Chapter 1
“Is this all?” Miriam asked, wiping a pool of sweat off her forehead. “Yeah, I guess,” said Amelie. “Amy… you don’t know how much I’ll miss you,” she said, tearing up.
“Same,” sighed Amy, “but I’ll visit, okay? Don’t worry.” The housemates that would soon be separated hugged.
“So I’ll see you at the airport tomorrow?” Miriam asked. “Don’t be late! I know work’s a handful but this will be the last time we meet before I move.”
“Someone’s moving across us,” Miriam muttered, looking outside her window. “What? Let me see,” Amy said excitedly, running to the window area hastily.
“He’s so cute,” Amy whispered dreamily. “You really have a soft spot for boys,” Miriam said, sighing heavily.
“But you don’t know about him yet; you have no right to judge him and think that he’s the same as your ex,” Amy said.
“Amy, when are you going to stop being so naive?” retorted Miriam, “I bet 95% of all men are dangerous. Stop your unrealistic dreaming.” Amy stayed silent. “Anyway, we should be eating dinner soon. Get yourself ready,” Miriam said, leaving the room.
The next day at the airport, Miriam greeted Amy goodbye. “What am I going to do now?” Miriam muttered to herself as she walked home.
“Good afternoon! My name is Louis,” the man said, watering his plants and waving. Miriam ignored him. It didn’t stop him from trying to approach her many other times, hoping to befriend his new neighbor.
After work at her office, Miriam made her way to a bar to drink before heading home. As she focused on her screen which had pictures of her with her ex boyfriend that she couldn’t bear to delete, as well as texts from her workplace, she bumped into someone.
“I’m so sorry - oh, it’s you,” the man said, turning out to be Louis, smiling nervously and extending a hand, “let me help you get up.” “I can get up myself just fine,” she retorted, getting up. “I haven’t gotten a chance to ask your name,” he said curiously. “Leave me alone. I don’t want to talk to you,” Miriam replied, continuing her journey.
Putting her headphones on, Miriam played her favorite music to soothe herself from her stresses of work, relationships, and loneliness. When she plays music, the world seems to feel feels peaceful. There was nothing to disturb her, nothing to hurt her. There was only a sweet melody seeping in her ears as she shut her eyes and walked. A bright blue light suddenly shone her way as she turned leftward to realize that in about 2 seconds, she would be hit by a car.
As Miriam looked, terrified and wide-eyed, she felt someone clench her by the shoulders and push her off from the road. The loud vrooming noise faded in seconds and soon, only her panting could be heard. She stayed in shock for a while before frantically checking her surrounding to see if the person who helped her managed to get out of the accident safely as well. Her sweat began running when she saw him - the very man that she ignored for the past month - lying still on the ground.
“Oh no…,” Miriam sobbed as she crawled towards and turned his body, a hand on her mouth and the other on his arm, shaking uncontrollably.
“So I’ll see you at the airport tomorrow?” Miriam asked. “Don’t be late! I know work’s a handful but this will be the last time we meet before I move.”
“Someone’s moving across us,” Miriam muttered, looking outside her window. “What? Let me see,” Amy said excitedly, running to the window area hastily.
“He’s so cute,” Amy whispered dreamily. “You really have a soft spot for boys,” Miriam said, sighing heavily.
“But you don’t know about him yet; you have no right to judge him and think that he’s the same as your ex,” Amy said.
“Amy, when are you going to stop being so naive?” retorted Miriam, “I bet 95% of all men are dangerous. Stop your unrealistic dreaming.” Amy stayed silent. “Anyway, we should be eating dinner soon. Get yourself ready,” Miriam said, leaving the room.
The next day at the airport, Miriam greeted Amy goodbye. “What am I going to do now?” Miriam muttered to herself as she walked home.
“Good afternoon! My name is Louis,” the man said, watering his plants and waving. Miriam ignored him. It didn’t stop him from trying to approach her many other times, hoping to befriend his new neighbor.
After work at her office, Miriam made her way to a bar to drink before heading home. As she focused on her screen which had pictures of her with her ex boyfriend that she couldn’t bear to delete, as well as texts from her workplace, she bumped into someone.
“I’m so sorry - oh, it’s you,” the man said, turning out to be Louis, smiling nervously and extending a hand, “let me help you get up.” “I can get up myself just fine,” she retorted, getting up. “I haven’t gotten a chance to ask your name,” he said curiously. “Leave me alone. I don’t want to talk to you,” Miriam replied, continuing her journey.
Putting her headphones on, Miriam played her favorite music to soothe herself from her stresses of work, relationships, and loneliness. When she plays music, the world seems to feel feels peaceful. There was nothing to disturb her, nothing to hurt her. There was only a sweet melody seeping in her ears as she shut her eyes and walked. A bright blue light suddenly shone her way as she turned leftward to realize that in about 2 seconds, she would be hit by a car.
As Miriam looked, terrified and wide-eyed, she felt someone clench her by the shoulders and push her off from the road. The loud vrooming noise faded in seconds and soon, only her panting could be heard. She stayed in shock for a while before frantically checking her surrounding to see if the person who helped her managed to get out of the accident safely as well. Her sweat began running when she saw him - the very man that she ignored for the past month - lying still on the ground.
“Oh no…,” Miriam sobbed as she crawled towards and turned his body, a hand on her mouth and the other on his arm, shaking uncontrollably.
Tears slowly dropped from her eyes as she whispered, “Please be okay.”
As soon as he grunted and his head started moving, Miriam sighed in relief.
“Are you okay?” Louis asked quietly. Miriam nodded. He smiled genuinely.
“Then I’m okay, too.”
