Beginnings
She leaned over the balcony and heard those voices carried by the dark, quiet night, someone crying, screaming, and sobbing. But she didn't know what exactly was happening. Behind, in the room, was her sister, Nora.
"What happened? You seem upset," Nora asked.
"No... nothing. I'm hearing some strange voices out there. I don't know what happened," Lina replied.
Nora, completely uninterested, stepped onto the balcony and handed her the mobile. A handsome young guy in blue jeans and a burgundy shirt, standing in a mysterious pose in front of a black Toyota Camry.
"Who's he?" Lina asked, neutrality on her face.
"Hmm... your college's crush, Zayden."
Lina gazed at his face and thought that he was still like that. Handsome and mysterious. And then, suddenly, she spoke out.
"So... why show him to me? I don't really care. We were just two young people back then. A crush doesn't mean anything now."
"When did I say something like that?" Nora replied.
Lina hesitated; she couldn't meet Nora's eyes and replied.
"I was just... nothing."
She once again looked outside; those voices still lingered; they weren't fading. She put her fingers in her ears and fell asleep. Nora looked at the clock and kept staring.
"What the... It's 2 AM already? I have my test tomorrow. By the way, Lina, I'm quite sure I'll fail this test. I'm just hard-headed. I guess this would be the third time I'll be failing this test."
But Lina had fingers in her ears. She wasn't listening to her. She wasn't concentrating at all. After getting no reply, Nora said to herself.
"Perks of being the youngest child: No one takes you seriously. Perks? I don't know."
She slipped herself into the blanket, rolled into it, and slept.
Zayden opened his eyes with the first ray of sunlight. He opened the curtains of his room, dressed his white bedsheet, ironed his clothes, and went to the library after having tea. He used to read books every morning from his college days. In his youth, he was completely unaware of being noticed by others. It was Lina who searched for him in the crowd.
Back in the town, Nora was getting ready for college. It was her exam today. The same exam he prepared by reading the intro page.
"Every time I fail. Still, I give exams, Lina. Ironic!" She said.
"Hmm... just wasting time and money," Lina replied.
"Get ready fast. I'll visit the library today after dropping you off," she added.
In a while, they were in their car. Lina drove the car and dropped Nora to her college. Nora looked at her in a witty way.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Lina asked.
"I'm failing once again." She replied.
"Not a new thing. Now, go. At least, try."
Nora moved away. She drove the car to the library. She was entering, and there he was, exiting. They both touched each other softly and collided. Her curly brown hair swayed. His glasses fell off on the floor.
She looked up. She stared. She sparkled. It was the same guy Nora showed her. He was Zayden.
"Do you have eyes?" Zayden asked her, smirking.
No reply from her side. She was still confused, still thinking that she actually met him. The same Zayden she had a crush on, and he never noticed.
He waved his hand in front of her eyes. Asked again.
"O, hello! Do you have eyes?"
This time, she replied in a very playful, chaotic way.
"Two. Fully functional. Want a demo?"
"You scamp. Huh!" He replied, didn't ask for more, and moved to the parking lot to his car. He didn't know that she was his mate, Lina. But she did. She was still confused that she actually met him.
"Oh! So, how was that handsome ambassador?" In the evening, Nora asked Lina after she told her that she encountered him.
Lina murmured.
"He? Still handsome."
"What did you just say?"
"Nothing... I was sayin' that I'm not interested. Just a guy like any other."
"Seems like someone just stole your heart."
Moved closer, winked, and continued in a witty way.
"You can tell me. After all, I'm your homie, your baddie, and above all... your sister."
"Nora, Nora... how was your exam?" Their mother, Sofi, shouted from downstairs.
"Ugh, now how will I explain to her that I'm a failure?"
"Don't worry, I'll handle," Lina sighed.
"Yeah, yeah. Go and give explanations, and lemme call Mira. Let's see how she did."
"She's your bestie. What can you expect? Better than you?" Lina laughed and left the room. The door slammed. Nora smiled.
"So when are you meeting me?" He said.
"Kivan, you already know it's difficult for me. I can't meet you," Mira replied, looking at her screen. Nora was calling her.
"Okay, bye... I'll call you later. Someone is calling," She added.
"Hello, Nora, what happened?" Mira asked with her phone on the shelf, like she's not interested in talking to Nora, but has to.
"I just failed my exam for the third time," She replied.
"Uhm, tell me something new," Mira said, tauntingly laughing.
Lina was still thinking about how she met her college's crush, but something inside was killing her. It was the turmoil that he never noticed her at that time, and even now, he doesn't know I'm the one who used to dream about him.
"Will he ever notice me?" Lina asked herself.
"Yes, yes... he will," Nora replied, laughing loudly. She was listening to her standing behind her like a ghost.
"You... Nora, you and your childish behavior. There's no privacy in this home." Lina, embarrassed.
"By the way, he's really very handsome. Keep thinking until he really meets you. Wow, just imagine... You and him. Zayden and Lina," Nora smirked.
"Oh, leave."
"Whom are you talking about?" Sofi had listened to everything they were discussing.
"Mom, we were just talking about someone..." Lina hesitated.
"Yeah, someone in the movie we watched last night," Nora added confidently.
"Oh, so you were watching a movie last night, the night before the exam. That's the reason you failed this test. Lina has told me," Sofi got louder.
"Mom, leave it naa." Nora, still laughing.
Nora held Lina's hands, and they both ran to their room. Sofi walked away there, muttering and cursing Nora.
The voices Lina heard last night didn't fade tonight, either; they were there... like someone waiting.
Lina unsettled.
