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Pigments of peach and rose gold stained the morning sky amidst the fragments of light blue that faded every waking second. The time was 6:30 A.M. and the city and its inhabitants were still under the wonderful spell called sleep. The sound of birds chirping filled the evident breeze that swirled around the atmosphere. At that time, there were only a few cars dwelling on the road. If Peter Pan did exist he'd be witness to a matrix of windows showcasing how at peace all the people were as they remained in a daze that temporarily clouded off everyday problems that arose when souls woke up from dreaming.
But not everything was sound.
A girl who looked to be in her early 20s, maybe late teens, tiresomely dragged her feet across the sidewalk. Her eyelids were threatening to fall and her body begging for her to give up and allow it to collapse. The girl's medium length brown hair--which hung down in soft waves--mopped through the air, brushing against her stained white blouse. Her pink skirt, which was just two inches above her knee, contained various patches and her white knee-high socks contained splotches of dirt. The girl nearly tripped on an uneven edge, but luckily caught herself in time. She glanced down at her tattered brown shoes which, akin to her body, were ready to give out any second.
In the midst of her wandering, she caught sight of a bakery with pastel colored cakes decorated across the window. A chalkboard sign advertised bread and other such pastries for a fairly low price. The girl's stomach rumbled and she promptly made her way. Digging her hands into her pockets, she sighed as she found the content to be empty and tugged the pockets outward in sheer frustration.
Slightly limping, she slid her fingers across the glass of the window and fantasized on being able to get even a bite of one of the pastries. Her eyes scanned the inside and she found her mouth begin to water as she witnessed the bakers, in their white uniforms and tall hats, place numerous baked good in elegant arrangements. The scent of freshly baked goods enchanted her nostrils and she sniffed the air in ecstasy. Perhaps they'll allow her a taste if they witnessed her condition. Surely, she wouldn't mind paying back one bit. A worker stepped out the door and the girl began to call out to him, swinging her hands desperately in what turned out to be a failed attempt in grabbing his attention.
Dragging her feet once more, she maneuvered closer to the worker and placed a hand on his shoulder, her fingers weakly hanging on as she panted.
"A small piece of bread, please, anything," she begged in between huffs, her fingers--which perhaps contained her entire body weight as well--were slipping as they threatened to fall.
The worker said nothing and swiveled his body. "Quite chilly," he remarked, his hands swinging back as he opened the door and walked back inside.
The girl fell to her knees, breathing heavily as her efforts went to waste. Balling her fists, she pressed them onto the cold stone and stared down as she tried to make sense of how someone could be so cruel as to ignore someone in need.
A homeless man clutching a box of leftovers walked past her. The girl's head shot up immediately and a glimpse of hope returned.
"May I have some, please?" The girl asked, her voice dripping with desperation as her body was prepared to give out any second. She stretched her arm out and called him repeatedly but to no avail. The homeless man did not even bother to offer a glance at her direction and instead kept walking away as the girl extended her arm further and cried out once more.
Giving up, she fell onto her back, her arms and legs spread out like a pancake across the dirty sidewalk. She bitterly smiled, looking up at the skyscrapers above and taking note of the sun seeping through further and further. The sky had lost its pigments of blue and was a mixture of various tints of red, orange, and pink.
She wondered if humanity had reached a new low in which those who could only take but offer nothing were excluded. She felt like nothing but an emptiness amongst the populated city. Perhaps something akin to the particles in the air--invisible but still present. A tear rolled down her cheek as leaves blew in the wind, swirling in its own natural dance routine.
"Who am I, how am I here..." she began, stating weakly. A small smile formed on her face as her eyelids finally dropped. "Help...." her voice trailed off as she passed out just as the sun spread further across the sky, enveloping the surroundings whilst the light gently touched upon her unconscious face.
A spiral of vague and unconnected thoughts played through her mind. She thought of a large dinner table, warm soup, and freshly roasted turkey. The image of maids and other such servants crawling around a grand room also filled her mind. A grand staircase, an exquisite chandelier, stone walls, and other such aspects of a life contrary to her current situation popped into her mind as quickly as they disappeared.
---
There were two times in a day that night and day met. The first was sunrise as dawn took over while night had its rest. The second was sunset as night, having fully slept, crept back into the world while it was day's turn to enjoy the limited hours in which it did not need to perform its duties. As quick as the transition of darkness into light, was the awakening of night in taking over day's shift.
The large skyscrapers illuminated the sky, which radiated with the vibrant tones of red, orange, and yellow. The previous blue pigment slipped into the mix as sunlight began its daily rest. The streets, in contrast to the early morning, were bustling. Cars and bodies polluted the area, leaving no empty spaces as everyone either was rushing home or preparing to embrace the night life.
Among the people caught in the exchange of day and night were a girl and boy. The girl had long black hair and wore red converse sneakers. She donned black leggings, a plaid red mini-skirt, a sleeveless, white collared blouse, and a black trenchcoat jacket that reached to the end of her skirt. A tiny, black fluff ball hung on her black and gold backpack, promptly swinging through the night breeze. Her silver smartphone, which had headphones encircled around it, was securely in her grasps.
The boy next to her was dressed in regular dark denim jeans, black and white sneakers, and a plain white top with a black leather jacket layered over it. On his head was a black cap with the San Francisco symbol marked on the front. His backpack, which had traces of silver across the edges, also hung on his back. As they walked, he swiveled his head to the side and scanned her outfit and then his before he smiled in realization at how once again, he and the girl unintentionally ended up with matching outfits--although their common love for black made such a phenomenon fairly common.
The girl suddenly came to an abrupt stop, which prompted the boy to freeze in his tracks as well.
"Fucking asshole," A girl muttered, throwing her long black hair behind her back as she sneered at a text message on her phone. The boy immediately wiped the smile off his face just in time as she turned to look towards his direction and show him the message she had received.
The boy clasped the phone, rolling his thumb down onto the screen as he read what had upset the girl beside him. Raising an eyebrow, he immediately handed the phone back to her and let out a sigh. "What a stupid reason for him to start an argument with you," he exclaimed, his eyes tracing the girl's expression.
She pursed her lip and placed the phone in her pocket, nodding in agreement. "I had to finish editing the short movie we worked on. I didn't have time to go to his basketball game and be his personal cheerleader," she snarled, grinding her teeth together in frustration before letting out a groan.
The boy snaked his arm securely around her neck as they continued to walk. Her eyes met his and without saying anything, he spread out his arm around her shoulder instead, the tips of his fingers sliding slowly across her shoulder blades. He let out a chuckle and turned to her, their eyes meeting once more as he grinned.
"Damn, ," he began, his voice exhibiting a joking tone. The girl, , furrowed her brow and awaited what he had to say next. "If I got this mad at you for every time you missed my performances at the lounge, we probably wouldn't be friends anymore," he joked, breaking into laughter.
Jasmine uncurled his arm from around her shoulders and frowned before lightly punching him in the biceps. "Don't say that, Galvin" she chastised as she gave his arm a slight squeeze. "You know I don't mean to miss your performances. It's just I'm usually busy on those days and hours," she explained before roughly letting go of her grasp on his arm. She crossed her own arms over each other and looked straight ahead as they continued walking.
Galvin, feeling guilty, placed his hand on the left side of her head, just under her jaw, and softly moved her head towards his direction so they faced each other. Jasmine was still pouting and her eyebrows remained crossed. "I'm just trying to make you feel better," he cooed, caressing her face with one hand. "Sorry if it was ill-fitting to the situation," he apologized, giving her a soft smile.
Jasmine found herself looking into his eyes. The tips of her mouth curved into a smile and she slowly removed Galvin' hand from her face. The latter, on the other hand, hesitantly allowed her to do so.
"I don't want to think of that too. Us not being best friends anymore..." Jasmine explained, oblivious to the way Galvin' expression dropped as she emphasized how their status was merely best friends. Suddenly chuckling, she swung her arm around his neck and reached up to pinch his cheeks, prompting him to groan as he attempted to escape her handle on him.
Galvin let out a brief grin before lightly taking hold of her hand and lowering it. "Is that my punishment?" he asked, chuckling.
"I have better ideas," Jasmine hinted as she winked at his direction. "You can be a handful, but I don't know what I'd do without you so don't joke on that," she said affirmatively. Looking directly ahead once more, her eyes then widened as she realized he had yet to let go of her hand. At the realization, she immediately slipped from his grasps.
The feel of her hand lingered on his skin, causing it to tingle. "I wanted to make this other joke but you'd probably yell at me," said Galvin, smiling. "But I suppose the feeling is mutual. You may be indecisive and moody sometimes, but you're still my Jas." His voice was pitched a tad higher as he used her nickname--which he proudly came up with.
Jasmine's mouth was tempted to form a smile once more as a response to what he said. Biting back on her lip, she then let out a dry laugh. "Might as well just say it since it'll come out someday," she responded, trying to semi-change the conversation.
Galvin shrugged. "I was gonna ask if you get mad at Caleb when he jokes about you two breaking up."
Jasmine rolled her eyes. "Number one, he doesn't joke about that and number two, if he did I'll probably break up with him then and there," she answered.
Galvin smirked, scratching the back of his head in amusement.
Jasmine took notice of his joyful expression and hit his arm once more. "What the hell is with you?" she asked, giggling.
"I joked about our friendship breaking and you didn't end it," Galvin pointed out. Although he had tried to disguise his words as purely joking, his own delight at the discovery seeped through.
"You're so arrogant," Jasmine snickered. "Of course, I'll respond differently. You're my best friend so our little quarrels are normal. He's my boyfriend," Jasmine stated, adding emphasis on the last sentence.
Galvin cleared his throat. "What's the difference with that? Can't your boyfriend also be treated like one your best friends?" he asked. Grabbing her shoulder, he glided closer to her and whispered into her ear, "What's it really?" he said hotly. Jasmine could feel his breath on her skin, which caused her to be tickled.
"Best friends are people you can be comfortable with while with boyfriends, there will always be walls," Jasmine elaborated. "Why'd you ask?" she questioned, looking straight his way.
Galvin smirked once more. "I thought maybe there was a problem and you were trying to find an excuse to dump him," he admitted between chuckles.
Jasmine laughed, throwing her head back as she clutched his arm and tugged on it. "You're my best friend. I can confidently say I know neither of us will ever break off our friendship," she responded, snuggling into his arm. "Quite honestly, it'll hurt more to lose you than it would if I lost him," she admitted, chuckling as she tugged on the sleeve of his jacket.
Yet he's the one you're dating and apparently in love with, Galvin thought to himself. Setting his hand in her hair, he teasingly rubbed his fingers through it in a circular motion, deepening Jasmine's giggles.
"So I guess I mean more," Galvin said under his breath. His eyes widened as he realized how impulsive he was in saying that.
Jasmine blinked; taken aback slightly by his comment. She detached her head from his arm and shook it from side to side. She then abruptly let out a deep cough. "What is it that guys say? Bros before hoes?" She casually laughed; silently hoping the conversation shifted back into a joking tone.
Galvin took notice of her awkwardness in approaching the question--which wasn't hard to realize as it was evident in her attempts to revert the conversation back into its teasing state. "I suppose that works," he answered, unable to wipe the smirk off his face.
Quite honestly, it'll hurt more to lose you than it would if I lost him, Galvin replayed the words over and over in his head, his smile deepening by the second.
Jasmine punched his shoulder, her eyebrows knitting together as he turned to her direction. "Hoy, that doesn't mean I don't love him and that I'm not going to work to fix our issues," she reminded.
Her words brought Galvin back to reality.
He shrugged. "I wouldn't expect anything less." Galvin placed his hands firmly on her shoulder, causing her to stare in confusion as he trailed his hands all the way behind her back onto her bag. Reaching over, he unzipped it--his body naturally pushing onto hers as he bent his arms down--and began searching through her bag. Jasmine's eyes magnified and she turned her head to the side, her mouth open as she tried to pretend he wasn't pressing against her as closely as he was.
Letting out a victorious smile, Galvin grabbed a knitted, plain white hat. Zipping up the bag, he immediately brought his arms back and placed the hat on her head--pulling it so it was covering her ears and making sure to push away any loose strands of hair.
"Thanks," Jasmine said flatly before taking a few steps back. She placed a hand as if by instinct over the hat, running through the fabric which he previously gripped.
"You're already love sick so you can't exactly afford to get physically sick as well," Galvin teased, rubbing a hand on the back of his head.
Jasmine rolled her eyes. "Thanks," she repeated, albeit sarcastically.
Galvin smiled as he pet the top of her head. "No problem. Anyways we need to get going. We can talk about your love life on the train some more if you want," he teased. "It's not good to be in this area when it's dark," he added, tapping her shoulder with one hand and motioning her to come forward with the other before running towards the station.
Jasmine brought her hand by the side of her mouth. "Hoy, I'm done talking about my love life," she shot back as she began running after him.
Galvin turned his head. "Better keep that promise," he called out. Laughing, he then stopped running and waited for her to catch up.
Jasmine bent down midway and took a few deep breaths before straightening her body and lightly slapping his shoulder.
Galvin chuckled, placing his hand over the spot to feign pain. Jasmine found herself giggling once more and akin to how they began, they both walked side by side to the train station. Their pace and even steps perfectly in-sync with neither the effort or the realization.
--
The girl with brown hair had woken up in the climax of the sunset. In which day and night were making their typical rendezvous. Day, in its final stages for its shift, had on a grand display of colors that painted the sky. And in a theoretical twist, night began its debut with mixing into the palette to remind everyone that the next act was waiting behind the curtains.
The girl lifted her upper body off the sidewalk and in response to the chilly air, crossed her arms over each other. Turning her head from side to side, she realized that she was still in the same place she was in when she collapsed that same morning.
Cruel was an understatement. She had been there all day, passed out, and not one person--not even a public official--had noticed or bothered to offer assistance? She felt like litter on the streets--abandoned and unnoticed by others passing by.
Her hunger was still raging. Pressing a hand to her stomach, she let out a sigh as it growled. The sleep helped give some energy, but the need for food was still evident.
"Ah!" The girl yelped, tilting her head back, she stared at what she recognized to be a train moving over her head while making various noises as it transported people from destination to destination.
Groaning, she lifted herself off the ground and began making her way to the station, wondering if someone there could offer any assistance as to where she was.
The colors of day faded and the dark hues overshadowed the small sparkles of day's residue. All the tall buildings and restaurants turned on their lights, which acted as her guide as she navigated the unknown city, which was illuminated by only man made buildings.
--
"Excuse me," The girl called out, waving her hand in front of the station worker. The woman made no response and continued to blankly look straight ahead.
"Excuse me? I need help--where am I?" she asked, giving the woman a pleading look which was, once again, met with no response.
Dropping her hand to her side, the girl's jaw fell open. The situation felt like either a sick joke or a dreadful nightmare. It was as if the whole world had chosen to ignore her existence.
"Notice me, please!" She cried out in desperation. Tears fell from her face as she placed her hand on the glass separating her and the women and began pounding on it. "Please, someone notice me!" she yelled, tapping harder and harder until her hands turned red. Bobbing her head down, her fingers slid on the glass roughly as she sank to her knees. Setting her hands over her eyes, she continued her weeping.
"What...is going on?" she mumbled as her tears fell onto her skirt. Pressing her hands rougher onto her face prompted her brown hair to collapse around her more and consequently become soaked as a result of her crying.
Her thoughts went back to the snobbing of the worker at the bakery and with the homeless man. Immediately, it flashed back to moments earlier when she had woken up in the same place, hours later. Not one person had bothered to notice her or help. And now, her attempt at trying to realize where she was and what aid she possible could get--as no one was willing to offer any freely--was a failure as once again, she was ignored and treated as if she were just an empty can of soda rolling down the street.
Lowering her hands and sniffling, she ran through the revolving metal bars that acted as an entrance to the trains.
Still weeping, she had failed to notice that she had, first and foremost, not paid for a ticket or used a card. Number two, had not triggered a sound by going through without any sort of access pass. And number three, literally went through the bars rather than hitting them with her body and causing them to fall back to allow her access.
--
Galvin was rubbing his cold hands together in an attempt to create heat. He realized he probably looked like a hypocrite in telling Jasmine to bundle up while he himself had forgotten his hat, scarf, and mittens at home.
His body lightly shook and his legs rubbed together as he exhaled; his breath evident in the air due to the chilliness.
Jasmine was sitting next to him and noticed his discomfort from the corner of her eyes. She swiveled her head to the side and looked into her own reflection. Her large, dark brown eyes were dipped into a pool of confusion and confliction. Briefly biting her lip before immediately releasing it, she grabbed his hands and soaked them within the warmth of her own.
Galvin gasped in surprised and looked at her, unable to respond. Jasmine's eyebrows knitted together as she also turned to his direction and gazed into his eyes. She ran her hands over his own, further sprinkling them with the heat from her own body.
"Thanks," he responded, his eyes still fixated onto hers. He shuddered from the cold once more.
Jasmine grinned and squeezed his hands. "I don't want you to get sick because I'll probably end up taking care of you," she sneered teasingly.
Galvin only gave a slight smile back, remaining silent as his fingers, from within her grasp, massaged the inside of her hands.
Jasmine's expression shifted into one full of concern. Usually he would respond back to continue their banter, but the fact he didn't meant he lacked the energy to. She released his hands from her hold and maneuvered her arm under his neck and onto the cheek on the other side of his face. Her hand stayed there for a second before she softly pushed against it and positioned his head so that he was laying on her shoulder. "My jacket's warm," she explained, stroking his face one last time.
Galvin let out a nearly inaudible moan as he grabbed her hands and tightly held onto them. Jasmine tilted her head so that her hat was pressing against his head for added warmth. She slipped her hands away from his grip temporarily before spreading out her fingers and interlocking them with his, which offered them more protection from the cool hair.
He rubbed his head deeper into her shoulder, taking in more of not only the heat, but the feel of her and the moment. He knew he was just her best friend and she could not love him the way he loved her. She was being nice and was merely worried on her physical state. While his heart was beating fast and his skin tingling because of their position, she was feeling nothing but his head on her shoulder and his hand between her own. Only the blatant physical side, but never the hidden emotional aspects that every move signified. It was all the outer layer and never what laid within.
Despite knowing where he stood, he allowed himself to feel and bask in the situation as it may never happen again.
Perhaps it was a combination of exhaustion and the comfortable position, but both of their eyelids dropped in time and when machine called their stop, neither flinched and instead remained asleep.
---
The girl with brown hair sat on the train and sobbed. Like the others had done earlier, no one seemed to pay any attention. Briefly lifting her face away from her hands, she studied the inside of the train. The smell, in her opinion, was subtle but an evident mix of substances she found herself unable to specifically identify. The blue seats were all stained and various advertisements hung across the sides. She was currently seated by one of the doors as all other seats were filled.
Except for the sound of her wailing--which everyone paid no attention to--the entire experience was silent. Apart from the sound of the train grinding against the tracks and the swaying of the carts, the people said nothing and instead were fixated on their devices. She took note that many had something on the inside of their ears; hence why no one was making an attempt to converse with others around them.
Her eyes rolled all over as the silence added to her discomfort as it served as a reminder of her treatment.
"Notice me!" She yelled as loud as she can. "Have me leave! Tell me to be quiet--JUST NOTICE ME!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, her vocal cords aching as the people once again remained mute to her and no one bothered to even glance.
The conductor gave a reminder that they were approaching the next stop. Frustrated by the silence, she stood up immediately and almost tripped due to the swaying and speed. Luckily, she had grabbed hold of a bar and was able to save herself from falling--which wouldn't have been noticed anyways.
Pulling herself up, she reached her arm out and grabbed the handle by the door. She needed air. She needed to hear more than chains dangling or the vehicle moving.
As the door opened, she immediately ran out and continued running until she was out of the station and onto the streets.
--
Galvin was the first to awaken. He felt as if he were on a cloud of warmth and for a moment, forgot where they were. Slowly turning his head towards her direction, he smiled and lightly squeezed her hands. Her mouth hung open and he could have sworn she may have drooled just a little, but the sight was still something to behold. He slowly slipped away from the space between her head and shoulder and very gently placed her head on his shoulder, reversing their position. Repeating the same motion she had done earlier, he curled his arm under her neck and set his hand softly on her other cheek, caressing it.
"Harlem is next," The automated voiceover repeated. "This is a train to Harlem. Doors open on the left."
Galvin' eyes widened. Their stop was Roxas, which was about six stops away from where they were headed--which was not only the end of the train line, but also a dangerous area.
He dropped his hand onto her shoulder and frantically tapped it. "Jasmine, wake up," he called out.
"Let me rest," Jasmine moaned as she draped her arm across Galvin' body.
Galvin sucked in the air. In any other scenario he would've enjoyed sleepy Jasmine hugging him in such a way. However, today was not one of those days. Besides, he already had the pleasure of sleeping on her shoulder and holding hands the entire train ride. Hell, they even fell asleep together. However, he very well knew that although those situations were--are--great, she and he as well would prefer not to get robbed or potentially killed.
Squeezing her arm, Galvin attempted to have her let go. "Come on, Jasmine," he pleaded, trying his best to lower her arm.
"No," she responded and unconsciously swung her leg over his lap, accidentally straddling him as she hung on his body, her fingers roughly gripping his clothes for support.
Galvin froze. Gulping, he placed both his hands on her shoulders as he--to his dismay--attempted to not only wake her up, but get her to detach from his body. Sleepy Jasmine was going to perhaps be the death of him.
"Jas....we need to leave," he said with an unintentional splash of hesitance within his tone. Shaking her shoulders harder, his protests caused Jasmine to furrow her brows as she reached up and grabbed his neck, encircling her arms around it tightly and nuzzling her head onto his chest. Afraid she may fall from their position, he wrapped his arms around her waist instinctively.
She was now dangling on his body, still asleep and unaware of anything else going on--particularly with how much she was silently killing Galvin with what she iJasvertently was doing.
Galvin's eyes were wide as he--albeit lightly at that point--tried to wake her up. Gently shaking her, he continued calling her name in hopes she would not only awaken, but detach herself from his body as the position was physically constraining him and causing thoughts that he knew should not be dwelled on when they're on public transportation to a dangerous area late in the night.
The constant swaying of the train cart caused her to rub against him more, creating more friction and prompting him to groan.
"Please wake up, Jas," he begged, his voice cracking. Jasmine's eyelids fluttered open and gave him a brief, puzzled glance before they immediately widened at the realization of their current position.
"Oh my god--" she squealed, nearly falling back in embarrassment. Galvin tightened his grip on her waist, keeping her from collapsing onto the floor. He sturdily held her as she climbed off his lap and sat back on the seat next to him, avoiding looking his way.
Both their faces were red and neither spoke for a good minute. Coughing, Galvin tapped her shoulder, which caused her to shiver and slightly jump up in response.
"Jasmine, we fell asleep and the next stop is Harlem. Stay close by me, okay?" Galvin said in a serious tone, looking deep into her eyes.
Jasmine, without saying a word, only nodded. Both hung onto the poles as they grabbed their bags from under their seat and huddling close by the other, exited the train.
---
The girl with brown hair had her head hung down as she continued walking on the side of the street. She had given up on having people try and notice her as it seemed for whatever reason, her existence was unrecognized. Rubbing a hand around her stomach, she was still notably in need of food and close to her limit.
She currently was in a neighborhood, having walked past various shops and other large buildings earlier. "Please..someone help," she said breathily.
Stopping, she took time to rest, rubbing her hands on her knees and slightly bending down. Her hair surrounded her face like a waterfall. Her waves were dry and in dire need of deep cleansing and her clothes were reeked with sweat.
She bobbed her head up and glanced at the house she was standing in front of. It was two stories and was constructed tenderly with dark amber bricks. She noticed the windows were decorated with various flower pots and other ethnic trinkets.
Her curiosity got the better of her. Looking both ways, she walked onto the white front porch of the house which also had various plants sprinkled over. Scoping the area, she identified what seemed to be two rocking chairs on either side and a couple toys on each seat. Stepping by the door, she glanced down and saw a doormat with a "welcome" printed over it. Vines of leaves were webbed across the side of the house in curved designs.
She gently placed the palm of her hand onto the maplewood door, which had a decorative stained glass flower design embedded within.
"So homely," she remarked in regards to her various observations.
She replaced her hands with her face, pressing it against the door, and looking in at the inside. The house was dimly lit by a lampshade and not a soul was present in that floor. Attaching her hands back to the glass, the girl stood on the tips of her toes to obtain a better view on the inside.
Her eyes suddenly enlarged and the glass, which had felt study before, felt softer--almost like jelly. Pressing her hand further, she found she easily was able to stretch her arm into the door without opening it. Gasping, she brought her arm back immediately and craned it closer to her face. Tilting her hand from side to side, she then looked back at the door upon checking that her hand felt the same. Letting out a sigh, she attached her hand back onto the door and the feeling from earlier sank back in.
"What on earth..." she said in confusion. She stretched her arm in further and soon realized her whole body was able to go in through the door.
Nearly tripping, she panted as she got fully inside, turning around as she tried to make sense of how she was able to go through the door at will.
The scent of food filled the air, causing her to sniff. The girl followed the smell, observing the house and other parts to the best of her ability. Her eyes traced across the various photos hung around and other decorative pieces. From the side of her eye, she saw three white leather couches and a television set somehow connected flatly on the wall.
On top of the black wooden table by the door was a container filled with pasta. There was a note on a light green post-it attached onto it. The girl curiously ripped it off, raising an eyebrow as she twisted it over before trying to see what it said.
Hey Jas,
I made some extra pasta! I tried experimenting with a new recipe. Hope you like it
<3 Angie
The girl bit her lip, feeling a moral dilemma come up. She knew she was just trespassing and the house--and food--belonged to someone else. Her stomach growled, as if on cue, prompting her to exhale.
"Perhaps...a small bite won't hurt," she said aloud to herself as she removed the lid. The pasta had sprinkles of a green substance and clams evenly spread out. She took the plastic fork that was placed on the side and swirled some strands of the pasta before bringing it to her mouth and tasting it.
--
"Sorry about what happened," Jasmine finally said as she and Galvin made their way to her front porch.
"What happened?" Galvin asked in pseudo oblivion. Nudging his shoulder against hers, he then laughed. "It's fine, Jasmine. I didn't know your half-conscious state could be that wild, but I won't judge," he teased.
Jasmine smirked. "And I didn't know you're that weak when something lightly brushes against your body. But it's okay; I won't judge," she retorted.
Galvin felt flustered. He had hoped she hadn't felt his quite evident reaction to her accidentally climbing on top of him. Turning to face her, he smiled. "FYI, you weren't just lightly brushing against me," he then winked before turning his head back.
Jasmine crossed her arms. "Sure, I was on your lap and I did have my arms around your neck but it wasn't like I was grinding on you." She raised both eyebrows confidently before taking out her keys from her pocket and approaching her front door, grabbing the golden knob.
Galvin was cackling. "If our situations were reversed I wonder how you'd hold up. You'd probably say it was my fault for 'brushing against you,' right?" he asked.
Jasmine pursed her lip as she slipped the key into the hole and pushed open the door, holding it open for Galvin.
"If it were you instead of me, I wouldn't react at all. I'd just be chill with it," Jasmine said cooly, cocking her head to the side.
Galvin raised an eyebrow. "Says the girl who squealed when she woke up and nearly fell," he snarled.
"Says the boy who was begging for me to get off his lap because he couldn't handle the feeling," Jasmine teased.
Galvin' eyes widened. She had heard his desperate cry back then too. "I was just asking you to wake up," he argued, although he knew she was right.
"How high your voice went says enough," she hit back. "It's okay, though. I suppose it happens. Better having this experience with you rather than some random stranger on the train. You're my best friend so I know you wouldn't have tried anything. If it were someone else, who knows what would've happened," Jasmine said, shuddering at the thought.
Galvin paused and rubbed his thumb on his chin. He had lost count of just how many times she stressed they were only best friends. "Moral of the story: Don't fall asleep on trains without me there, okay? We don't want you climbing onto anyone else's laps," he said half-jokingly.
Jasmine giggled and hit his shoulder. "Fine, fine. If I'm not with someone I know and trust like you, Caleb, or Naomi, I'll make sure to stay awake," she promised.
Galvin' expression fell again at the mention of Caleb and the thought of her possibly accidentally or purposely climbing onto him. He knew he had no right to be angry or feel jealous as she was not his girlfriend. She was with Caleb and Galvin was just her friend. "Good," he replied.
Jasmine cocked her head to the side and looked at him, wiping her hand across his orehead. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.
"Tired. It was an eventful night," he said, half-chuckling. "Night, Jasmine," he said, waving as he turned to leave. Suddenly, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist and a head rubbing against the side of his neck. The arms gripped him tighter and he froze as the head cuddled into him deeper.
Jasmine smiled. "Thank you again for everything," she said appreciatively, deepening her hug.
Galvin grinned and gently unwrapped her arms."You know I'm just always here," he stated, ruffling his hands through her hair before finally walking out.
---
The brown haired girl exhaled as she laid on the bed which was far, far more pleasing than the hard ground she previously slept on.
She suddenly heard someone running up the stairs and in response, got off the bed.
"Why am I scared," she said out loud, fidgeting with her sleeves. "It isn't as if they'll see me anyways." The small space separating the door from the ground immediately lit up as the lights from the hallway seeped through.
She noticed that on the inside of her blouse was the name "Melody" stitched in. "Is that my name?" she asked herself before removing her fingers from the inside of her blouse and looking straight ahead.
The door flew open and a girl with long, straight black hair stood on the other side with a white hat in hand. She wore what the brown haired girl considered to be "street clothing" and her eyes were lined with black eyeliner. Her brown eyes were as beautiful as they were fierce and perhaps even somewhat intimidating. The girl's fingers flinched and the hat fell onto the floor. Her jaw dropped and her eyebrows crossed together in what seemed to be a mix of evident displeasure and confusion.
"Who the fuck are you and why are you in my room?" she screeched squeezing the door knob as she stared right at the brown haired girl, causing the latter to feel chills with how intensely she stared. The light from the hallway illuminated the fire within the black haired girl's eyes, creating an amber tint that refused to blow by. The hallway itself acted as a backdrop as the light invaded the previously darken room, enveloping it within its grasps.
The brown haired girl's eyes widened and tears immediately dripped from her eyes as a look of relief plastered onto her face. The formerly fully dark room was not much brighter as the light of the hallway entered and reflected off various objects. Her face, although hidden in the shadows of the dark of the night, was peculiarly elated.
Someone finally noticed her.