"Nathan, what's your address? We're sending you home!" Kyle asked.I mumbled something intelligible. Unable to decipher my words, Kyle leaned closer and asked, "Where do you live? I didn't hear you. Repeat that!"…The car rolled to a stop. Kyle helped me out of the car and stopped James from getting out as well. "It's alright, James. I think this is Willow's home, so I'll just take him upstairs. I'll be down soon.""Alright. I'll wait for you in the cab."I stumbled along with Kyle. It was November now. The dawn air was chilly. I shuddered, sobering up somewhat.Kyle glanced at me. I seemed a little more sober, but my eyes were still glazed over. "So, which floor do you stay on again? Can you remember?" he teased."9th floor!""Alright! I'll get you there pronto!"Arms around each other, we bantered with each other until we reached Apartment 901. Before I could key in the passcode, the door opened. It was pitch black inside. Before Kyle knew it, I was pulled from his arms and
It had been five days since I moved out of Blake's apartment, but I still couldn't forget what happened that night. The memory just got clearer every time I recalled it.Try as I might, I couldn't forget how lonely and dejected Blake had looked as he left me. I regretted the things I had said under the influence of alcohol.Because of that, I picked up a new habit. Whenever I had free time, I would grab my phone, only to put it back down again without doing anything. I wanted to apologize to Blake, but I didn't know how to do it. Even worse, I had lost a few pounds over the last few weeks. Combined with the fatigue from sleep deprivation, my boss, May Granger, took notice and asked me about my home situation.I sighed. Finally, I made up my mind to call Blake and apologize to him today. Otherwise, I would never be able to focus on my job.Just as I picked up my phone, a call came in."An unknown number?" I muttered, answering the call. "Hello?""Ms. Parker?" I was perplexed. Wh
Jennifer was waiting for me in the hospital lobby when I arrived. She looked haggard; she had probably stayed up all night.We walked over to Blake's ward together. I was anxious. I needed to know about Blake's condition. "How is he, Ms. Parker?""The anesthesia just wore off. Mr. Wagner is asleep now," Jennifer told me. "Please give me the document. I need to head back to the company right now. I'll come back later!""Here. Thanks, Ms. Parker.""You're welcome. I'll take my leave now. Go on in!"I waited until Jennifer disappeared from sight before stepping into the room.This time, Blake had a hospital room all to himself. Apart from the beeping of the machines, the room was eerily silent.Blake looked wan and sallow on the bed, nothing like his usual self. There were bags under his eyes and a scruff on his face. It had only been a week since I last saw him, but his cheeks were hollow and sunken.I felt sad seeing him like this. I regretted hurting Blake with my words and not
During the May Day holiday, I took my girlfriend back to my parents' home.Willow Mayfair was a very quiet and reserved girl. A relative introduced her to me after I graduated from university at the age of 22. We both happened to be working in the same city, Southvale.I didn't understand why my parents were always so eager for me to date. They panicked when they noticed that I hadn't dated anyone at all throughout my university years, unlike my peers.When I asked my parents about it, they cited that the reason for their anxiety was because there were more men than women in today's society. As a result of that, many men would end up single and wifeless in the future.They then said that I looked like the type that would end up being single, so they hurriedly started taking action and making arrangements for me.And so, I was forced to chat with Willow online intermittently for about a year before we finally confirmed our relationship. We didn't have the passionate kind of love th
"Nate, get up quickly. Blake will be here soon. Come on, get up. You can't be late on your first day of school."I still felt extremely sleepy when I was pulled out of bed by my mother, Naomi Richmond. She helped me put on the new clothes we had bought a few days earlier.By the time I was fully awake, I found myself seated at the dining table."Naomi!" a voice greeted. I squinted my eyes against the glaring rays of the morning sun as I looked at the boy entering the house.The boy was tall and thin. His skin was so fair that it seemed to glow under the sunlight. When he smiled, his upturned eyes seemed to be gleaming. He seemed to emanate light, so much so that it stung my eyes a little.For a moment, I wondered how to describe this boy before me. He looked like a fox. In fact, he resembled the kind of foxes I saw in nature documentaries—beautiful and cunning, especially with those smiling eyes."Oh my. You're here, Blake. Have you had breakfast? Come in and take a quick bite. Nathan
Dreams and fantasies were always beautiful, but the same couldn't be said for reality.Blake came back in the evening on Friday under the glow of the sunset. That was right—he was back, and the first stop was my house.Maybe it was because my house was closer to the station, so Blake came here first. Since he had come such a long way, he was probably hungry. I assumed that he would leave after dinner.But one wait led to another. Before long, Blake was lying on my bed.I felt utterly speechless as I was being held in Blake's arms. Not only was I being held, but I also had to listen to Blake's nonstop yammering. Why did Blake have so much to say? Was there any way to get this annoying person to stop talking?As I listened to Blake talk about the new things he experienced at his new school, I found myself gradually drawn in. Blake's stories were quite interesting.Moreover, Blake's voice was very pleasant to the ears. If I had to describe it, I would say it was very soothing and could pu
My fear of Blake piling food onto my plate persisted until I entered high school and when Blake was in his fourth year of university. According to Great-Uncle Gregory, Blake was busy with his internship and wouldn't have time to come back.Upon hearing this news, I breathed a huge sigh of relief.The high school I had gotten into was the same one that Blake had attended. However, while Blake had easily entered the honors class, I had to work tirelessly to secure a spot in the regular class.This particular high school had a competitive atmosphere, with everyone striving to perform well academically. Now, my grades were near the bottom of my class, and if I didn't work hard, I might find it difficult to even get into a reasonably good university.I had no time or energy to deal with anything else other than studying. There was still a photo of Blake smiling on the school bulletin board. Every time I looked at that smiling face, I felt a lump in my throat.I would either think of the way
After breakfast, Willow and I packed their bags and returned to Southvale. The days that followed continued to pass peacefully and uneventfully, just like before. Being a teacher was indeed a great job. I had plenty of personal time to do things I enjoyed. In my spare time, apart from preparing lessons, I would go to the library, pick out a book that interested me, and sit in the sunshine for an entire afternoon. I felt calm and in my element with my current lifestyle.In early June, Willow received a phone call from her family. Her father, Fred Mayfair, had been feeling pain under his ribs. He had been receiving IV drips at the local hospital in his hometown for over half a month, but his condition hadn't improved. His complexion was worsening, and his skin was taking on a visible yellow-green sheen. After the phone call, Willow and I hurriedly requested leave from work. I accompanied Willow back to her hometown to take her parents to Southvale for a check-up. Fred's skin was