Chapter Text
There was something about her brown eyes.
Perhaps it was the way they glistened from the light of the sun outside the window. Perhaps it was the way they slightly creased and closed with her smile. Perhaps it was the way they hung on his own for a second too long.
It was a glance.
Nothing more. Nothing less.
They were the eyes of a stranger. He had someone before him–another pair of eyes looking to lock with his own that he needed to focus on. He had only looked aside for the waiter. He had only caught her eyes by accident.
There were so many other things that could have taken his attention. The smell of caramel coffee and warm food. The feeling of a sunny day on his skin. The sound of chatter; his date’s confident and joyous voice.
Yet, out of all of those, he caught her eyes.
It was a glance.
Nothing more. Nothing less.
They looked away after just a few seconds. She had her person. He had his. Neither of their partners took notice. Nobody else in the whole world did. They would forget about this; they should forget about this.
For it was just a glance.
Nothing more. Nothing less.
Or at least, it had to be.
For when he turned back to his date, continued his conversation, ordered their drinks, discussed shared interests, shared family histories, made plans for the next date, and wished each other well, he still couldn’t get it out of his mind.
Those brown eyes.
Glistening. Joyous. Fond. Full of light.
Why…
Why did they seem so familiar?
A Silent Faulty Feeling
He had noticed it brewing in the distance near the tail end of the date, but by the time Mark had wished her farewell, finished his coffee, paid, and left, the rain had already started to come down.
It wasn’t necessarily heavy, but rain during these hot months always brought a thick sludge of humidity that clogged the senses. He stepped out the front door with a sigh. The train station was a fair walk away.
The date had gone well, or at least he thought. He pulled out his phone and went to the profile of his date. Her name was Ruby. She had a nice smile and an even nicer voice. She listened when he talked, and she had plenty to say about herself. A few of his previous dates felt like he had to pry any sort of sentence out of them.
They were already friends on social media, so he sent through a series of quick messages.
‘Least the rain waited until we were done haha
I enjoyed today. It was nice seeing you
Let me know if you’re free from work next Saturday for what we planned!
Take care.’
He pocketed his phone with a smile but looked around himself. Of course, he had neglected to bring an umbrella. Things had felt too perfect today. There always had to be one thing that went wrong.
Or maybe Cathy was just sending him a little blessing.
“Heh.”
Mark chuckled, before looking ahead of himself. It’d been years since that night, but he still remembered it like it was yesterday.
He took his hand out of his pocket and slowly extended his arm into the rain.
The rain felt warm against his skin, almost bursting that very warmth into his nerves, lighting his body up with gentle simmering joy. Droplets, one after the other, pittering and pattering against him, exploding into even smaller blots of water that ran down his wrist, before clashing with the ground and ceasing to be.
He turned his hand, gathering the rain in his hand. A warm creek ran down the creases of his palm, sliding off to the sides. He felt as if he had become host to a connecting line of seas and rivers, all gathered on his hand, all joining into one rapid on his wrist.
He never really understood why Cath was so obsessed with this for so long, but as he had grown older–and well, ‘wiser’ is a stretch, but regardless–he had begun to realize what she meant on that night.
Not that he’d tell her. She was still a weirdo, forever and always.
“You’ll get sick if you keep doing that.”
A sudden voice. Mark’s eyes widened.
There was the shock of suddenly realizing someone was standing right beside him. Of course that’d make him jump. But it was something more that sent such a visceral reaction through his spine.
He turned.
Brown eyes.
Long dark hair.
That smile; one of confidence and just a hint of teasing.
Mark blinked. So did she.
There was a glance, once again.
A word lingering on the tips of their tongue. A skip in the beat of their hearts. A jolt to the senses.
The rain got heavier.
“Ni…”
“Ma…”
Nothing escaped in that moment, but the two of them held something between them that lasted just a touch too many milliseconds.
Mark’s lips closed. His eyes narrowed from their widened state, and he returned that smile; one of even more confidence and a lot more teasing. “Hey, it’s just my arm. Won’t kill me.”
The girl returned to a neutral state upon hearing his words. She shook off whatever this… feeling was, and just sighed. “Maybe not, but you were holding it out for a full minute. I was beginning to wonder if your date had gone that badly.”
“Hah! Nah, nah… Just… I like doing this, I suppose.” He looks at his extended arm. “Calms the nerves.”
“I see…” Nicole looks over his arm. “You seemed all confident over there, I would’ve never known you were nervous.”
“Well, this was first date number four . I was on my best behavior,” Mark said. “It went pretty well, all things considered. I’m just glad she managed to get a ride home before all this started coming down.”
“Aren’t you sweet,” the girl chuckled. “So, what, you have to walk in this now?”
“To the station, yeah,” Mark sighed. “It’s not exactly far, but I’ll have to dash through all this. And of course, no umbrella.”
“That sucks.”
“Yep. What about you?”
“Just waiting on my ride.”
“Ah. Cool.”
The two of them looked ahead, silence overtaking them. Just the sounds of droplets against the hard ground, cars driving by. Mark’s left arm was beginning to get drenched. Maybe he was going to get sick if he kept it up this long. He hadn’t even realized he was still doing this.
Just as he went to lower his arm…
“Huh.”
He looked over.
The girl had begun to copy him.
Her left arm, now outstretched, palm upwards, began to catch the rain. She watched with some interest, turning her hand and watching the droplets wrap themselves around her hand. Her look of intrigue turned into gentle joy, her brows narrowing and her cheeks puffing with a smile.
Mark watched for some time. Looked at the way the water soaked her skin, some drops landing on clothes and on the tips of her long hair, nesting there. He smiled, at first fondly, then with a tease.
“You’ll get sick if you keep doing that.”
The girl scoffed. “Jerk.”
“Hey, I’m just trying to look after you.”
“Uh-huh, sure.” She chuckled, before taking a deep breath in through her nose. “Does feel nice, though.”
“Mhm.” Mark looked away. “Sure does.”
The two of them stood there, arms outstretched, feeling the rain. Feeling the comfort, both of the droplets and of the words exchanged.
Comfort. A strange sensation when talking with a stranger.
Neither of them looked at the other for some time, but there was a tightness on their faces. A narrow of the brows, a slight closing of the eyes, a tension of the shoulders.
This was weird, right? Too weird. They were talking as if they were old friends. Saying things they wouldn’t just say to random people. Maybe they were just feeling good that day. Maybe they just clicked.
Still.
Comfort. A strange sensation when talking with a stranger.
“Hey, uh…” The girl cleared her throat. “Station’s about ten minutes away on foot, right?”
“Yeah…?”
“Think I can walk you there if that’s alright.” The girl reached into her bag, pulling out a compact umbrella.
“Oh, really, it’s fine,” Mark waved a dismissive hand. “I don’t want you to miss your ride.”
“Don’t worry about that. Mom can wait.” The girl extended the umbrella, shooting out the circular covering and resting the handle on her shoulder. “Come on, it’ll be on my conscience all day if I just leave you here.”
“Heh…” Mark scratched the back of his head, smiling with a laugh. “Well… If you’re sure.”
Then, he stepped closer.
She smelled of caramel and lilac.
Another jolt to the senses.
Maybe just some strong perfume. But it wasn’t really that strong. Just familiar.
The girl began to walk ahead and Mark followed her. The water beneath their feet squelched against their shoes and splashed in the light puddles.
“So…” Mark spoke up. “Can I ask how your date was?”
“Oh.” The girl blinked. Her lips stretched into the corner of her mouth, her cheek puffing up as she shrugged. “It was… fine.”
“Fine, huh?”
“Yeah. I…” She sighed. “You know. There just wasn’t that… that spark. He was nice enough, but… Well.”
“I get ya,” Mark nodded. “Sometimes there just isn’t a click.” He rolled a word on his tongue, before letting it slip. “That… spark.”
“Yeah.” She nodded. “That spark.”
Another second of silence. It lasted too long once again. Why? Why does this keep happening?
“Well,” Mark said before his mind clouded over, “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It’s fine. I’m… starting to think this whole dating scene isn’t for me, really.” The girl smiled as she looked down. “I’ve never met a guy that’s been bad , but every time, it’s just… not enough? Like… I don’t know. I don’t believe in that whole ‘the one’ business, but… I feel like I’d just know when the right person came along. And so far… Nothing.”
“Maybe you’re just picky.”
“Maybe you’re just an ass.”
Mark laughed. “Alright, alright. I mean… I get it. This stuff matters, this… person you want to spend your life with. Helps to really know who you want.” He looks at her. “You’ll find the right guy one day.”
“Yeah…” She nodded. “Yeah.”
Silence, once again.
They felt like they could talk to each other for ages. There was so much to say, but there was also something clouding their minds.
His throat was so tight, it blocked any more words that tried to escape. His head refused to lift. It was like his very nerves stopped obeying him.
These thoughts he was having… They weren’t making sense.
None of this was.
“Hey, here we are.”
He looked up. The entrance to the station. How much time had passed? It felt like a blur once the silence filled the space between them.
“Ah…” Mark cleared his throat. “T-Thanks. I… really appreciate this.”
“Don’t mention it.” The girl rested the umbrella against her shoulder, spinning it. “Scored me some good karma for the day.”
“Glad to be of assistance.”
Mark walked out from under the umbrella, shielding his face from some rain as he made his way to the shelter of the station entrance. He should’ve just kept walking. Got his ticket for home. Continued on with his life. This was just a brief but pleasant conversation.
But…
“H-hey.”
He turned around.
And the girl was still standing there.
Space between them. Her under the umbrella. Him under the shelter, standing before the stairs to the station.
A meeting of eyes, a little widened.
Mark swallowed something down his tight throat. He looked down and pulled himself together. He stilled his mind, cleared his nerves, and forced the words out.
He looked up. “What… What’s your name?”
The girl’s mouth hung a little loose, her grip on her umbrella a little tight. It all eased with those words, and a smile crept onto the corner of her lips.
“Nicole. Nicole Lacsamana.”
Brown eyes.
Comfort.
Smile.
Joy.
Rain.
Memories.
Familiarity.
Familiarity.
Familiarity.
An overwhelming of the senses.
Neither let it show, both let it flow through their bodies.
He pocketed his hands and returned: “I’m Mark. Borja. It was… good to meet you, Nicole.”
“Yeah.” She nodded. “You too, Mark. Take care on the way home.”
“You as well.”
Then, they stood.
Neither of them moved.
Neither of them even blinked.
They had to focus on each other’s eyes.
Keep this contact.
Keep this…
This what?
This… connection? What connection? There was nothing there. Just the kindness of a stranger.
Mark was the first to move, but it felt like he had to will his entire body to do so. He took a step back, and his foot forced the rest of his body to turn.
The contact was broken.
He walked away.
Nicole was left standing.
She had a polite smile on her face, one to wish him well. Her eyes closed, a small wave, and when they opened, he was already gone. Onto an unknown train, to an unknown destination, to an unknown home.
He was gone; they would never see each other again.
Fifteen minutes. That was all they had. Easily forgettable. A small contact with one person in the middle of a busy day.
Still.
When Nicole opened her eyes to see he had already left…
Her smile faded. Her hands squeezed the handle of the umbrella.
When she turned, her chest tightened with some pain. And when she began to walk home, her legs felt heavy and numb.
It was like…
Like she was losing something.
Losing someone.
‘so go on’
‘Go on what?’
‘u know what i mean! the date, dumbass!’
‘And what makes you think you have access to that privileged information?’
‘ahh so u screwed it up again
its ok mark, we all have our off days <3’
‘Alright, so where’s your girlfriend again?
‘fuck off’
‘Lmao
Alright but seriously
It was good’
‘!!!!!
DJWNWIENJFIWNCW
FUCK YES THATS MY BOY!!’
‘Thanks, mom.’
‘Whens the next date????
WHENS THE WEDDING????????????????’
‘Tomorrow. I was just that good.’
‘Can you schedule it for next week? I’m doing shoots tomorrow.
Also, congrats man!’
‘Thanks, Ridel.
I’ll see if I can talk to her. Wouldn’t want a wedding without my best man/idol.’
‘hes ur best man???? im right here??????’
‘I can have two.
We’re seeing each other again on Saturday hopefully. Just waiting for her confirmation.’
‘keep us updated on EVERYTHING, every word every kiss EVERYTHING!!!!!’
‘I will, mom.’
Cath scoffed at the last text, not even bothering to retort. She had practically raised that boy to be almost as charming as she is. He should be thanking her for finally landing someone after so long.
She lowered her phone, kicking her feet against the ground with excitement. A smile painted itself on her face that wouldn’t go away for quite some time.
She’d been sitting on the front porch of her brother’s home ever since the rain started, waiting for that fateful text from Mark. She was fully anticipating another dud–but her friend had finally pulled through.
Or maybe he just found someone who felt just that bad for him.
Regardless, Cath smiled. She smiled a lot these days.
She stood up from the step of her front porch, waving her arms lazily back and forth as she did. The sun had set some time ago, and the moon lit up the streets along with the lamps. The rain was slowly easing, but it wouldn’t settle just yet.
It was a comfortable rain. The best kind.
She remembered the times before, when the rain was the only comfort she had.
Things were better. She lived with her brother now, and therapy was working its magic. But the deep scars, both on her body and in her heart, were slow to fade and were more than likely never to vanish. It was something she had to live with; something she had to accept.
Still, despite this, Cath smiled.
She took a few steps towards the street. The rain began to hit her, her short hair collecting drops and sinking with dampness.
She was surrounded by tiny explosions, water bursting as it hit the ground, staining the concrete dark and collecting into small puddles. She looked around herself with a grin, breathing in through her nose and smelling the crisp electric perfume of the rain around her.
She looked up, and when the rain began to hit her face, she squinted her eyes. She held out a hand, shielding herself slightly, collecting drops on her palm.
That feeling returned. The wetness slid down her wrist. Dripped against her nails. It rushed a tingling sensation from her arm up through deep up her spine like lightning.
The hand extended beyond her face and outward. She stood there, arm out in the rain as she often did, collecting sprinkles of cozy droplets. She felt lighter, like any stress or anxiety was simply melting away. It was as if the rain was washing out the stains of life, cleansing her soul.
Even after all this time, it was still such a comforting feeling.
“H-hold on! I’ll save you!”
Cath blinked.
The squelching sounds of rapidly approaching footsteps came from her left, and before she could even turn her hand, her vision of the sky was blocked by nothing but pure pink.
The footsteps came to a sudden stop, followed by a few more with a slight stumble, and then the sound of a girl panting. Cath lowered her hand, looked to her left…
Only to see more pink.
It took Cath a few seconds to realize she was staring right at a beret, of all things. A girl was next to her, doubled over with one hand on her knee and another desperately holding up a pink umbrella to shield just Cath. The rain was beginning to collect on this girl's clothes as she ‘protected’ Cath.
“I…”
… Don’t really need saving, Cath wanted to say. Yet, the words did not come. She instead just smiled.
Yes. She was saved. Her hero had come along.
The girl looked up, pushing her pink-rimmed glasses against her face. Her eyes were full of light and, at this point, concern. She stood up straight. “Are you okay…? You’re drenched!”
Cath didn’t even know what to say at first. She was just… looking. So many light colors; white, pink, blue. She had never seen someone so… colorful.
And, well… Admittedly, pretty.
Although she thought that of almost every girl she saw.
“Cool as a cucumber,” Cath replied with a grin and a wink. “Thanks for the save.”
The girl beamed, but Cath noticed the rain beginning to run down her face, burying into her clothes.
Cath stepped a bit closer. “Come on, you’re the one getting soaked here. At least cover yourself.”
The girl let out an “oh”, and pulled the umbrella a little closer to cover both of them. She tilted her head. “What are you doing all by yourself out in this weather?”
“Ah, just…” Cath looked out to the rain. “Being me.”
“... Huh?”
“What?” Cath replied as if it was obvious, looking back to the girl. “I like the rain. Thought I’d feel it for a while before it went away.”
“... Oh!” The girl snapped her fingers. “I get it! You’re a pluviophile!”
“You actually know that term?!” Cath scoffed with amusement. “First person I met who does. Go you!”
“Ah, hehe…” The girl took some pride in that with a laugh. “Helps to be besties with a scientist. I just borrow a few of her brain cells from time to time.”
A scientist?
Cath studied the girl a bit more. She had been lost in the moment; both of being saved and having someone this cute so close by.
On closer inspection, this pink was familiar. And this voice. And this smile. And this… this warmth Cath felt around her. She’s…
“Sofia?”
The girl blinked a few times, her head snapping back to Cath’s direction. “Whuh?”
“You’re Sofia, right?!” Cath snapped her fingers into a finger gun position. “Louise’s friend! She was in the same class as me. We even met at prom years ago, you and I!”
Sofia blinked. She looked Cath up and down a few times, meshing her mind together and trying to remember a distant memory. Prom night… The rain… The one who had to leave early…
Then, Sofia slapped a hand to her cheek as her jaw dropped. “Cathy! It’s you!”
Cath laughed. “How have you been?”
“I’m... I’m alright!” Sofia politely giggled with her eyes closed. “What about you? Got that bakery going after all?”
“Still pulling the funds together, keeping the dream,” Cath chuckled. “I’ve just been busy moving. Live right here with my brother these days.” Cath stuck a thumb behind herself, pointing towards a house.
“ Ooh! ” Sofia leaned over, peering past Cath with some intrigue. “Nice and cozy, too.”
“It sure is…” Cath said with a fond smile as she looked at her home. She looked back to Sofia. “Still keep in touch with Louise?”
“As if I could ever ditch my bestie,” Sofia grinned. “She’s real busy these days, but we make time for each other.”
“She made it into that university she was really keen for, didn’t she?” Cath asked. “As if there was ever a doubt. I knew that queen could go anywhere she wanted…”
Sofia laughed. “It’s all coming back to me just what you were like.”
“Smooth as butter and smoking hot looks to boot?” Cath winked. “Glad I could leave an impression.”
Sofia covered her mouth with some bubbly giggles. “ Surely you managed to snag someone by now.”
Cath sighed dramatically. “Alas, my great love story is still stuck in Act 1…”
“Your time will come,” Sofia said. “I’m still waiting on my dream darling. We’re both just too valuable to go to waste.”
“You get it! Ha… I remember a time when I thought I’d land the perfect love life with Louise.” Cath looked over with a teasing smirk. “Think I still have a chance?”
“That ship sailed a long time ago, my friend,” Sofia shook her head. “But she found someone good in the end. Real good. Believe me, I have a very heavy filtering process before someone ever thought of dating her. She’s in good hands.”
“Well, that’s great, then. She deserves the best,” Cath nodded.
There was a time when such a statement would strike her heart with the force of a thousand arrows, but Louise was just a distant yet fond memory these days.
Still. There had to be an alternate timeline out there where Cath landed her. There just had to be.
Cath let out a heavy sigh. “Ah, Louise… God, I haven’t seen her in years.”
“I’m sure she’d remember you if you two met.” Sofia thought for a few seconds, before suddenly springing up. “Oh, I know!”
Cath looked inquisitively at Sofia.
“She’s delivering a lecture tomorrow at one of the smaller local colleges. It’s an open class. You could come along if you’d like?”
“Oh-ho-ho!” Cath grinned. “I reckon I will! You gonna be there?”
“Sure am,” Sofia nodded.
“Well then I can’t miss it,” Cath replied, pulling out her phone. She brought up her online profile, and showed it to Sofia. “Think you can send me the deets?”
Sofia nodded, taking her own phone and quickly finding Cath’s profile. A copy-and-paste of text later dinged a notification for Cath. “It isn’t too far, all things considered.”
“No kiddin’,” Cath replied as she looked the message over. “Well, I guess I’ll see you there, yeah?”
“ And Louise. That’s who you’re really going for, isn’t it?” Sofia teased.
Cath shook her head. “You just said she’s taken, didn’t you? I mean, it’ll be awesome to see her, don’t get me wrong.” She pocketed her phone.
Then, Cath turned, looked Sofia in the eyes, and smiled.
“But being around you has a funny way of making my whole day a bit brighter.”
Sofia’s eyes widened.
Her mouth hung open just a bit.
It was like the rain had stopped; like the whole world had stopped.
Like time had stopped.
Everything, except the girl in front of her right now and the fluttering in her stomach.
Those were words she had rarely, if ever, heard from anyone. They struck her deep in such an odd way that she couldn’t quite understand. Just…
Her smile as she said them.
It was an image her mind captured and stored.
“I…” Sofia blinked, looking away to hide the heat in her cheeks. “W-Well… I’m looking forward to seeing you there.”
“Yeah…” Cath nodded. “You, too.”
Sofia twirled the umbrella a bit. She took a deep, shuddering breath.
“I… I should be heading home now.” Sofia looked back to Cath. “You should get inside. Even a pluviophile isn’t immune to catching a cold, alright?”
Cath chuckled. “I will, I will.”
Sofia nodded, before turning on her heel to head in the other direction. “See you tomorrow, Cathy!”
Cath watched her go. As her figure grew smaller, Cath’s eyes lost focus, her vision blurring as her mind raced.
Where the hell did a comment like that come from? What caused her to say anything like that to someone she hadn’t seen in years?
And… This tightness in her chest. Was she really…?
“Seriously…?” Cath muttered, putting a hand to where her heart was.
Cath looked up…
And she saw her.
Hand extended.
Rain collecting.
A gentle smile.
Sofia was copying her from earlier. Feeling the gentle drops of warmth on her skin. Admiring just how calming and gentle it all was.
Cath watched from afar and the tingling tightness in her chest only grew stronger.
Sofia didn’t notice. Nobody did. The longing look in Cath’s eyes, the slight tremble of her lips, the twitch in fingers.
Cath looked down, hid herself regardless, and allowed a blush to creep onto her face.
Years had passed since she had experienced these sorts of feelings every day, but they weren’t foreign to her even after all this time. It still popped up in spades, but… it hadn’t been this strong in a long, long while.
Cath scoffed, almost pathetically, but more with pride.
In the end , she thought, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
She was still her same loving self, after all this time.
By the time Mark came home, gently closing the front door behind himself, night had come and the rain had ceased to fall.
He sighed, flicking on a few lights but not too many. His dad would be resting in his room after a long day at work, so he kept his footsteps quiet and steady. The walk home had been much slower than he had assumed.
He found his way to the couch, slumping down on it heavily and wiping his eyes with his thumb and index finger. A lot had been on his mind on the way home. It was nice to just turn his brain off for a bit.
He pulled his phone from his pocket as he rested his cheek on his hand, opening his messages. His recent ones with MCR hadn’t been updated, but they still put a soft smile on his face. He thought about Cath, how much she must’ve loved today. He thought about Ridel, still making his way into the business of filmmaking, having small successes and minor setbacks every other day. His big chance hadn’t come just yet, but it would. He deserves it, at least.
He backed out of the messages and saw his chat with his date. He opened it, and his eyes narrowed.
‘Let me know if you’re free from work next Saturday for what we planned!
Take care.’
You cannot reply to this conversation.
“Wha…”
Mark typed out a quick ‘Hello?’ , but when he tried to send it, he simply got the same notification.
You cannot reply to this conversation.
“Fucking…” Mark leaned forward, holding his phone with both hands. “What did I do…?”
But he would never know the answer. He must’ve been blocked.
She had become a ghost, never to be seen or heard from again. Another missed chance. Another failure.
It sent a punch deep into his gut and an acidity down his throat. He liked her.
He knew he could come off blunt sometimes, but he thought he’d grown beyond the harshness of it from high school, at least a little bit. Did something slip out that shouldn’t have? Was it the way he looked? Did she just do this with every guy she met?
Ah, maybe that last point was a bit too cruel. Still, he couldn’t help this crushing sensation in his chest. He thought he did well today.
He opened the MCR chat, and typed out a single sentence.
‘Bad news: wedding’s been called off.’
It took a few seconds for Cath to come online, read it, then respond.
‘what?????
ok wht did u do???’
Mark sighed and responded.
‘I actually don’t even know this time. She just ghosted me.
Maybe I fucked up somewhere and I just didn’t realize. Wouldn’t be the first time.’
‘oh mark :(‘
Cath sent through a GIF of two bears hugging each other, and Mark scoffed, responding soon after.
‘I’ll be alright. This shit is just harder than I thought. I really do try to be on my best behavior.’
‘maybe she wanted a bad boy
u could try being a dickhead and seeing where that takes u. find someone into that’
‘Sure, Cathy. Girls just love guys who are arrogant pricks.’
‘lmaoooooo
im being a little serious though?
the mark i know has a bit of spice. maybe instead of being prince charming just be urself???
ur always an asshole to me and i still like you!’
Mark chuckled at the idea. He looked down for a bit, then began typing.
‘You’re kidding yourself, Cathy. No one would love me like that anyw’
He stopped typing and looked the message over. Way too depressing. He deleted it, and then typed out something new.
‘Guess I’ll just try again and maybe be a little more real. Thanks, Cathy.
And for the record, I’m only an asshole when necessary.
Which is a lot of the time with you.’
‘ok dick?????
see if i ever help you again’
‘Alright, maybe that was a little harsh.
But seriously, Cathy.
Thank you.’
‘<3
i believe in u mark
you’ll find someone perfect who can tolerate you’
Mark smiled at the idea. But that was all it was. An idea.
He swiped over to his feed, and browsed through pictures of friends, graduations, new cars, news reports. Social media these days didn’t matter to him as much as it used to. He rarely shared anything, only commented on stuff that Cath tagged him in, and left the occasional ‘congratulations’ and ‘happy birthday’ when necessary.
Really, he only kept his account around to keep in touch with friends.
Still, as he scrolled, his swiping thumb slowly stilled. He kept the screen in place, thought back on the day he had, and despite the date, the cafe, the rain, the ride home, one thing still stuck with him.
The girl with the umbrella.
“Nicole…”
His vision blurred over for a few seconds. His thumb refused to scroll on, twitching in place. There was something he had to do to calm his racing mind.
He tapped the search bar and typed in a name.
Nicole Lacsamana.
Three profiles down, he found a familiar profile picture. Brown eyes, long dark hair, blue ribbon. She sat at a piano on stage, concentration on her face, playing something to an audience at a recital.
She looked calm. At peace. In her zone.
He tapped her profile, but couldn’t see much without being her friend. Just updated profile pictures. The one before was her graduation ceremony, standing side by side with another girl. She had similar dark hair but much shorter, and a purple headband. A friend of Nicole’s.
Then, the last profile picture before that.
She was younger but still looked so similar. She stood before a field of sunflowers, holding the camera, smiling, and raising an eyebrow.
Mark tapped on the picture. Zoomed in a bit. Looked it over. Every detail.
This can’t be.
It just can’t be.
His eyes narrowed. His grip on the phone tightened. His eyes widened.
It can’t…
This can’t be his first time seeing this picture.
Everything about it; the yellow of the flowers, the blue of her clothes, even her silly smile…
Why was his spine tingling?
Why was his heart racing?
Why was he… longing for something?
His phone buzzed. He jumped. A notification popped at the top of his screen.
‘Mark?’
He looked up. Then he saw the name of the sender.
“Nicole…?”
How?
How did she know where he was looking?
Did she know?
He was almost scared to open it. Maybe he had accidentally liked something. Maybe he had done something by accident; did he steal her umbrella?
Or… maybe they were just doing the exact same thing?
Stalking each other’s profiles, unable to get the encounter out of their heads, and she just made the first move.
Maybe he wasn’t alone.
Maybe he wasn’t… alone.
He could hear his rapidly racing heart, and feel his body shiver with anticipation and fear. He swallowed, but his throat still felt dry. The notification taunted him, threatening to disappear any second. His eyes couldn’t move away from it.
This had to be a coincidence. Nothing more. He’d be a fool to think anything more of this. This girl was a stranger. A kind one, but still. She was unknown. Just… another person.
Still.
He took a breath.
And he tapped on the message.