepares you for the real world, nobody can. She walked out of the protective hands of adolescence and into the brick wall of adulthood on her own.

The next few years went by in a blur. She wandered the open spaces of university alone. She made acquaintances, which were mostly people she could use to find out where the next class was and what would be in the next test. She did well in her classes simply because there was nothing else to do other than study. After a million polite excuses she finally caved and accompanied some acquaintances to a local watering hole. Isn’t it strange how a decision on impulse could change your life? A couple of female entities dragged the girl out on a chilly Friday night to a rather charming pub. The music was just loud enough so that you couldn’t hear people crying on the inside. The other female entities immediately delved into discussing the most attractive of the male predators, hoping to be a victim. Of all the aforementioned male predators, only one caught the girl’s eye. This was because he had been looking at her since the moment she walked through the door, it is also because she found him absolutely beautiful but she would never admit that. He had a steady smile on his face, the inviting kind. To her surprise, he raised a hand and waved at her.

Rather odd, she thought, she’d never seen this male in her life, though he waved at her as if he knew her. Perhaps an old friend forgotten, she mused. Perhaps a quick encounter that burned into memory for him but not for her. This was doubtful, as this was not a male that would pass unmarked. His dark blue eyes alone demanded to be recalled at thoughts of the deep ocean. His deep-set eyes canopied by dark eyebrows contrasted with longish blonde hair. He seemed distinguished, yet boyish. Exciting yet calm. The man was a walking contradiction, and she could never resist a puzzle. The girl decided to throw the little caution she had to the wind and walked over to him. This was during a time of the girl’s life where she didn’t feel like she had much to gain or lose. She found it easy to approach new people, because she fully expected their apprehension, so it didn’t hurt when her expectations were confirmed.

‘Do I know you?’ The girl asked the male, whose smile grew all the while she was approaching.

‘I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure, no.’ The male responded in a deep harmonious voice that reminded her of her father’s soothing tone.

‘Then why did you wave at me?’ The girl asked without consideration for bedside manner.

‘Because you’re pretty and I thought I should.’ He responded without hesitation. She hesitated enough for the both of them though. The girl does not know how to respond to flattery.

‘Well, that’s very kind of you.’ She said while feigning as much sincerity as she could. The male could instantly see that she did not believe him one bit.

‘I also saw that you don’t quite belong here.’ He said after regarding her for a few seconds. She scoffed.

‘If I had a drink for every time I’ve heard that I’d be drunk enough to believe it.’ The male laughed in response.

‘I suppose that does sound a little cliché; I apologize. I by no means think that I know everything about you. You just seemed uncomfortable since the moment you walked through the door.’

‘I usually get uncomfortable when someone I don’t know stares at me from the other side of the room.’ She jabbed. He smiled his complacent smile.

‘Do I make you uncomfortable?’ He asked and she knew what the question was. He wasn’t genuinely asking or even the least bit insecure. It was a challenge, a challenge that she immediately caved under.

‘No, you don’t.’ She answered instantly and honestly. She almost continued, the ghost of the words forming on her lips before being silenced. She almost told him just how reassuring she finds him.

‘So, again I don’t want to be assuming too much about you here, but that does mean that you’re a little uncomfortable in this place. Am I wrong?’ He sidestepped her attempts at obfuscation and threaded the needle to pick out a tiny gemstone of truth that she was desperately trying to protect.

‘You’re not wrong.’ The girl almost mouthed off on him, berating him for trying to pin her down or stuff her in a pigeon-hole. However, the girl figured that is exactly what he wants. She instead opted for the short answer, trying to cut the conversation short. ‘I’ll be returning to my friends now.’ She stated pertly. At the bitter core of herself the girl knew why everything inside her was screaming to turn and run away. She expected apprehension in response to her bold behaviour, it had shown to be a safe bet. She wasn’t prepared for his cool demeanour dousing every fire she’s trying to start. The worst part was how he looked at her. The boy looked at the girl as if he was trying to look through a window, instead of right at it. He looked at her as if he was convinced that there was something more to see. This terrified the girl because, what if he was wrong? What if he gets to know her and finds that whatever he sought wasn’t really there? If he truly gets to know her, and ends up disappointed in the person he came to know, her worst fears would be realized. Her worst fear being that she really is impossible to love. She feared this so intensely that she kept everybody at a distance, trying to keep an air of mystery about her.

‘Might I just make one more prediction about you?’ He said as she started to walk away. She paused in her step and turned around to find the boy standing behind her. He got out of his chair. The girl didn’t immediately understand why this was such an important detail, but it was. It was the first crack in his obsidian presence. He jumped out of his chair when she started to walk away, and in doing so revealed just how eagerly he wanted her to stay.

‘One.’ She tried to say as icily as she could, but she was almost blushing. Sure, he complimented her before, but those were words. Words are cheap, cost absolutely nothing, doesn’t matter how beautiful they are. However, the boy, intentional or not, proved his resolve by an action, which the girl values infinitely more than any amount of words. It was such a small action, but in a land covered in darkness, even a spark can shine like the sun.

‘You think you’re quite clever.’ The boy replied after, for the first time she could see, paused to gather his thoughts.

‘Every idiot thinks she is.’ She replied, not impressed with his prediction.

‘Of course, but you’re not every idiot, that’s exactly why you won’t pass up my offer.’

‘If your offer is an amount of money then you have seriously misread me. Or I seriously need to stop wearing this top.’ She said and the boy laughed. It was a genuine laugh, he wasn’t trying to humour her. The more the girl stared at him the more her opinion of him shifted. He was quite tall, but didn’t loom over her. The boy was sturdy, yet gentle. His lingering smile was playful, his eyes friendly. The more she looked the less she saw of the rugged exterior, in a faded brown leather jacket and a rough stubble, and more of the gentle soul within, the steady regarding eyes and the joyful laugh. He wasn’t weak by any means; his convictions were granite. He was like a seven-story marshmallow, soft to the touch but impossible to push over.

‘No no, not at all. My offer is a chance to prove how clever you are. You do think you’re clever, but as you said, so does everyone. This is exactly why you can’t resist a chance to prove just how clever you are.’ The boy had her. Despite the girl’s best efforts, she was intrigued.

‘What is this offer then?’

‘A game.’ The girl raised an eyebrow.

‘I’m listening.’

‘We play a game. The loser buys the winner a drink.’ The girl lowered an eyebrow.

‘Ah, so this is your M.O.? You go out to bars and get unsuspecting girls to buy you drinks.’ The girl said, momentarily kicking herself for having the faintest of hopes.

‘I’m not going to lie to you. This would not be the first time I’ve played this game with someone, though that doesn’t matter does it? Even if I say that I’m only here to con you out of drinks, you’d still want to play. Because other girls have fallen for it, and you want to prove you’re smarter than them.’ The boy explained and the girl remained quiet for a few seconds, torn between not wanting to prove him right and her own cockiness.

‘Perhaps you have a point. However, a game of your own choosing, seems like you can easily stack the deck.’

‘That’s the best part. The game is so dreadfully simple, it’s hard to see how you could possibly lose.’ He said with a smile starting to beam, his self-confidence smashing through the cracks.

‘What’s the game then?’

‘Sit.’ The boy said and gestured to the seat next to her. The girl suddenly realized they were both standing next to barstools at a bar for no good reason. She reluctantly pulled out a stool and sat down, all the while keeping her gaze fixed on the boy. The boy did the same having no concerns for returning her burning glare.

‘The game is easy. I am going to ask you five questions-’ The girl instantly regretted sitting down.

‘Are you kidding me? You’re going to ask me any random five questions and I have to answer them-’

‘Incorrectly.’ The boy said and the girl raised an eyebrow once more.

‘I have to answer five questions…incorrectly?’

‘Precisely. One correct answer and you lose.’ The boy spelled it out. The girl paused for several seconds, trying and failing to see the catch. ‘For example, I ask you where we are, you say: Paris. I ask you what colour underwear I’m wearing, you answer: Pink. I wouldn’t bet on that answer though.’ The boy said and winked at her. The girl accidentally let out a smile. ‘Good, you understand the game. So, let’s start. You ready?’

‘Yes.’

‘You just lost.’ Time stopped around the girl as her eyes stretched wide.

‘Wha…what?’ The girl’s mouth hung open. She stared in disbelief at the boy who only smiled back smugly. Her mind was racing, trying to figure out some way in which she didn’t lose. She thought about explaining that she wasn’t ready, but that would be a paradox. ‘What a stupid f*****g game.’ The girl finally muttered. The boy’s smug smile did not disappear.

‘I think you’re only saying that because you lost.’ He said in a condescending tone that made the girls right hand ball up into a fist.

‘I want to play again.’ The girl decided and looked at the boy piercingly.

‘Of course we can.’

‘Good.’

‘After we finish our drinks.’ The boy added.

‘What?’

‘I’d love to play again, after the drinks you’re about to buy for us.’ The girl’s glare was fire but the boy was cool as ice. She got up angrily and snapped her fingers at the barman who was already paying attention to her. Low cut tops have practical advantages. She ordered two beers and stuffed cash in the barman’s hand without looking at the amount. She tapped on the counter impatiently as the beers were being fetched. She shunted a beer in the boy’s hands and he accepted gracefully. He took a small sip, as opposed to the girl who was pouring it down as fast as she could. She eyed him angrily.

‘Drink. Drink faster.’ She growled before taking another gulp. The boy laughed.

‘Easy now. I’m planning on enjoying this beer.’ The boy said before taking another sip. ‘So, you have a name?’

‘Yes, I do. Everybody does. That’s a really stupid question.’ She breathed out moments before the glass reached her lips again. The boy shrugged.

‘You from around here?’ He ventured.

‘No.’

‘What school did you go to?’

‘First primary, then high.’ The girl said and tilted the glass into her mouth. A few moments later she slammed the bottle down on the table. ‘Alright I’m done. Let’s play.’ She whispered, trying to contain the froth in her throat. The boy had barely made a dent in his beer, but decided he’ll indulge her. He gently placed his beer on the table and interleaved his fingers.

‘Alright. You ready?’ He asked.

‘Cucumber.’ The girl said and the boy laughed.

‘Not falling for that one again, are you?’

‘No I’m not.’ The boy smiled. ‘DAMNIT!’ The girl slapped her hands on the table and leaned over the counter. ‘Two beers!’ The girl startled the passing barman who stopped what he was doing and instantly obeyed. The boy had barely reached the midpoint of his first beer when a second beer was slammed in front of him. He eyed the second with the first still tilted towards his lips and smiled at the girl. She looked away as she drank her beer as fast as she could. She downed about a third of it, paused, let out a loud burp without even trying to conceal it, then continued, ignoring the boy’s fascinated smile. She slammed down the beer on the table and pursed her lips, unsure if it was just gas rising out of her chest, but successfully repressed it nonetheless. ‘Again.’ She spat. The boy sat down his now empty first beer and once again interleaved his fingers.

‘Are you ready?’

‘I hate you.’ The girl looked him right in the eye without blinking. She hoped her stare might intimidate him at least a little, but he would not be shaken.

‘Where are we right now?’

‘You’re ugly.’

‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’

‘A bald man.’

‘What is seven times seven?’

‘I hate your beard.’ The boy sighed, sat back and raised his palms in defeat.

‘Well, congratulations. You’ve won. That was five questions, right?’

‘No, it was four.’ The girl asserted. The boy smiled and the wave of realization struck her like a wave. ‘DAMNIT!’ She yelled loud enough for a decent percentage of the bar to turn and look. She smacked her fists on the table. It hurt, but she didn’t want him to know that. ‘Two beers!’ She yelled without bothering to get the barman’s attention first.

‘Actually, this time around, I’d like a brandy.’ He interjected. She glared at him.

‘That’s expensive.’ She growled. The boy just shrugged.

‘You wanted to play.’ Her glare intensified. If looks could kill, he’d be in a coma, because she didn’t actually want him to die. She turned to the barman.

‘Make it two double brandies.’ She said through gritted teeth and the barman actually whimpered under her sharp stare. Alright, so it’s not that her stare had dulled, it’s just that the boy was immune to it. This made matters worse. The barman promptly returned with two tumbler glasses. Once again she slammed the drink down in front of the boy. He took it up and nursed a sip, ignoring the full beer that still stands untouched before him. The girl took up her glass, took a sip, and set the glass down. The girl took up her glass, spit out the sip, and set the glass down. ‘I hate brandy.’ She muttered.

‘You didn’t have to get a brandy for yourself as well, you know?’ She glared at him, taking his words as a challenge, regardless if he issued one or not. She snatched the glass from the table, kept her gaze on him steadily, and took long drawn out quaffs until the glass was empty. She set the glass down and tried to extinguish the fire in her throat with a couple of deep staggered breaths.

‘Who are you?’ She asked with what was left of her voice.

‘My name is Ma-’

‘Why do you do this? Why are you here? You just come in here, acting like you own the place, and start playing games with me? I’m not stupid you know, it’s the game, it’s not me.’ She rambled. She started regretting drinking all those beers so quickly as she heard her speech slur.

‘Matthew. My name is Matthew.’

‘You just sit there, with your impossibly wavy blonde hair that seems so thick yet so light. What shampoo do you use? Don’t answer that. You rig this game against me, because, you know, I’ve never played before so the odds are obviously stacked against me.’ The girl paused to burp. ‘And what do you expect me to do? Just not talk to an attractive man with a stubble that makes him look super rugged and that I like very much okay?’ The girl got out of her chair and had to readjust her footing to accommodate the floor moving underneath her. Alcohol always hits the girl in waves, but this was a tsunami.

‘I’m trying to insult you but my sentences aren’t ending the way I want them to. Oh I bet you just love it. I bet you love all these compliments you psychopath.’ The girl rambled to the boy sitting idly in his chair and smiling. She frantically tried to make herself stop, but that just made her ramble more, like putting out fire with kerosene. ‘Is that what you want? You want compliments? Well fine. You’re quite handsome, okay? You look quite rugged but in an inviting way. You also have a mature smell to you that I like and that I think would linger on a pillow that I can then curl up with to smell again.’ The girl tried to make her tone scornful, but the words coming from her mouth did not match any of the words in her brain. He kept sitting in his chair smiling gently as the girl complimented him in a derisive tone. ‘You’re also very charming and your smile makes your eyes shine like stars in the night sky.’ She murmured. ‘I don’t want to play that game again.’ She said as she plopped down in her chair. The boy laughed his deep, slow laugh.

‘You, perhaps, want to get some coffee?’ He suggested, the girl snorted in response.

‘Oh, oh, oh this is your scheme? You get me drunk and then invite me over to your place for coffee? What a cheap tactic to get someone to sleep with you. Well I’m not going to sleep with you, okay? I want to. Holy hell I want to. You’re so attractive. But I’m not going to sleep with you.’ She wanted to find the nearest stapler and staple her mouth shut forever. Why did she have to say that? That was the last thing in the world she wanted to say. Why didn’t she just take her clothes off right there and she could never see him again all the sooner?

The boy, to her relief, seemed to ignore what she said. ‘There’s a coffee shop right across the street. I don’t think we’re going to my place tonight. I don’t want to be rude but, I’m not that type of girl.’ The boy said and the girl burst out laughing. She doubled over as if it was the funniest joke any single human has ever told. She had to grip the table to keep from falling over.

‘That…wasn’t…funny.’ She got out.

‘You’re still laughing.’

‘That means nothing.’

 

The cars passed, casting their lights across the crummy coffee shop and the plastic table upon which stood two steaming cups of coffee. It was always an obvious choice for the girl to sit outside, she preferred the cool air and the noisy backdrop to the stale air and inoffensive music inside restaurants. However, when you’re nearer to the city, outside just means next to the street, and fresh air just means car exhaust. The girl cupped her cheek in her hand and stared down at her coffee, black, strong and a small island of brown bubbles still swirling in the middle. Even in the hazy city air a few stars could peek through the curtain.

‘Not big on drinking, are you?’ The boy asked after a long, yet not uncomfortable, silence.

‘I always get drunk quickly, but I sober up just as quickly. I’m fine now.’ The girl mumbled, still having a staring contest with her coffee.

‘Hey.’ The boy said and the girl looked up at him. ‘I’m sorry if I pushed you a little too far. I didn’t mean to ruin your night.’ He said sincerely. The tone of his voice did not change to accommodate for this, it was still deep, smooth and calm. It was his eyes, she could’ve sworn they turned a lighter shade of blue. In fact, all of his features seemed to soften, and the girl got a sudden urge to grab him and kiss him.

The girl got drunk quickly, this was true for both alcohol and love. That’s why she tried not reading too much into these sudden urges and overpowering emotions. The girl fell in love with every third guy she saw. She had this image of the perfect life in her head, these scenarios that played out like the naïve fantasies of a teenage girl staring at her favourite member of a boy band on one of many posters on her wall. Every time she saw a cute guy from a distance, she couldn’t stop these scenes from playing out in her head. Scenes of her cuddling with them while watching a movie. Scenes of them tiptoeing up to her and kissing her neck while she was cooking breakfast. Scenes of her waking up next to them, noticing they’re still asleep, shuffling over to them and laying a warm kiss on their cheeks while wrapping an arm around them. The faces changed, but these scenarios never did.

The problem is that the fantasies in her mind are always better than what she finds. Reality is such a drag. People are never who you imagine them to be, and it’s not their fault. Her fantasies would always remain fantasies and never become memories. That’s why she learned to keep the urges at bay, to actively push them back. This is why the girl was terrified of this boy. The scenario in her mind presented itself like a stage play, and he was perfectly cast. The outline of the guy in her dreams seemed like it was always meant to be coloured in with him. She could imagine his arms around her so vividly that she could even smell his musky scent. She could imagine him kissing her neck so sharply that she had to rub her ear because she could feel his stubble scratching against it. That’s why she knew she had to run away from the boy as fast as she could, because something so perfect could destroy so absolutely. The thing is, she wasn’t running. Her legs weren’t obeying. She was staying.

‘Well, you did ruin my night. And I hate that game.’ She finally found her voice. He laughed and raised his shoulders.

‘I’m sorry, nobody has ever lost so many times.’ Her glare returned.

‘I’m not stupid.’ She said and this only made him laugh louder.

‘You’re definitely not. We can play again some time. I’m quite confident that you’ll win this time around.’ To the girl’s disgust, she actually considered the offer, if only to redeem herself.

‘No thank you.’ She replied, sanity winning out in the end.

‘Oh don’t worry, just remind yourself of how much you hate me and keep giving it as an answer. That way you can’t lose.’ She couldn’t help but smile.

‘I don’t hate you.’ She whispered before deciding it was time to take a sip of her coffee.

‘Severely dislike me then.’ He tried. She chuckled and met his gaze.

‘I don’t severely dislike you either.’ She said and smiled at him. His eyes lit up.

‘Oh wow, it seems that you finally decided to come out of your shell a bit.’ He said in his ever-calm voice, but this time with an undertone of excitement. ‘That didn’t take as long as I expected, I’ll be honest.’ She shrugged.

‘I guess you just have a way of getting under my skin. You take me off my guard, which I think should worry me, but it doesn’t. In a strange way that doesn’t even make sense to me, I kind of like you.’ She was in the air, in the middle of the longest leap of faith ever made, her heart was in her throat, and somehow it all felt right. She was going against every instinct in her, and she was terrified, but she knew that if she didn’t take the chance then, she never would. If he was a lie, then he was the sweetest lie ever told. If he wasn’t real, then she would never believe again. She was risking it all on him, on a feeling, but one glance into his warm eyes made her heart settle back into its rightful place. It felt right, everything felt right. Even if she wanted to pull back, there was so little resistance when falling into him that she just couldn’t. The girl couldn’t help but melt into the feel of the boy.

‘I like you too.’ He whispered. She didn’t know if it was just the coffee warming him up, but she could’ve sworn his cheeks were red. ‘I think. I don’t really know you all that well. You could be an axe murderer for all I know.’ She gasped in response.

‘I’m offended you would even suggest that I’d use such a coarse weapon. A straight-razor is a much more elegant murder weapon choice. At least trust that I spent the appropriate amount of homework to pick the ideal signature.’

‘Yes, I take your point. I mean, why make a mess?’

‘Why make a mess?’ She echoed. ‘Someone has to clean that mess up. The least you can do is be considerate when you kill someone.’

‘There’s no need to be a barbaric serial killer, my mother always said.’ He agreed.

‘In that case, you think poison might be the way to go?’ She suggested and he seemed to consider it.

‘Perhaps. But carrying around a syringe all day could be so cumbersome. And difficult to explain at airport security. The “insulin” excuse doesn’t quite hold up when there’s a black sticker with a skull and bones on it.’

‘Well, the right slow acting poison and you don’t need a syringe. You only need to dip a tiny needle in it and a small prick would do the job.’

‘Interesting. In that case you can have a small needle sticking out of a ring, you could seal the deal with a handshake.’

‘Inconspicuous and symbolic. I like it.’ The girl said before taking a sip of her coffee, holding the cup as if it was expensive red wine and she was in a black dress sitting on an obsidian throne, instead of jeans, a tank top and a red plastic chair.

‘On second thought, I high-five a lot of people, so I don’t think that plan is right for me. There’s a fine line between serial killer and mass murderer, and that’s a line I don’t want to cross.’

‘Naturally. Also, a slow acting poison means the target would die a couple of days later, which isn’t always ideal.’

‘That’s true. You won’t have control over when the target snuffs it. What if someone bought the last doughnut but hasn’t bitten into it yet? Sometimes you need someone to die instantly. If you have to sit around for a few days waiting for the poison to do its thing, you lose the doughnut.’ The boy said and the girl had to think for a few seconds.

‘Alright, but now you’re sitting with another problem. How do you get rid of the body?’

‘Dump it in the ocean.’ The boy suggested before taking a sip of his own coffee which, contrasted with the girl’s, had milk and quite a bit of sugar with it. The girl shook her head.

‘Don’t like it. Someone might find it, even if it is years later. I can’t be worried every day about someone finding my dumping ground, not with the amount of people I’m planning to kill.’ The shadow of a smirk briefly danced on the boy’s lips, almost breaking this sinister drama. He suppressed it and instead pondered for a few seconds.

‘I know a great place.’ He finally said.

‘Do tell.’

‘A freshly dug grave. They usually dig the graves the day before the funeral, right? Sneak in at night, bury the person that almost ate your doughnut at the bottom, the next day some other poor sap gets buried on top. Your secret is safe forever. Nobody would ever find the body.’ He whispered.

The thought lingered in the air for a short while until they simultaneously became aware of the waitress standing next to the table. They had no idea how long she’d been standing there, but could guess by how wide her eyes were stretched and by how she was shaking.

‘I…I’m…I’m just going to get-’ She stuttered and stammered before hurrying away as fast as she could. The boy and the girl looked at each other.

‘Well, I think the coffee is free.’

 

The girl answered her phone before it could finish its first ring. ‘Hello?’

‘Hi.’ Said a deep voice. She was smiling before she knew it. ‘How’s it going?’

‘It’s going alright. My mood hasn’t severely changed since I last saw you five seconds ago.’

‘I just wanted to make sure you got home safe.’

‘You walked me to the door.’

‘Perhaps there was someone waiting behind the door.’

‘There was nobody waiting behind the door.’

‘This time. I also wanted to ask you if you’re doing anything tomorrow night.’

‘Go ahead.’

‘Are you doing anything tomorrow night?’

‘I am not.’

‘Would you like to?’

‘Yes I would.’

‘Great. I was thinking we could have a drink at our favourite bar. Especially since I owe you a couple.’ She smirked despite herself.

‘Sounds great. Meet you there at eight?’

‘Sharp. Sleep tight.’

‘I will.’ She said and hung up the phone. She leaned her back against the wall of the foyer and gripped her phone in both hands with her eyes closed. After a few seconds the girl realised that the smirk hadn’t worn off and instead had grown to a full-blown smile. She regretted not sheathing it when she opened her eyes again to see her mother sitting by the dinner table with a midnight treat raised halfway to her lips.

‘Who was that?’ She asked wide eyed and seemingly having forgotten her snack.

‘Nobody.’

‘Who was that?’

‘Nobody.’

‘Was it a boy?’

‘Yes.’

‘Are you going on a date with him tomorrow?’

‘Yes.’

‘Don’t sleep with him.’

‘Mom!’

‘Yet.’

‘MOM!’

 

So, the girl and the boy went on a date. And then another. Then another. Every time they did, he made her laugh, and every time he did, she laughed more freely, more openly. Every time she saw him, she learnt something new about him that surprised and intrigued her. He was like an endless interlocking puzzle that continuously rewards you for solving every step of it. There were no magical romantic dates with flowers and white doves flying around as they kissed, only two people that used whatever excuse they could to spend hours talking to each other. It didn’t matter if they went out for a coffee, or went for a walk through the park, or even a fancy dinner at a French restaurant, it always ended the same. Every date inevitably turned into a timeless conversation that never went dry or stale and pulled them along into the early hours of the following day. There was no helping it, time was different when she was with him. Conversation with the boy was a doorway into a pocket universe where time did not exist, and every time they stepped back through that doorway they’d arrive in a world where time had tottered on without them. When they weren’t together, they texted. The girl tried not glancing at her phone every few minutes to check if there was a text waiting for her. The girl tried not feeling elated every time there was, like her day was made by a simple message from the boy. The girl tried to come up with responses as funny and witty as his were. The girl failed at all of these. Out of instinct she tried to suppress her feelings for him, tried not thinking of him every minute of every day. However, the fact that he always popped up in her thoughts regardless, and the lingering smile that always followed, served to seal her fate. She was in love.

 

There are five moments with the boy that the girl would never forget for as long as she lived.

The first was when they met, how she hated him and how that hate dissolved effortlessly into affection. Also that stupid game. The second moment came when they were hiking. He loved the outdoors and the fresh air. She didn’t, but that didn’t stop him from dragging her along his adventures, whether it be hiking, rafting, bungee jumping or pretty much anything that would cause your heart to explode out of your chest with adrenaline. She never took a liking to any of it, but there’s a massive difference between doing something you don’t love, and doing something you don’t love with someone you do. Any moment can become exceptional if you share it with the right person. This became abundantly clear when they realized how much they enjoyed watching terrible films together. They’d poke fun at the dialogue and the bad acting and gasp for breath laughing, even though it didn’t change the fact that the film was still bad.

They used to go on hikes with some of his friends. Her university acquaintances weren’t up for anything unless it included getting drunk and doing nothing. She didn’t mind, she liked his friends. She still sometimes wonders where they are and how they’re doing. This particular hiking session took longer than usual, and she was trying her best to not let him hear how desperately she was fighting for breath. Luckily, the boy seemed to find what he was looking for just before the girl was about to pass out.

‘Finally.’ He said when he saw it.

‘What is it?’ The girl asked as she let down her nine-ton backpack besides a pool of water.

‘A waterfall.’ He replied.

‘Yes, I can see that.’

‘Then why did you ask?’ The boy said as he laid down his backpack next to hers.

‘What makes it so special?’ They found themselves at the foot of a river that veered off to the side. At the other end of this was a small waterfall against a large cliff covered in undergrowth. The undergrowth spread along the cliff, around them and down the canyon that they’ve been hiking up for the last few centuries.

‘You’ll have to get closer to see.’ The boy said as he kicked off his shoes. He stepped into the slow river, then turned around to wait for her.

‘I’m not going in there.’ She said, eyeing the admittedly clear water suspiciously.

‘Yes you are. Come on.’ He said and held out his hand. She sighed and kicked off her shoes. She stepped into the water to find it surprisingly warm. She took his hand and he led her toward the waterfall. She was hesitant but once she got up close, she saw that the water from above spread out into a gentle spray. He pulled her into the waterfall and kissed her. She melted into him, as she always did, with a comfortable caressing drizzle coming down all around them. ‘I’m sorry.’ He said sincerely.

‘For what?’ She asked and took a glance back the way they came. His friends were nowhere to be seen. He arranged this.

‘I’m sorry you had to wake up early this morning, I’m sorry we had to hike for so long and I’m sorry I had to rush you, but we had to get here before noon.’ The boy’s eyes were shining blue with the water reflected around them. His blondish hair was plastered to his head from the waterfall, and her heart swelled because of how beautiful he looked in that moment.

‘Why is that?’

‘Look up.’ He said and she obeyed. From this angle she could see that two boulders extended from the cliff and met on the far side. This formed an opening at the mouth of the river through which the water poured through, forming the gentle spray they were standing in. After a few seconds she had to shield her eyes, because while the stones momentarily blocked the sun, it now shifted to shine directly through the eye into the sky. The girl gasped, and the boy had to catch her to prevent her from falling over. The waterfall around them burst into an iridescent display of spectacular colours. The sunlight met the spray and exploded into colour. Her gaze followed the shine all the way down to her feet and she realized that the entire waterfall had transformed into a flowing rainbow. They were standing in the middle of a shimmering, glistening, curtain of colour, surrounded by it, soaked in it, and it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. He gripped her shoulders.

‘It’s so beautiful.’ She could only whisper as she finally looked at him, though his smile said it all. There was a dazzlingly colourful sight all around them, and all he could look at was her.

‘I needed it to be special when I ask you.’ He whispered.

‘Ask me what?’

‘I know we’ve only known each other for three months, and when we met, I told you that I kind of like you. Well, that’s not true anymore. Now I kind of like you a lot. So I need to ask you, will you be my girlfriend?’

The girl paused, then burst out laughing. That is the second moment the girl would never forget, the time he set up the most elaborate asking-someone-out ever. The moment she looked at him and saw all the colours in the world reflected in his eyes. The moment she was bathing in a flowing rainbow, and couldn’t believe how silly yet romantic the moment was.

‘You know, boys don’t really bother asking girls to be their girlfriends anymore.’ The girl said through the widest smile the world had ever seen.

‘I’m old school.’

‘I know you are.’ The girl whispered and kissed him so deeply the waterfall almost turned to steam. She pulled back and put a hand on his cheek. ‘Of course I’ll be your girlfriend, you monkey. And I know you only kind of like me a lot, but I kind of love you. I kind of love you a lot.’ The smile that spread across his lips, the genuine joy in his eyes is the last thing she remembers about that day. She doesn’t remember the hike back down or the car ride home. She just remembers his face, his smile so pure and joyful, his eyes so colourful and radiant. She could never know for sure, because they were both drenched in water, but she’s certain she saw tears in the boy’s eyes.

 

The third moment the girl would never forget came when they were living together. They moved in together after a few years of dating. He inherited a house in the girl’s home town, and she liked the idea of being close to her mother. The boy was a dream to live with. He did steal most of the covers, but she found the best way to deal with that is to lay down on top of him to get enough warmth for the night. He was happy to bring her coffee when she woke up in the morning, and anyone who would wake her up with coffee deserves her eternal devotion. He tried his best to cook, but there’s only so many times the girl could have pasta with tomato sauce before she took up the mantle herself. He once added mushrooms to his pasta, but that was the furthest he ventured out of his culinary comfort zone. She didn’t mind cooking at all, and he was always happy to play guinea pig to her craziest ideas and combinations. He also made a real effort to hide his disgust when she went a little too far. He responded with always cleaning up the dishes, and the girl would always take this opportunity to tiptoe up and lay a kiss on his neck with her arms wrapped around the boy. She couldn’t quite get her arms around him but it was always worth it to feel how instantly he relaxed when he felt her lips on his neck. More often than not, however, they would rather cuddle in front of the TV with pizza. The amount of pizza they ate was frightening, but she liked to think that their strenuous adventures every weekend made up for it.

Their relationship started out as most do, with them taking turns at being outraged at some movie the other hadn’t seen yet and ensuing exclamations of ‘How have you not seen that movie?’ and ‘It will change your life.’ This resulted in them watching a movie together almost every night. She tried her best to not ask too many questions nor doze off too often, but laying in his arms meant there wasn’t much use in resisting it. They had fights, of course they had fights, although they wouldn’t say that they had fights, they would rather call them disagreements. However, if one would witness one of these disagreements, one would be hard pressed to merely call it as such, due to how they raise their voices and strut around the house. One of these disagreements just so happened to be the catalyst for one of the moments the girl would never forget.

‘How could you even say that? I thought I knew you!’ The boy bellowed, although it is important to note that while it was decidedly true that the boy was yelling, the actual volume of his voice was barely raised from his calm speaking voice. She only knew he was screaming because of how red his face was and how gritted his words are.

‘Why can’t you accept that I’m my own person with my own beliefs? Not everybody feels the same as you, and you have to be mature enough to accept that!’ She yelled in response. It is also important to note that the volume of her voice was several orders of magnitude louder than her speaking voice.

‘I can. I just thought I knew you, but I don’t. You’re not the person I fell in love with.’ He said, calmer now. The words stung.

‘I am who I am, and I’m not going to change. You can either learn to accept me as I am or…’ The girl wiped away a tear. ‘Or you can leave.’ The boy went quiet.

‘Just listen. Please just listen. Hear me out.’ The boy held her gaze through several seconds of silence. ‘Lion King is the best Disney movie ever made.’

The girl sighed.

The next two hours were filled with laughter, crying and the girl trying her best to sing along to songs that she was not equipped to sing along to. Their large TV in front of their medium size couch in their tiny house went black and the girl sighed again.

‘Alright. Lion King is the best Disney movie ever made.’ She caved. The boy jumped up from the couch and held his hands up high while doing a victory lap around the couch. He high-fived and shook hands with an imaginary cheering crowd. The girl sat upright on the couch.

‘But Beauty and the Beast is a close second!’ She rebutted and the boy paused dead in his tracks.

‘Beauty and the Beast is such a great movie though.’ He whispered to himself and looked lost in his own uncertainty, as if questioning one of the fundamental truths of the universe. He looked back at the TV and shook his head. ‘No, Lion King is the best.’ He said, but in a tone of voice that suggested he was trying to convince himself more than anyone. The girl couldn’t help but laugh.

‘I guess we’ll have to spend the rest of our lives arguing over what the best Disney is.’

The boy started to laugh, but barely got beyond a smirk. The words triggered something in him and he went quiet. He looked at the floor, a shocked expression that the girl had never seen on him. He looked unsure, though at the exact same moment more certain than he’s ever been of anything. It seemed as if his mind was drifting through endless spaces and vistas, but was wholly rooted in the present. Then he did the last thing she expected.

The boy went down on one knee.

‘What the hell are you doing?’ The girl asked when he looked up at her.

‘Marry me.’ Was all he said as he gazed deep into her eyes.

‘What?’

‘Look, I’m not the type of person to just do this out of the blue, I really don’t know what I’m doing or why I’m doing it, I just know that I have to do it right now. Usually I’d set up a massive romantic gesture where we’re on a mountaintop at sunset with a million white doves flying around, but moments like these remind me why I’m so insanely in love with you. It’s in these moments that I can see you for who you really are, and I’ve never found anything so beautiful. This might not be the most romantic thing anybody has ever said, but the thought of spending the rest of my life arguing with you over the best Disney movie is probably the happiest thought I’ve ever had. I want nothing more than to argue over the dumbest s**t with you forever. Coming to think of it, over the last few years, every time I thought about the future, it’s with you. I can’t imagine a life without you, I don’t want to imagine a life without you, because it won’t be worth it. I can’t possibly imagine spending one smile, one laugh, without the woman I love. That’s you. I love you. I love you more than anything in this world and I always will. I’m going to risk sounding very cliché, but it’s a risk I’m going to have to take. Make me the happiest man on earth. Marry me. I have no ring to give you, I have only me.’

By this point the girl had her hands clasped over her mouth, tears streaming down her face, standing upright on a couch looking down on a boy kneeling in front of her stealing words from her mind and wording it better than she ever could.

‘YES!’ She yelled and dove toward him. He caught her and together they tumbled to the floor and laid there kissing, she wasn’t sure for how long. She was drifting in an avalanche of glee, flooded with happiness, drowning in an ocean of joy. She was going to marry him. She was going to marry the man of her dreams.

‘I almost tackled you through the coffee table.’ The girl whispered when they finally stopped kissing.

‘We don’t have a coffee table.’

‘We should get a coffee table.’

‘It might get in the way of the TV.’

‘I love you so much.’

He did propose formally, romantically, eventually. It was at sunset, there were white doves. She insisted it wasn’t necessary, but he was having none of it. He insisted it was the right way to do things. He bought a massive ring, he went down on one knee, she said yes. It was romantic, but to be honest the girl had pretty much forgotten the details. Her memory of the first time he proposed was crystal clear, she knows every single word spoken by heart, but she’s a little fuzzy on the second one. It just wasn’t as important to her. Nothing will ever compare to the first time she realized she’s going to marry the man she loved.

 

The fourth moment the girl would never forget is her wedding. The boy slowly took over all of the planning as her studies demanded more and more of her time. Looking back, she didn’t mind this at all. He took it as an opportunity to surprise her. It soon became clear that he was intentionally keeping the details veiled in mystery, shuffling her back over to her studies every time she asked questions. It only really dawned on her how little she knew of her own wedding when she got helped into the car by her bridesmaids and was off to the chapel. The girl had no idea what to expect and was shaking with excitement. The car stopped and the door was opened for her. She kept her eyes downcast at her white shoes as she swung it over green grass and got out of the car. She was hesitant to take in the whole image and rather watched the hem of the most beautiful dress she had ever seen sweep over the green grass on her way to marry the man of her dreams. The girl suddenly found herself standing on purple flowers, and finally dared to raise her gaze a little to see a white carpet in front of her. Her eyes followed the flowers until she realized that the entire length of the white carpet which led into a small chapel twenty feet in front of her was lined with purple flowers. Her favourite colour is purple. Of course he remembered.

She looked at the green behind her, then the white in front of her, lastly the purple she was standing on. The green behind her was the life she’s lived until now. Alone, isolated, afraid. The white is a life with him. She couldn’t see into the chapel, there were large wooden doors blocking the entrance, but she knew that on the other side of this white carpet stood him. The purple is where she was, the moment between the two, but it was only a moment because she stepped forward onto the white carpet without hesitation. Every step the girl took brought her closer to him, to a life filled with love, laughter and pizza. A life where she never has to feel alone again, where she never has to be afraid because she had an angel that gave her his wings. With every step her heart felt lighter, she felt elated and couldn’t suppress the stupid toothy grin she proudly brandished by the time she gripped both handles on the wooden doors and opened them.

Everybody inside stood up in response and she had to pause. Purple and black. The curtains, the tapestries, the chairs and every single piece of clothing in the room was either purple, black or both. There wasn’t a single piece of white in the entire chapel except the carpet she stood on, and her. The entire room held their breath, their faces shining brightly at her, and she couldn’t blame them. It was quite a scene. The purity of the white of the carpet and her dress made her feel like a golden lining walking on a cloud amidst a night sky. She felt like she was on top of the world, divinely gliding across the room to where he stood waiting for her, dressed in a white tuxedo, smiling joyfully, crying. She got halfway across the room when she realized that she was marching to a piano rendition of I don’t wanna miss a thing. He really thought of her when he threw in a little cheese, and he did so with one of her favourite songs. Of course he remembered.

The girl reached the end of the carpet and took her new life’s hands in hers. She could only stare at the boy as the rest of the ceremony flew by in the background. She could only be aware of how tightly his hand was gripping hers, as if he was trying to cling to every precious moment. She could only be aware of every quick glance he threw her way, tears streaming down his face. Okay, not streaming, but there was one or two. She could only be aware of how her heart was racing as she realized that this was it. She was locking in to a her happily ever after. She was marrying the greatest man alive. He turned to her and gave her a look that she’d seen before, but never understood what it meant until that moment. That is the look he gave to who he believed to be the most beautiful woman on the planet, and by the way she was probably glowing and overflowing with love, she just might’ve been.  Even then the girl knew this would be a moment she would never forget.

‘I do.’ The boy whispered.

 

That leaves one moment, the fifth and final moment that the girl would never forget about him. A moment that did not only change her life, but defined it. A moment which is etched into the very sleeve of her heart.

‘Hello?’ Came a sweet voice through the phone. She recognized the voice instantly as the boy’s secretary.

‘Hi! Is Matt still there?’ The girl asked.

‘Uhm no, he just left.’ The secretary replied. Rachel, the girl recalled. The girl had met Rachel a few times now and she could never believe how beautiful she was. She had pitch black hair that was so smooth and straight the girl theorized that either Rachel skipped sleeping every night and instead straightened her hair for eight straight hours, or she had made a deal with most of the devils. Her skin was so smooth even the girl thought about finding an excuse to kiss Rachel on the cheek. It’s no wonder she got such a hunk of a boyfriend though. Rachel and her boyfriend had the girl and Matt over for dinner one night, and the girl made an excuse to go to the bathroom just so that she could take a peek at what face lotion Rachel used. She was so sad when she heard that Rachel and the hunk had broken up.

‘Oh okay. You going to meet him here?’ The girl asked.

‘No, he’s going home then he’s picking me up on the way.’ Rachel replied in such a sweet voice.

‘Okay. Well you should have fun though.’ The girl said and the secretary laughed.

‘Not much fun to be had on these. Just sitting in a lecture hall and listening to some old fart mumbling about the latest and greatest software to meet all of your accounting needs! It’s going to be so boring I’m gonna wanna die. I’m not even going to understand what the hell they’re talking about.’ The secretary laughed. The girl laughed along.

‘Then why are you even going? Isn’t it part of Matt’s job?’ The girl asked and Rachel sighed.

‘Yeah, but I get a pay raise if I go to these things. Being bored out of my mind for a weekend in exchange for more money in my pocket is a trade I’m happy with. I guess that just shows how much my time is worth.’ Rachel said and the girl laughed.

‘Well that’s why I said at least try to have fun. I have to go, see you afterwards. Bye!’

‘Bye bye!’ Came Rachel’s voice followed by a clicking sound and a dial tone. It was time for the girl to get started. If the boy is going to leave her alone for the weekend then she’s going to make him his favourite meal so that he’ll miss home all the more. Sweet revenge. Well…deep fried revenge at least.

After about twenty minutes the boy walked through the door. ‘That smells nice!’ He called from the foyer. He walked into the kitchen and was greeted with a deep soggy kiss.

‘Well, I had to make sure that there’s at least something you’ll miss about home.’ The girl was fishing, but she was comfortable with it because the boy always made sure she pulled in a whale.

‘Honey?’

‘Yes?’

‘Stars of my night sky, sun of my life?’

‘Yeah?’

‘Angel?’

‘Uh-huh?’

‘Pumpkin?’

‘That’s enough.’

‘I miss you when you leave the room. Spending the entire weekend without you is going to be nothing short of torture. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure I’m going to survive the weekend.’ He said as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. She was glowing from the warmth of him.

‘I’m sure you’ll be fine. We survived for decades until we met each other.’

‘Yeah, but it was horrible. I was fine living without you because I had no idea what I was missing. I’ve tasted the good life now. I spent the last four years in heaven. I don’t want to go back.’

‘If it’s really so bad, then let me come with.’

‘I would like nothing more than for you to come with me, but you don’t want to, trust me. I’m going to be stuck in seminars all day and you’ll be going out of your mind in a hotel room with nothing to do. Plus, you just started your new job. You need to show good faith and go in on Saturday. It would make me the happiest man in the world to have you with me, but you’re more important than my happiness.’ He said and kissed the girl on her forehead, which always made her light-headed.

‘Fine. You’ll just have to survive without me then, but promise you’ll call?’

‘Oh you can bet on that. Trust me, you’ll be tired of my voice by Monday.’ The boy smiled his broad reassuring smile that the girl could never stop loving.

‘I will never get tired of your voice.’ The girl whispered and kissed him again.

They sat down for a nice meal, the boy letting his compliments to the chef fly left and right. Afterwards they adjourned to their favourite couch. The TV wasn’t on, they weren’t talking, they were just lying in each other’s arms, enamoured by the feel of one another. His hands traced deep rivers into her hair, his lips caressing and kissing her forehead and temple. Her face was buried into his neck, kissing gently while her hand gripped his shirt right above his chest like she never wanted to let go. Her body was on fire, lying on top of him, trying to soak in all the warmth he had to give, trying to melt into him and remain with him.

This is the fifth and final moment the girl would never forget. The most loved, the safest, the happiest she would ever feel again. The girl wishes she could pluck this moment from the fabric of time and live it within a vacuum forever. Every time she felt the shadows of arms around her, the girl’s mind would be dragged back to this moment. Every time she felt any kind of warmth within her, she couldn’t help but close her eyes and picture lying on top of him with his lips on her forehead. It is the warmest yet darkest memory she has. The most radiant yet coldest. For every time she gets lost in this moment, she can never stay there, because the story is not over.

‘I have to go.’ The boy said the words the girl had been dreading.

‘Don’t.’ The girl whispered and the boy laughed.

‘I have to.’ He said and rolled out from under her, despite her best efforts to keep him down and dragging him back towards her. The boy laughed and tussled with her a bit. When he finally got his feet on the ground he spun around and kissed the girl. He pressed her down into the couch, his lips firmly locked on hers. Her skin was tingling so much she believed she was glistening like a disco ball. He suddenly stopped kissing her and stood upright, leaving her lying on the couch. Damn. She was trying to keep her arms wrapped tightly around the boy, but there was no stopping every muscle in her body relaxing when he kissed her like that.

‘No!’ The girl moaned.

‘I love you.’ The boy whispered.

‘I love you too.’ The girl whispered back, looking up at the boy who was still smiling smugly about winning the tussle. Though in his eyes the girl could see that he secretly wished he lost.

 

The boy’s phone rang the moment he stepped out of the house.

‘Rachel, hello.’ He answered.

‘Hey Matt! Are you on your way?’

‘Just getting in the car now.’ He said as he swung open the door.

‘Oh great! I’m glad I caught you, because I forgot to tell you that I actually scored a lift with Ryan. So nevermind about picking me up.’

‘Oh that’s great. You already there?’

‘Yeah. We’re here.’

‘Glad you’re safe. See you tonight then.’

‘Cool. Just drive safe. Looked like a pretty tricky piece of road.’

‘I’m sure I’ll be fine. Goodbye.’

‘See ya!’ The secretary said and the boy hung up. He started the car and shot off. As the boy reached the end of the city the sun hid behind the horizon and he turned the headlights on. By the time he was out of this city he was driving with his high beams. Rachel wasn’t kidding, the roads were winding as they hugged the mountains, and there was almost no margin between road and thick forest. The tires whined as they sped across the asphalt. The boy had one hand on the steering wheel, cruising through the turns without slowing. The boy always drove too fast. The girl always told him he drove too fast. She should’ve told him more often. She should’ve bought him a slower car, or a bicycle. She should’ve fought harder to keep him on the couch. She should’ve done something. Anything.

The road twisted to the left to account for a bulge in the mountain range. The boy steered to the left, the headlights of his car shining woefully into the thick trees of the forest. The road curved to the right and as the headlights swung back over the road, they revealed a sorrowful doe standing there. The head lights reflected back in the wide stretched eyes of the stunned chital. The white dots on its pelt shined bright against the dark road. The boy jerked upright and grabbed the steering wheel with both hands. The car veered to its left as the uncaring doe watched on. The horrible screeching of the tires echoed throughout the forest as the car was sent into a spiral. The bumper caught on a tree and the car flipped over. The horrible crunching of the car caving in and the windows bursting as the roof smashed the road echoed through the forest. The car finally came to rest upside down and the boy hung from his seatbelt. His coughs which splattered droplets of blood all over the interior of the car echoed through the forest, but nobody was there to hear it.

The boy didn’t need to look down to know that there were pieces of the car piercing into him. His body was screaming at the foreign invaders. He looked around to see his phone lying beside the car. He always kept his phone on the passenger seat, it must’ve found its way there. The boy clicked his seatbelt and fell to the ground with a loud thud. If he could spare the energy he would’ve moaned in pain, but instead he just coughed more blood. He started crawling through where the driver side window used to be. Shards of glass pierced his arms as he crawled but he kept on going. The screen sprang to life as he held his phone and at the bottom glowed a big red button that would place an emergency call with a touch. The boy stared at it for a few seconds, making the hardest decision of his life. The boy unlocked his phone and went to speed dial. The phone rang twice.

 

‘Hello?’ Came the voice of the most beautiful girl on the planet.

‘Hey baby.’ Came a deep calm voice trying its best to not cough up more blood.

‘Hey Love! You already there?’ She said with a muffled voice as she chewed popcorn.

‘I’m just lying down now. I wanted to hear your voice.’

‘Why? I have an annoying voice.’ The boy chuckled, even though every heave caused him pain.

‘You have a beautiful voice. I want to hear it for the rest of my life. What are you up to?’

‘Watching a movie. I even made popcorn, all by myself.’ She said and chewed louder to prove her point.

‘I’m proud of you. What movie?’

‘Not sure.’

‘Don’t know that one. What’s it about?’ The girl sat upright.

‘It’s really creepy. It’s about this guy, right, and he befriends this man and his wife. At first he’s like a really good friend, helps them where he can and has dinner with them and stuff, but as the movie goes on he just gets weirder and weirder. He gets super offended when they don’t include him in everything, then he just demands more and more of their time. He shows up at weird times and he starts hurting himself. He insists that he does it for them, to help them or something. I don’t know, it looks like he’s now planning to hurt them. It’s really weird, I’m kinda freaked out. Sounds like your kind of movie though, right?’

There was no reply.

‘Honey? Love? Star of my night sky, sun of my life? Angel? Pumpkin?’ The girl tried, but there was silence at the other end. ‘Oh come on. You’ve been falling asleep during movies a lot lately, apparently you’ll also fall asleep when someone describes a movie to you. That’s okay though. You’re so adorable when you sleep. I never told you this, but you snore softly when you’re sleeping. I only notice because, every time you fall asleep, I lean over and kiss your cheek. Then I whisper something in your ear. Do you wanna know what it is? I whisper: “I love you so much. I’m the luckiest girl in the world to have met you. I never knew anybody could be this happy, and it’s all you. You are my everything. I love you so so much.”. And you know what? It’s true, all of it. I love you so so much. Sweet dreams love, sleep tight.’

 

Author's Note

I'd appreciate any and all notes. English is not my first language so I wouldn't be surprised if there are some comments.
I feel like the first few paragraphs don't flow as well, thoughts?