The Other Side

Chapter 1: The Weight of Being in Your 30s

In a blindingly bright, empty room, Sally sat on the floor, staring at the door ahead. She had seen it before, and somehow she always felt like she was supposed to open it.

Slowly, she got to her feet and began walking toward it, her heart racing as each step echoed through the strange, empty space. When she finally reached the door, she took a deep breath and pulled it open.

Someone stood there on the other side.

Or at least, that’s what she thought.

But where a face should have been , there was only light.

A few seconds later, her phone began to ring.

Sally woke up in her bedroom, still exhausted despite having spent the entire night in bed. Another night of the same strange dream . The same room. The same door. The same faceless figure.

Another morning with a million questions and zero answers.

She rolled over in bed and buried her face in the pillow. All she wanted was five more minutes of sleep.

Her phone rang beside her.

Sally groaned and reached blindly towards the bedside table. When she finally found her phone, Pamela’s name was glowing on the screen.

Of course.

She took a deep breath and answered.

“Why are you calling me so early?”

“Rise and shine, Sally Sunshine! A big cheer for the big 3-0! Happy birthday to youuu!”

“Oh, sure, thanks Pam! Is it okay if I crawl back into hibernation now?” Sally said, staring up at the ceiling.

“Oh no! Don’t tell me you’re upset about turning 30! Come on, it’s the perfect time to be flirty and thriving”

Sally Rolled her Eyes “Seriously, Jenna Rink vibes now, Pamela? Yes, I’m 30 today, thanks for the reminder. But you know what? Unfortunately, Mark Ruffalo isn’t secretly in love with me. Instead, I’m single, not rich, and still have to go to work and deal with Anna smiling and talking about how perfect her life is. So, I just want five more minutes in bed because I’m completely drained!”

After so many years of friendship, Pamela should have known better than to be so cheerful with Sally, at least not until she’s had her first cup of coffee in complete silence.

“Jeez Louise, Sally! You’re not in the best mood today, are you? How about we hit up a pub later? Let’s have some fun and forget about it. Who knows, maybe you’ll meet a handsome guy who’ll give you a birthday kiss and make your day better. If not, we can just enjoy ourselves like the good old days. What do you say? Please say yes!”

“Maybe, let’s see what happens.” Sally finally dragged herself out of bed.

“Come on!”

“Bye Pam!” Sally hung up.

Elsewhere in Dublin, Jack was just about to wake up.

Mumbling as he shifted from side to side in bed, Jack rubbed his eyes and muttered, “That room again. That stupid door.”

A loud yawn echoed from the living room of his apartment. Jack immediately sat up in bed, he listened to the sound of footsteps moving down the corridor toward his bedroom, followed by the creak of the door opening.

“What’s up, bro? I heard you mumbling all night. Did you have that crazy dream again?” Nick asked, leaning against the doorframe.

“What? What are you still doing here, dude?”

“What do you mean? I crashed here last night, remember? Are you okay?”

“Oh Man! Did you fall asleep on my couch after smoking again?”

“Hell yeah, I absolutely love your couch, man—it’s so comfy! Are you sure you’re okay? You seemed a bit stressed!”

“No, I’m fine! It’s just those annoying dreams I keep having every night.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Nick asked, walking into the room and sitting on Jack’s bed.

“No, it’s just a stupid dream, that’s all.”

“You know dreams usually mean something, right? Sometimes your brain’s just trying to process shit you won’t deal with when you’re awake.” he said, looking straight into Jack’s eyes.

“Sure, whatever. I don’t really believe in that stuff, man,” Jack replied, grabbing his phone from the bedside table.

“Want to smoke a joint and find out?” Nick asked, pulling a joint from his pocket.

“Nah, I’ve got to head to work now.”

Nick had always been a permanent fixture in Jack’s life, effortlessly making himself at home wherever he pleased. He was more like a brother than a friend—the kind of guy who would never let you down, even if you wished he would sometimes. Nick fancied himself a part-time therapist, armed with his patented “push and release” method, which mostly involved getting his friends to open up about their problems while sharing a joint.

Jack mostly called it annoying.

“Let’s have a pint after work then?”

“Maybe, let’s see what happens.” Jack said, getting out of bed.

Later that morning...

At work, Sally was hit by a wave of nostalgia while listening to The Killers’ “When You Were Young.” She was trying to finish a design by the end of the day. It looked fine, but lately she hadn’t been feeling particularly inspired.

She had already spent an hour doodling something completely unrelated to her web design job, daydreaming about what it might be like to work for herself. Then reality kicked in. As Sally saw it, thirty-year-olds with expensive rent couldn’t exactly quit their jobs and chase mysterious business ideas.

Time to focus.

She glanced at her phone.

1:00 p.m. already.

Lunchtime. What a relief.

At lunchtime, Sally nibbled on a ham and cheese sandwich, chasing it with a large can of Red Bull as she struggled to stay awake, yawning while scrolling through her dating app.

“Okay, this one’s whole personality screams gym rat—no! Next. Ugh, I can’t stand it when guys only post pictures wearing sunglasses—no! And great, no bio, nothing interesting,” thought Sally.

Ah yes. The Lunch of champions.

She was turning down every single profile she came across.

“Any luck with that?”

Sally pulled one earbud out and looked up.

Anna. Apparently sneaking out of nowhere.

The last thing Sally wanted that day was for Anna to remember her birthday and show up with some cliché, boring speech about life. She was utterly done with all the overly cheerful nonsense people spout on your birthday, pretending to mean it when they clearly don’t.

“What? Oh, hi Anna, sorry, I didn’t hear you” She trailed off, plucking her headphones from her ears.

“Oh, don’t worry. I just saw you eating alone and thought I’d keep you company.” Anna sat down beside her.

“Oh, no worries. I’m pretty much finished here, so there’s no need to stick around and keep me company.” Sally gave her a tight smile.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help but notice you on the dating app. Are you searching for a new boyfriend? Maybe I can help you find someone interesting. I’m very lucky with that if you know what I mean.”

As Anna gestured towards Sally’s phone, her engagement ring was suddenly impossible to miss.

“No, no luck. It’s all the same—no one’s interesting enough to be worth my time,” Sally locked her phone screen.

“Oh, poor thing. Maybe you should just get out more, you know, explore a bit. Who knows, you might meet someone nice and rich, just like I did when I went to Italy.”

“Hmm, nope! That would mean stepping outside, and just imagining it is exhausting. So, nope, not happening.”

Anna Laughed. “So, how do you meet people?”

“That’s the thing—I don’t”

Anna stood from the table with a satisfied little smile.

“Sitting there all alone, staring at your phone like it’s a crystal ball, isn’t exactly the best strategy for meeting anyone, Honey.”

“Yeah, I know, that’s exactly why I’m single.” Putting her headphones back on.

“She says that it’s easy,” she muttered, rolling her eyes.

Honestly, Anna has been dating this wealthy guy, the son of her father’s friend for ages already. She’s never experienced the wild, chaotic jungle of modern dating. How could she possibly understand what it’s like to be single these days?

Later that day

Jack was on his way home when he pulled out his phone and texted Nick.

I’m up for that pint.

For the first time in a while, Jack felt that going somewhere other than work or home actually seemed worth the effort.

That same evening

Sally went home after work and indulged in an epic shower concert featuring her dramatic rendition of “Young and Beautiful” by Lana Del Rey.

Afterwards, she spent over twenty minutes in a deep, philosophical stare-down with her reflection. She poked and prodded her face like a detective searching for clues, hunting for any signs of wrinkles or expression lines. Of course, the investigation wouldn’t be complete without squeezing every pimple and blackhead in sight.

After spending so much time staring at her reflection, Sally had to admit that none of it was going to turn back time.

Maybe getting older wasn’t actually the problem. Maybe the problem was having a mirror that refused to lie.

And unfortunately, this particular mirror had excellent eyesight.

Eventually, Sally stepped away from the mirror. She should at least try to enjoy herself and do something nice for her birthday. Even though the thought of forcing interactions with other people felt draining, tonight was different. Tonight called for some effort—after all, turning thirty on a Friday night only happened once in a lifetime.

Sally flung open her wardrobe and reached for her trusty little black dress—tight, classic, and dependable. Her Vans sat abandoned on the floor, but tonight wasn’t a sneakers kind of night. No, tonight she was leveling up with her black heeled boots. Mature? Maybe. Edgy? Definitely. After all, you can’t mess up when everything is black, right?

A little makeup to cover the so-called flaws she had spent the last twenty minutes obsessing over, and voilà—perfection achieved.

Now, all that was left was to call Pam and make this night worth the effort.

Later that night at the pub

Jack sat across from Nick, His beer resting on the table between them.

Nick had been talking non-stop since they arrived, but Jack wasn’t really paying attention.

Going out had seemed like a good idea earlier, though now he wasn’t so sure. “The Adults Are Talking” by The Strokes played in the background.

A cigarette felt like the perfect excuse to escape the chatter, so Jack headed to the smoking area just as Nick made a hurried dash to the toilet.

Meanwhile, Sally and Pam walked into the very same pub.

Before Sally could say a word, Pam dragged her immediately to the bar.

“Come on! Let’s grab a shot, raise our glasses high, and make a toast!”

“Two shots of tequila, please,” Pam said, to the bartender with a big smile on her face.

“Tequila? Really? Oh my God Pamela! You’re going to kill me, you bitch.” Giving Pam’s arm a light squeeze.

“Sally Rose, here’s a toast to you on your birthday! I know, I know—you’re feeling all “I’m too old for this”. But guess what? Tonight, we’re throwing all of that out the window and partying like it’s the good old days! And don’t even stress, because we’re gonna be forever young, FOREVER YOUNGGGG—cue the music! Happy Birthday, sister! I love you, you crazy bitch and you know I’ve got your back always, right?! Let’s make this night unforgettable!” Pam said, raising the shot of tequila.

“Oh, thank you, Pam! You’re the best person ever. Let’s do it! Forever young! How about another two rounds of tequila?”

“That ’s my girl!”

Sally and Pam were belting out every song, busting out their hilarious dance moves, and downing tequila shots as if it was no tomorrow.

Across the pub

Nick’s attention was caught by two women dancing near the bar. He nudged Jack and motioned toward them with his eyes.

“Hey man! Check out those girls over there dancing. They look like they’re having the time of their lives, right?!”

Jack barely glanced at them.

“Come on, man. They look gorgeous. I think we should go for it.”

Jack pulled his phone from his pocket to check the time, ignoring the scene.

“I think I should probably head home soon.”

“You’re joking, it’s Friday! What are you doing tomorrow anyway?”

“I promised my brother I’d help him build the new cot for the baby in the morning.”

“Oh yeah, Uncle Jack soon, huh? How about one last pint to celebrate that?” Nick said, grabbing Jack by the shoulders.

“I’m not sure, man, but I think I should head out,” Jack replied, still staring at his phone.

“This is the last one, I swear!”

“Alright, I guess one more is fine, but that’s definitely the last one.”

“Deal, this round’s on me.”

“Thanks, man!”

Nick gave Jack a gentle pat on the back before heading off to grab the beers.

He could sense something was off, but he wasn’t sure how to ask Jack about it without making things uncomfortable. Jack had never been much of a talker and getting him to talk had never been easy.

Every time Nick tried that, Jack would either change the subject or crack a joke, acting like it wasn’t a big deal.

Across the room, Sally and Pam were dancing together when Pam noticed Jack on the other side of the room, standing alone and looking at his phone, and pointed it out to Sally.

“Look at that guy standing alone over there. Dark hair, leather jacket, jeans, Vans...” Pam studied him for another second.

“He looks hot and has a mysterious vibe. I bet he has some cool tattoos under the jacket.”

She grinned at Sally “He is definitely your type, girl—classic old-school, Wattpad bad boy style. Maybe he’s got a special birthday present for you. What do you think?”

Sally shot Jack a brief glance before turning her attention back to Pam.

“Hahaha... You’re hilarious! I bet he’s not even single and probably just waiting for his girlfriend. She shook her head and continued swaying to the music. ” Whatever, I’m not out to chase guys tonight—I’m perfectly happy dancing here with you.”

“I can hunt him down for you if you’d like.” Still looking at Jack.

Sally stopped dancing for a second. “Pamela, no, seriously! Can we just have a good time without chasing after guys? If someone comes to chat, fine, but we don’t need to go hunting, okay? That’s not why I’m here. It’s my birthday, I already decided to go out, so can you just do this one thing for me, please?”

Pam raised both hands in surrender. “Alright, no need to get upset with me. It was just a joke.”

“That’s alright, I’m not angry. Sally said a bit too quickly. “Let’s enjoy ourselves.”

Pam gave her a look but let it go.

A few seconds passed before she leaned closer

“Can I just ask you something?”

“Sure”

" Why you didn’t want to invite anyone tonight?”

Sally’s smile faded slightly. “It’s not that I didn’t wanna invite, I just don’t think anyone would come.”

“Why do you think that?”

Sally looked down at her drink for a moment. “I don’t know, it just feels like everyone is drifting apart. People are getting married, having kids, starting their own businesses, or moving to different countries. It makes me feel like I’m being left behind.”

Pam’s expression softened. “That’s a silly thought to have. True friends would always be happy to be here with you, like me, no matter what.”

Sally smiled “I get it, you’re single and completely unbothered by all this “aging gracefully” nonsense. You’re always game on for a few drinks and a good time.”

“Hey! Of course, I care about it, but I’m not going to stop enjoying my life because of it. That makes no sense!”

Sally laughed, “Maybe you’re right, let’s just enjoy life.”

Pam’s grin immediately returned “Of course, I’m always right—how could I not be? Now, come here, let me take away all your bad luck and negative vibes with just one kiss.”

Sally burst out laughing. “Oh here we go, you are drunk.”

“Come on, Sally Rose, just one kiss, like when we were teenagers.”

Sally started singing “I Kissed a Girl” by Katy while looking at Pam, laughing hard as she remembered their teenage days when they kissed each other just because the song was popular and they thought it was cool.

Clearly, Pam wasn’t the only one who was getting drunk.

But that night, Sally Rose felt happiness in a way she hadn’t experienced for a long time.

Meanwhile, Jack had finally looked up from his phone.

And this time his attention stayed there. He couldn’t help but notice the girls having fun.

Sally laughed heartily at something Pam had said, twirling just enough to make her dress spin. Her vibrant, long red hair whipped around her shoulders as she danced, completely carefree and oblivious to anyone around her.

As she danced with her hand in the air, Jack noticed a spaceship tattoo on her left arm. For some reason, he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Maybe it was the hair, the tattoo, or the carefree way she was having fun without worrying if anyone was watching.

Whatever it was, she had managed to hold his attention longer than anyone had in quite some time.

“There he is.”

Jack turned to find Nick standing beside him again, two pints in his hands.

“What?”

Nick followed Jack’s gaze and grinned. “Looks like someone might have changed your mind. Are you planning to go talk to the girls?”

“Oh no, let them enjoy themselves. I’m just not feeling up to it tonight.” Glancing at Sally before quickly turning back to Nick.

Nick studied him for a moment. “Hey man, you know you can talk to me about anything, right? We’re like brothers.”

“I know.” Jack gave him a small smile. “I’m good, man. Just tired. I should probably head out anyway, or I’ll regret it when I have to get up tomorrow. Thanks for the beer.”

“Alright, Uncle Jack, are you taking a taxi?”

“Yes, sure, don’t worry.” Jack patted him on the shoulder. “See you later.”

Before Jack left the pub, he glanced back to catch one last glimpse of Sally.

Sally was still dancing with Pam.

For a split second, he considered walking over, asking her name, her number—heck, even her favorite pizza topping.

But deep down, he knew he wasn’t exactly bringing his A-game tonight. He didn’t want to waste her time, especially one who seemed way too cool for a one-night disaster. Honestly, he wasn’t sure he could even deliver a semi-entertaining disaster.

Jack made the noble decision to retreat, determined not to pull anyone remotely interested into what he currently considered his gloomy, monotonous existence.

He turned towards the door and left without even knowing her name.