Closer and Closest [1 of 2]

Closer and Closest [1 of 2]
by Sam1
Genre: Romance, Slice-of-Life, Shoujo, One-Shot
Length: ~9 minutes

I thought she'd be here when I show up. "I'm sorry, Rose. Something came up late, and I won't be able to come home tonight. I also called your dad about it, and he gave me an earful. I'm really sorry. I feel terrible. And to think that there's nobody there on your first day of moving in with me. I'll see you tomorrow morning instead. No, wait. You're going to school for your appointment, right?"

"Yeah. It's no big deal, auntie. I can take care of myself. I have the address with me."

"What a failure on my part. I'm really sorry again, Rose. I'll make it up to you when I come back. I have to go now."

"Bye, auntie. Thanks for letting me stay here." I hung up my cellphone. Auntie left a note on the table to call her when I arrive. I'm going to live with my auntie for a few months until dad comes back from his business trip over the state. The apartment is empty on my first day, meaning to say, I'm all alone. "She could've left me something to eat." The table was clean and the fridge had only one can of beer, a sliced watermelon, and two bottles of water. How does she survive on this? I was about to dial dad's number, but I didn't want blood to spill, so I didn't bother anymore. I also didn't bother calling auntie anymore about food, because she said that she had to go; she was practically busy with work.

I recalled seeing a convenience store when I got off the bus. Maybe I would also find a fastfood chain there, I thought. It started raining outside, but I was still hungry. I searched for an umbrella inside the apartment and I found a small black retractable umbrella in the pantry. I shook my head. My auntie has a pantry, but it's empty as well except for a sack of rice -- and for the umbrella. Again, I thought how does she survive? I haven't checked the freezer yet, but I was too lazy to cook from scratch. Besides, with the umbrella in hand, I decided to go to the convenience store.

The downpour wasn't so bad. The rain served as a gentle background noise in fact, but it's the kind of rain that a person would get thoroughly soaked if he had no umbrella. It was cool and I felt so unrestricted walking in my new neighborhood. I took my time walking back to the bus stop where I got off. I leisurely walked on the street while trying to familiarize myself with the city.

"I knew it." There really is a convenience store near the bus stop I got off. But I didn't find any burger or a sushi joint anywhere. No problem. It means, that I can go straight back to the apartment, eat and go to sleep.

I picked up some snacks, microwave dinner and some other stuff for the pantry. Auntie will thank me for sure. I mean, if word got out to dad about leaving me hungry as well, it wouldn't be pretty for her sister. Before heading to the cashier, I had this ominous feeling that I might've forgotten my tampon back at my old place. Nah... It can't be. 

"Just to be safe" I picked up a pack of tampons as well. Maybe I also forgot my sanitary napkins and... Fine. Sanitary napkins as well. Do I have bathing necessities? Alright. A bar of soap, a bottle shampoo and a conditioner. And so I paid everything at the cashier. "Now, to carry all these stuff back to the apartment."

The rain died down when I stepped out the store. The streets showed a bit of life when I found more people walking outside. I didn't notice anyone else on my way to the convenience store earlier. Even if the sky was turning dark, not because of the weather, but because the evening was approaching, I felt reassured to explore this part of the city while going back home.

It feels really different this time. Maybe this is really for the best, I thought. Perhaps, I'm here, because I need to take care of my auntie too. My grip became tighter as I remembered the conversation in the train station. It was the first time that someone had strangled the very inside of me. For three long seconds, I was left standing and speechless. My heart ached and I had the audacity not to cry about it. Right on cue, it started raining again and I found myself wondering how I arrived on a fountain plaza. But of course, the fountain was turned off. There was no sense turning it on this late with this rain.

I started to panic a bit. I've been daydreaming my way to this plaza, and I feel somewhat lost. I turned my head back and I couldn't see the convenience store anymore. I planned to trace my steps backwards, but when I heard someone sneeze, I decided to ask for directions instead.

'The downpour wasn't so bad. The rain served as a gentle background noise in fact, but it's the kind of rain that a person would get thoroughly soaked if he had no umbrella.'

I found someone seated on a bench. His clothes were soaking wet. He had no umbrella with him. His arms were folded and he seemed to pay no mind at the rain at all. I couldn't ignore him, and I think he's hurt somewhere. So I approached him. "E-excuse me?"

He looked at me and I noticed that his lower lip was busted. His eyes felt different though. He was surprisingly charming, and an invisible scent of kindness captivated me. I was stunned and I stammered for a moment. "Can I help you?" he asked.

Help me? How ironic, I thought. "I'm kinda' lost." I nervously laughed. "Do you know how to get to Riverton Street from here?"

"Riverton Street? I know." He started giving out directions, but I couldn't understand what he was saying, because I got distracted from everything else; he was getting drenched and my eyes were glued on his busted lip. And then I heard him say, "Got it?"

"M-hmm." I nervously laughed again. I heard none what he said.

"Okay. See ya'."

Then I sat beside him instead.

My body just sat down on its own. And I forgot that the bench was wet. Only when I sat down did my mind cringe. Now, my butt's soaked, but I kept quiet and I held up the umbrella while I sat down. We didn't say anything for a few minutes. I wanted to know what he was doing. I know it's none of my business, but I wanted to know what was wrong. He helped me, maybe I should help him. Not to mention, I also wanted him to repeat the directions he told me. He doesn't look like a criminal or a pervert. Even with his busted lip, he's far from it. Actually, I did not think of him as someone bad. He seems kind and gentle. He stared at me with his pure eyes and he can grab people's attention with his eyes. I think we have the same age. We're a match. Okay, so what am I babbling now?

"Pardon me for asking, but what's wrong?" I asked. He gave me no reply this time. I stared at the ground thinking of something else to say. Maybe it's not my business after all. I frisked the stuff I bought from the convenience store. "Here. Maybe this'll help."

He looked at it, and he couldn't help laugh afterwards. "You're insane." He said when I offered him a bar of soap.

"Well, I thought you were embarrassed to ask. As for me, I prefer to shower at home instead."

He laughed some more while it was raining. "No, I'm good. Thanks."

"I also have something for your lip bruise." I frisked my bag again.

"You have everything, huh?"

"No. Not really. I forgot to buy band-aid. But this'll do just fine."

He laughed again when I was handing him my box of sanitary napkins. "I can't imagine myself using that on my lip." Then he wiped his face with his hand. "It doesn't hurt much anymore." he chuckled. The air around us became lighter. "My name's Ethan."

"I'm Rose."

"New here?"

I nod at him. "I just moved in today. Got these stuff from the convenience store. And I don't know exactly how I got here in this plaza." I guess this is the chance to talk to him properly. "I know it's not my business, but is it okay if I asked why are you outside getting yourself drenched in the rain?"

"You're already asking me your question." Ethan smiled at me. "And at this point, it doesn't really matter if I tell someone else, huh?" He looked at the ground again. The rain has not ceased yet. "I got into a fist fight with some guy. And despite all that trouble, I guess you could say that I got dumped. She just had to pick him over me." I breathed in slowly with the side of his face on my view. "I love her so much. We've been together for a long time. Why did she have to go with him? It's hard to shake it off. When I found out that she was going to break up with me, I immediately asked her where she was. She said that she was with someone, that guy, and that they were having a chat in a cafe near his place. I went straight to see her. I begged her not to break up with me. But then the third party got annoyed. I told him to back off since nothing was official yet, then I got involved in a brawl with him. She got upset at me for hitting him. She slapped me on the face and when I saw her cry, I thought that it was through. I never made her cry before." I noticed Ethan try hard to stay composed. "I can't believe that I'd be the cause to make her cry. I don't know where I went wrong, you know? It was the first time I saw her cry. I've never seen her cry before. It felt like I hurt her. Then I realized that-- ah, she's not happy with me. It's as simple as that." When Ethan started to sob, I panicked a bit. Oh, dear. "Sorry, I'm okay now." But he still cried.

"There, there?" I switched the umbrella to my right hand, and rubbed his back with my left hand. Why does he have to apologize that he's crying? He's just trying to be honest with someone else. "If it makes you any better, I got dumped too."

"I-is that a joke?" Ethan looked at me. "H- how's that going to make me any better? I actually feel terrible for you."

Crap. I just spilled the beans, didn't I? I sighed. "No, it's no joke. I got dumped by my boyfriend. It was such a shock to me. He was my first and all--" Ethan wiped his eyes with his hand and faced me. "Well, to cut it short, he said that a long distance relationship is not going to work out." I stopped rubbing his back and surprised myself that I started wiping my eyes instead. "Shoot. This so uncool. I thought I cried my eyes out already from the bus. Actually, I had thought I cried enough from the train while I was riding the bus." I let go of my umbrella and covered my face with both hands even though it's still raining. "I received my first kiss from him. I thought we had something special. Being with him gave me so much happiness, that I didn't know it would hurt so much knowing that it's over. And he just had to break up with me while I was boarding the train. I should've known better. I mean, when he heard that I was moving away, he changed all of a sudden. What's most depressing is that we're never going to be the same again, him and I. How can we get back to being friends?"

"What a sad picture we are."

"Maybe it's the reason why it's still raining." I remarked. Then I got up and picked up the umbrella I dropped.