A Wrinkle in Love

“If you had a clock that could count down to the moment you meet your soulmate, would you want to know?”

One minute, 35 seconds... My legs feel weak. There is no way I can do this.

One minute, 20 seconds... I glance around at the familiar faces surrounding the room. I’ve been in the same grade with most of them for years. Just my luck, I’ll be meeting my soulmate in this gross, overcrowded cafeteria.

One minute... Somewhere within these walls, someone has the exact same countdown on their wrist. Someone who is supposed to love me unconditionally. Have we passed each other in the halls and not known?

50 seconds...

I am unable to control my racing thoughts. I should be excited, not nervous. Yet I still find myself wiping my sweaty hands down my dress. The anticipation of this moment has been building up for what feels like an eternity. I've heard stories of how meeting your soulmate is supposed to feel like a magical experience, but right now, all I can think about is the possibility of messing everything up.

40 seconds...

An irresistible and mysterious force compels me to stand up. I do, capturing the focus of the people at my table. They all know too, what was about to happen. Their faces beam encouragingly up at me. I bit my lips nervously as I felt even more gazes look my way.

30 seconds...

The same powerful thing pulls me forward to the center of the room. My stomach drops with each step. My footsteps sound louder as I am pulled to an unknown destination.

20 seconds...

With each step, the tempo of my heart picks up. Picking an uncomfortable pace. It's as if the very rhythm of my existence has synchronized with the anticipation that courses through my veins. The world around me seems to blur, the background noise fading away as my focus narrows. Time itself feels malleable, stretching and contracting with each heartbeat. It's not just about meeting them; it's about confronting the vulnerability that comes with the unknown, with the potential of a profound connection.

19...18...17...16...15...

With every step, I find myself inching closer to destiny, embracing the unknown with a newfound courage. This is the moment my life changes forever. Whatever the outcome, I am ready to face it, to embrace the symphony of emotions that this will undoubtedly unleash.

5... 4... 3... 2... 1...

A soft touch on my shoulder sends a shiver down my spine. It's them... I turn to discover myself locked in the gaze of captivating gray eyes. The rush of emotions that washes over me is overwhelming, causing me to release a trembling breath.

“ ‘Ello there, love. It appears as though we are soul mates then, eh?”

As my words fail me, the only thing I could think is, ‘I’m so glad I shaved this morning.’

...

"Strange..." I murmured, glancing at my wrist; the clock had just reached the 30-second mark. I scanned my surroundings, finding no one nearby. The shop had been basically empty the whole morning.

My wrist hit the 20-second mark. I paced behind the counter, probably wearing down the soles of my shoes.

19...18...17...

Where could they be? I couldn’t help but worry that an error would pop up or that they were gone and my timer would run out with no response. I start to panic. I’d change my own fate if I had to. Scared of running out of time I hurry through the back door. There was a park outside, maybe I was supposed to be there to find my soul mate.

3… 2… 1…

A faint ding of the doorbell hit my ear. What was that? They were here! I swirled around and ran quickly back to the register.

“Don’t worry! I am just in the back!” I yelled to make sure the person didn’t worry they were in the wrong place and left.

The moment my eyes landed on a small but muscular looking man, my clock hit zero.

“Hey, my name is Stephen,” I said slightly out of breath. A small smile tugged at his lips.

“Hey, Stephen. My name is Tyler... Nice to meet you....”

...

As I watched my friend, her bubbling excitement grew as she perched herself on the bus stop bench. The countdown displayed two minutes. Her radiance was almost palpable, a vivid reflection of her joy. This day had been etched in her dreams since birth. Yet, she had wished that this long-awaited moment would unfold on a picturesque beach straight out of a postcard or an exotic location – something that could effortlessly spark a captivating conversation.

1 minute, 30 seconds…

“Aren’t you bummed that it’s happening at a bus stop?” I questioned.

“I mean it's not ideal, but these things can’t always be romantic. My mom and dad met in a police station for god sakes. I think everyone hopes it will be somewhere romantic.” She looks at my eyes, and then to my wrist, quickly forming a guilty look on her face.

1 minute, 10 seconds…

“I’m sorry that I keep rambling... It’s just a big day for me you know?” Yes, I do know. You’ve been going on about it for the past year. I tried to reassure her with a smile but I’m sure it didn’t quite reach my eyes.

“Don’t worry. Are you nervous? You’ll be okay, you always are.” I grinned wider, determined not to ruin this for her. It’s selfish for me to be moody. This is her future being determined, right here. But I don’t want things to change. I want to be the first person she comes to with big news... like she always had. But when she meets this soulmate... I will be put on the back burner.

1 minute…

She smiles at me, I don’t know if she did it to make herself feel better or me. She is restless, her feet bouncing non-stop, and her eyes wide with an array of emotions. Excitement, fear, worry, nervousness, and more than I could even imagine. She checked her wrist, and so did I.

30 seconds…

The bus comes around the corner.

"Hey, I’ll leave you alone now ok?” The bus stopped in front of us. “I’ll sit a couple of seats away so I’m there if you need me.” I tried my best to sound happy, and not like I was about to cry. I whispered ‘good luck’ and got on the bus.

I took a quick glance at her while giving the driver my ticket. She was shaking and was turning a slight shade of green. All I wanted to do is go back and hug her, and to give as much reinsurance as I could. But I knew I shouldn’t interrupt her now.

I turned to look at the other passengers to see all of them looked quite old. What? I couldn’t see anyone else at the bus stop either. My heart started to beat frantically. She is only eighteen! She couldn’t end up with an eighty-year-old!

I turned around to see her almost panting. The bus driver asked if she was hurt or if she needed an ambulance but she ignored him. Her eyebrows creased and her face was flushed. Oh, no. Stay calm. I mentally reassured her. Someone is probably running late. I give her a thumbs up and try to give as much comfort as I can through my smile. Though I could feel it come out looking more like a grimace than a smile.

I took a seat at the back of the bus. I looked at my phone. 25 seconds... She stumbled into a seat a few seats in front of me. God, she is going to go into shock if this person doesn’t come.

Suddenly a dark figure raced past my window and a boy jumped on the bus. He has that same frantic look she was wearing. I breathed out with relief. Looks like I won’t need to visit the ER today...

“Get on, we are running late.” The driver spouts, grabbing his ticket. The boy looked around, carefully stepping toward the seats. He’s handsome with bright cyan colored hair. Seeing this I chuckled to myself. My friend hated people with weird colored hair. She always told me they were just begging for attention.

4 seconds...

He spotted her.

3 seconds...

His eyes widened as he walked closer. He moved as if he was being pulled by an invisible rope. Maybe he was... I wouldn’t know…

2 seconds...

My friend stood to meet him, doing the same robotic actions.

1 second...

“I was worried the bus would leave. No way could I miss meeting my soulmate.” A flirtatious grin spread across his face. Through the fake confidence I could tell he was more nervous than her. A shy grin grew onto her face as they sat next to each other. No longer could I bear to hear their conversation. I drew in a ragged breath and let it out slowly. Suddenly I was crying. The hot tears raced down my cheeks. Leaving trails of betrayal in their wake. I tried to slow the tears but to no avail, as the object of my distress would be forever implanted in my wrist. Making me unable to run from my problems.

I stared at my wrist, clawing at it. Trying anything to get rid of it. The numbers have never changed, they never will.

Always at the number zero, since I’ve been born…

Leaving me to be alone… forever.