Almost Love

The thunder rumbled in the sky as the rain spluttered on the grey rustic rooftop. The weather forecast didn't say there would be rain today. Outside, the pedestrians were trying to hide under the nearest shade they got, where some were just walking in the rain enjoying it happily. "Take a look at the table right now and it's Barcelona's 76 points winning, at 70, Real Madrid at 66. Now again on paper, it seems even with defeat here today. Barcelona should be able to go home but strange things have happened." The commenter summarized. Eyes glued to the television screen and seated at the edge of the couch, Leena had her hands folded in front of her face. The anticipation while watching sports, though it was recorded and the old match, still accelerated her heartbeat. "Daniel from the Frenchman picks the ball and sees his options and fancies himself one against one DK who reads him beautifully." But before Leena could watch the further outcome, Jack screeched and ran towards her, pulling her shirt collar. Leena yelped in pain as the boy dug his nails into her neck. "Fuckk!!" She profanity which was too mature for a child's innocent ear. She tried to detangle herself from her younger child and shouted at the top of her lungs. "ERIC!!!" was all she screamed, knowing that he could be the only person who could save her. Within a second, a large figure appeared in the living room. Exasperated, he eyed the scene in front of his eyes. This was nothing new. The little one wanted her mother's attention but it was the wrong timing. Leena was busy watching the football match. "Jack! What did I tell you? Not to disturb mamma." His words fell on deaf ears as Jack continued to pull Leena's sleeve. "Just get him out of here, would you?" She spat. Eric finally managed to untangle his arms from her shirt. Rubbing the back of her neck, she jumped up and moved closer to the television. "What the f**k!! You made me miss the last couple of balls." "Can you not just take care of him for a few minutes? Just let me f*****g rest today." Leena almost cried out as she let the words loose. Jack flinched under Eric's arms, trying to hide deeper from his furious mother. " Oh, I almost forgot Pete called me earlier. He will be here at any minute. Let us get you ready quickly." Eric dragged the little child out of the heated atmosphere with whatever excuse he could make easily. Pete was Jack's only best friend, as he always said, after Eric. It was Pete's birthday party, which Jack was excited about attending. Just the day before, he was excited over whatever games they would play on Pete's birthday. "Have you prepared any gift?" Eric tried to style his hair in the best way possible but after a few attempts he gave up. "I bought something yesterday from my pocket money. I didn't have enough, so it was a cheap one. I bet Pete's friends will give him something expensive." Jack sighed, finally taking the comb from Eric's hand. "Jack!!" Eric exclaimed sternly. The little boy cut him off and said, "Yeah! Yeah! It's not the cost of a gift but the feeling related to it that matters. I know!" He swirled around on his heels, "you don't have to try so hard to change my mood. I'm used to it, mom's behavior I mean." He stepped closer to Eric, who was now standing before him as if he lost words to speak, and hugged him though he only ended up hugging his lower back. "You suck at consoling others, Eric duckstein!" Mumbled Jack. Eric couldn't help but chuckle as he ruffled the little boy's hair. He knew Jack was not at all like his mother. Maybe he was more like his father. Whatever the case was, Eric was relieved that his little cousin was clever and smarter than him. After half an hour when Jack was left with Pete. Eric heaved a heavy sigh, looking at the mess his cousin left behind for him. He was tired of cleaning the mess of people always left behind for him. It was late evening and the rain still had not stopped. Eric was packing his last boxes of books when his phone vibrated. "Are you sure, you wanna go check it out today?" Came a questionable voice from the other side. "Do I have any other option? Like I said before, the landlord said if I didn't go and check it out today. Then I might not be able to rent it since he is in urgency." Eric put the phone on speaker and walked to his closet. He glanced around his room and realized that he needed more boxes to pack his things. "I understand what you're saying but dude looks outside. It's pouring god's heart out." "The way she phrases things." Eric rolled his eyes. "It's alright if you don't want to join me. I'll go and look around by myself on the top. It's dangerous on the road on rainy days." He tried to find a better excuse to give but he lacked it and his friend knew that when he heard her saying, "alright dude, don't sulk okay! I'm coming with you. Anyways, I had to come with you to discuss the rent and other kinds of stuff." "Okay then see you at seven in front of the bridge. Be right there." And the line was cut. Eric stared at the screen with a light smile on his face. He was reassured that he at least had one genuine friend with whom he could share every little detail of his life without being judged. He was minutes early just in case. He sheltered himself under the bridge while his fingers moved on the keypad rapidly. Eric suddenly rushed out of the house because he had forgotten to inform Leena about him coming back late and getting her to pick up Jack from Pete's house after the party. He simply sends the message. It was after a while when he got "OKAY" as an answer. He was going through his phone randomly when someone tapped his shoulder lightly. Eric looked at the person in front of him and smiled. The girl standing in front of him was not more than his shoulder. The beige shoulder-length hair complemented her round face. She had light makeup which Eric always fancied about her. She never overdoes it. She was his best friend! "I'm so sorry, Eric, actually, when I left home. I forgot my mobile, so I had to make a run to get it, that's why.." Mia paused when Eric shook his head. "You most probably wasted your time with your eyeliner, I bet. That's why you are late." He narrowed his eyes. He waited half an hour for her. He was pissed but he didn't want to show his anger selfishly when she was accompanying him with him without expecting anything in return. "Hey, dude, did something happen while I wasn't around? Did someone pick a fight with you? You're looking so out of the zone." She asked, concerned. She was ready to burst out. Eric remembered the one time when someone picked a fight with him. He was wrapped with bruises when he went home. That day, Mia was sitting over and happened to see the state he returned home. She was frightened but more furious. Her fury resulted in fourteen stitches and one leg for the boy who attacked Eric. "The protective side of her I feared." He thought to himself. "Nothing in particular. Let's go now, we will be late. Otherwise." He dragged her to the bus stop. When they settled, on the last seat on the bus, "I didn't say anything, let's say that." He shook his head trying to clear his mind. When Mia asked if something happened when she was not around, the truth was that something happened. But Eric didn't think that it was important enough to tell her. But those eyes! Those eyes he couldn't forget. He remembered those dead eyes glistening in the warm streetlight with a radiant green veil as of a soul that remained ever so young. He was smiling but the smile could not reach his eyes. As if they were lifeless. At that moment, Eric felt the urge to protect the remaining sparkle in them. Now reminiscing, the urge made his stomach churn. "Stop thinking about everything so deeply, you i***t!!" Eric took out his phone and was going through the playlist on a random music app, songs that would accompany him throughout this one-hour ride. When he heard Mia, "what are you doing? Talk to me, I'm getting bored." She pokes her finger deep into his arm. Eric shoved her hand and rummaged through his bag. Finally, taking out the pair of earphones. He shoved one in her face and added, " Take this and let me be at peace with my music." Mia scrunched her nose but silently plugged the earphones into her phone. She didn't want to make any conversation either and Eric knew that. He knew that she was a person who would listen to too soft music throughout the ride rather than chatting and babbling. There was a comfortable silence between them. After an hour of the ride, it feels like a day to them. Mia stretched her hands above her head as they both stepped off the bus. "Now where to?" She asked as they stepped out of the bus and she looked around. The streets of Austin were busy in hustle-bustle. The roads were congested with vehicles streaming from dusty taxis to limousines while countless hordes of people streamed past on the pavements and in the crowded narrow alleyways, the senses of the pedestrians were bombarded with a bewildering variety of exotic sights and smells. "Five minutes' walk from here. We will reach there soon and I texted the landlord so we will not have any further delay." Said Eric, busy finding the location. He was never good at direction. He often used to get lost in their neighborhood back in his childhood days. His father had once set a tracker on him so they could find him easily. "Give me the address I'll lead. You're up to no good when it comes to direction and I don't want to waste my time here since I'm starving." Mia took his mobile and led the way for them. After minutes, they were standing in front of the three-story building on which, above the bright neon light grashily advertising the random hoarding. The old grey and rusty place was attached with the other two buildings on each side. They didn't realize that they were standing in the middle of nowhere. They walked past several apartments when they finally found the office room. The old couple was waiting for them. "Hello, we are here to see the room which is being put up for renting!" Eric announced as they approached them. "At last you are here. We have been waiting for you." The old man scoffed as he stood up slowly. He was in his late sixties with his timeworn face and winter white hair. He had a very familiar smile as he approached them and added, "if you are late any minute longer. You would have missed us or we would have declined to meet you. As we were about to call it a day." "As you know, we don't want to overwork ourselves at this age." Came a slight, feeble voice. The grandma was pouring water into paper cups gesturing them to serve themselves. "I'm sorry for making you wait so much. It's just the traveling hour was dragged." Eric scratched the back of his neck as he gave one of the cups to his friend. "Shall we see the place first? We can discuss the other matter later." Mia shrugged, declining her friend's offer to drink. "Yeah sure. Young people are sure busy bodies these days." The man chuckled as he took them to the second floor. The room was at the end of the floor. The corridor was scruffy as he unlocked the door of the vacant room. They both gasped, looking at the view in front of them. "f**k!" Has the word escaped from Mia's mouth? "Language idiot." Eric nudged her elbow. The compact room is more like a dog house. The rain spluttered through the broken window, resulting in the floor getting sticky. Eric sighed, dragging himself into the room. The man had left the two of them alone. His eyes lingered through the crook and cranny, the kitchen was manageable and so did the bathroom. He sighed at the realization that he was expecting it to be little more decent than this. When he called the landlord and asked the questions, he didn't lie, but it was not the truth either. But at least he will have his roof and privacy. He wouldn't have to do the house chores and run errands along with babysitting ever so often. "Man, they don't have a separate washroom! Everything is so stuffy here." Mia groaned, stomping out in the corridor. "Let's go down first." Eric was silent, as if he had lost the ability to speak. He was lost in his thoughts debating how to make a decision. He was in desperate need to find a decent apartment on his budget to move in, but the need seemed so far away. "It's a waste to expect anything decent in my life?" He thought to himself. "So, are you sure about this?" Mia raised her eyebrows, gesturing to the corner where the apartment was. "Do I have any other option?" "But..," she clasped her lips, quickly giving up on saying anything after seeing the unknown look on her friend's face. "Let's end this quickly and let's grab a bite." She scoffed, dragging him out. They both head out after settling the rent, but not before they get some student discount and the other details are fixed. Eric was thankful that Mia came in handy with all this settlement. The rain had slowed down when they took a seat at the small hotel by the bus stop. Mia munched on her pasta which Eric had just kept on the table. "Eat slowly." That was all Eric said before digging into his salad. The disappointment was all over his face and didn't go unnoticed by his friends. She sighed and tried to offer him some help, but she knew the outcome of it. "Why don't you move into our place? There's a spare room anyway." She shrugged and added, "you don't have to pay the rent plus the food will be on the house." "Thanks, but no thanks. I know what you mean by the no-rent thing. I'm tired of being the maid and errand boy of the house. Please!" He dug the fork into the tomato piece annoyed. "Your call. I was just trying to help anyway." The ride back home was quiet. Neither of them tried talking to the other. It was late when Eric returned home after dropping Mia. His mother, as usual, offered him to stay but he was too tired to make conversation, so he just smiled awkwardly and left. He plopped on the bed, his eyelids getting heavier, he smiled in relief for the first time in a day. The problem of apartment hunting came to a halt at last. .... Thump! thump! thump! That was all he could hear through his ear. He knew that sound all too well. It was the sound of someone catching up with him. They were doing a 1600 meter race. Thump! Thump! Thump! And he was no longer in first place. He tried to push himself for one last time, getting ahead of the taller guy who just a second ago surpassed him. He wasn't ready to take second place. The big guy frowned, catching up on his breath, trying to get ahead of him before they could realise. The shorter one had already crossed the finish line in a record of four-minute forty-eight seconds and the result announced him winning first place again! The other guys groaned in annoyance. People even cursed him and themselves. "How come he never shakes out from the first spot?" Someone scoffed. "I know right! He's f*****g best at everything he does." "Of course. It's 'Gravin hayda, the coolest guy in our college! We are talking about." The other chipped in. Gravin dusted off his trousers and added, "sorry man. Better luck next time." He winked, shaking his hand at his rival. Who always makes efforts to beat his record. "Next time I will work harder to snatch that first place from you in the original match," Mario swore, glaring at him. "Okay, enough boys! You all played well. That's it for today." They all heard their coach's loud and clear voice. "Gravin and Mario you did well, but you guys should try to help each other often. After all, you are both ace in our team." The coach patted their backs, smiling. "Mario, I'll make sure you stick to the practice a little late. You're slacking behind. Now dismiss." That was enough to make Mario's day worse. He grumbled and walked out, leaving Gravin behind. A moment later, the team were all seated on the bench on the ground. When Gravin bid bye to them, as someone as popular as him, he never sits with anyone like that, let alone be in the conversation. Having the privilege to choose his own circle, he hardly feels the need to talk to others. When the team saw him leaving, someone popped in, " Did you see the new photoshoot of Gravin? Man, he got the looks." "What's the big deal about that? If your mother had been a well-known fashion designer, then you would have been in that jerk's place. There's nothing special in that loose." "That's just your jealousy saying, Mario!" Someone added a little aggressively. "Whatever!" Mario shrugged. Being in second place was never an issue for him but Gravin. Since high school, they were together but they never get along. Gravin has everything that Mario desired. He wanted to snatch them all from him. He watched Gravin jogging off the ground with a smile plastered on his face. "Man.,I thought you would not come today. So we started without you." Cherry exclaimed as he got up to greet his friend. "Well, it's good. I'll drink a little anyway. Its late already." Gravin hugged him back. Moments later, the table was turned into drunkards. Some drifted into slumber. Cherry slipped out some bills from his pocket as he tried to put it on the table. He could hardly seat properly after drinking so much. Gravin grossed out looking at the guys on the table. All five of them had no sense of where they were and what they were doing. He looked at his friend who took out some papers mumbling something which he could not make out. It was when he gave a proper look he realised it was random paper which his friend was thinking as money. He laughed out almost falling from his chair. "Wait cherry the drink is on me tonight. I'll pay." Was all Gravin said before he drew out some bills and kept it on the table. He needed to call the cab ride to fetch his friends. They were tough to handle. Everyone seating on the pavement like a lost dogs almost passing out. It was moment later when he entrusted them to the cab driver and sighed in relief. "Gravin are you f*****g kidding me? I don't wanna go home now!" Cherry groaned squatting on the ground crying. "Stop fooling around. We are going home this instant. Let me bring my car here." Gravin sighed and jogged in the parking lot. When the moments later he came back cherry was nowhere to be found. Panicked he jumped out of the car and there he was standing behind the car pretending to be invisible. "For f**k sake. Let's go." He screamed ignoring the state of his friend and added, "I'm not going to take you for drink with me from now on. You're such a nuisance." Cherry simply laughed in response almost oblivious of his friends limit of annoyance. Gravin was feeling dizzy because of the alcohol he had earlier. He tried to drag cherry by his hand but almost fall down on the ground. "f**k!" Yelped Gravin loudly. "Do you need any help?" He heard someone asking. He looked up to see who it was. There stood a guy dressing in white shirt and black pant with apron tying on his waist. "He was quite handsome for waiter to be." Thought Gravin. "Yes please. Can you help me taking this person in my car." He asked scratching the back of his neck. The other guy simply nodded and they both hold Cherry from each side on their shoulder. The drunk guy grumbled as they threw him on the backseat.  "Thanks man. You helped me big time." "Not at all. I saw you struggling from over there." The guy shrugged and pointed out the small restaurant in front of them where they were standing. He further prompted, "I work part time there at this hour and I often see you struggling with this guy so I thought to help." "Oh alright. I better go now, thank you for helping once again." Gravin quickly put on the seat belt ready to drive off. The guy seems off to him. Someone who maybe can be qualify as stalker? It was true that they often drink here in the bar. But it was odd to him for someone to remember him. When they never came at any fix time to drink. To notice him of all the people and came for help. Gravin was never someone who would welcome anyone to help him in any situation neither he was someone who could openly asks for help. Thinking about that stranger guy gave chills all over his body. "f*****g retard." He cursed under his breath as he speed up on the road honking for no reason. Surely his mood got bitter and the day was ruined even more.