GREETINGS FROM W

Thirteen

I woke up to the sound of thunder and rainstorm. I checked the window, but steam covered all the glass. I wiped the corner with the sleeve of my sweater, and I cursed when I saw the droplets of water pouring in the streets. 

I needed to go out to meet my friends, and unluckily for me, my dad took his car to work. I had no choice but to take the underground. 

I left my bed with my eyes half-opened, and I walked to the bathroom like a zombie. It was cold inside, and I wished I could bring my blanket everywhere with me around the flat. 

I opened the tap, and I gasped when the icy water brushed my skin. I hurried to push the warm water button, and I sighed as it felt much better. 

I headed to the kitchen to make my breakfast. I opted for pancakes and a warm cup of English breakfast tea. I filled my pancakes with chocolate syrup, and I put sprinkles on top. 

I set the table, and I hurried to my room to bring my phone. I made sure to put some flowers around my plate before I opened the camera to take a picture. After a few shots, I got the photo I wanted, and I posted it on my social media account.

It was nothing special, but I loved to share my photographs with other people.

Sometimes I would take a picture of something nice I saw in the streets and edit it and post it. I didn't have many followers, but it didn't matter a lot as I was only sharing them for my pleasure.

I turned on the TV. They were talking about the award show that was starting tonight. They played videos of all the artists nominated, and I smiled when Sixth Sense appeared. They were the best group in the country, and I started liking them more after meeting them. 

I still had the rose Aaron gave me yesterday. I filled a vase with a little water and put it there. It was on my desk now. 

My smile faded when I-Luna appeared on the screen. They nominated her for the Best Female Solo category, and the Best Song. 

I scoffed and shook my head in disbelief. Not only her songs were bad in terms of lyrics, but she also used a lot of autotune to help her voice sound clearer. 

Speaking of songs, I hurried to my room to bring my laptop. I opened the file Wolfe left for us, and I took a deep breath before I played the first guide. 

I closed my eyes as soon as I heard the gentle piano notes. It caressed my ears, and even though it didn't have any lyrics, I found myself humming to a song I just created in my mind. 

But maybe that was what Wolfe wanted from us. He started the songs, and it was our turn now to finish them. 

I unlocked my phone and started recording my voice. I hummed and hummed as I got transported in a world of piano melodies and contemporary dance. 

Now, now. Another idea. 

This song would go well with contemporary dance. 

I opened the notepad app and typed To You-contemporary. To You was the name Wolfe put to the song, and it made me wonder why he chose a title if it didn't have any lyrics. Perhaps, just like me, he hummed in his head and thought the melodies expressed his feelings for the person or the people he was planning to dedicate the song.

That was how I spent the entire day while my friends were still at work. I listened to the seven songs and took notes for each one of them. Some were slow, others groovy, or rocky— so Wolfe.

One of the reasons Wolfe was a well-known producer was his ability to try different music genres. He didn't stick to one style, and one type of songs. Every time he would offer us a different rhythm and welcome us to a variety of worlds and emotions. 

After several hours of listening and writing, I checked the time, and I cursed when I realised it was already six in the evening. My friends must have left work and headed to Shadow's villa.

I quickly took a shower and put on warm clothes. I took the envelope from the drawer and put it in my bag, then I wore my coat and grabbed the keys and an umbrella before I left the flat.

It was still pouring outside, so I walked faster to reach the underground station. I took the stairs, and I sighed when the rain droplets stopped crashing against my umbrella. 

The underground station was warmer, and I wished I could stay there for the night. I headed to the ticket machine and bought one before I walked to the underground tracks. 

There were posters of Wolfe everywhere, and I smiled every time I looked at him smiling. Even in his death, he could make me feel serene. That's how amazing he was— or is, because he will never leave my heart.

When the underground stopped at my destination, I opened my umbrella again, and I climbed the stairs. The thundershower welcomed me once again, and its iciness embraced me until my feet stopped in front of the villa. I rang the doorbell, and soon, Shadow opened the door for me. 

“Am I late?” I asked with a worried tone.

“No,” Shadow shook his head, “Jay and Tyler are still not here,” he eyed me from head to toe, and he chuckled, “Don't tell me you walked till here,”

“I took the underground,” I closed the umbrella and left it by the entrance, as well as my soaked shoes and coat. 

“You could have called me, Sky.” Shadow raised an eyebrow, “I would have picked you up,”

“It's alright,” I waved my hands, “You just finished work, and you know I'm fond of walking.”

I followed him to the living room, and I found Kaela and Aleyn sitting on the sofa while drinking a warm coffee. 

“Hey, guys,” I greeted them with a smile and took a seat next to them. 

“Green tea or chai?” Shadow asked, and I couldn't help but grin as he was one of the few people who never forgot that I never drank coffee.

“Impress me,” I told him, and he winked. Just like me, he was a fan of tea, and he liked to make it by himself. He never bought teabags as he preferred to buy the natural herbs and infuse them. 

I spotted two envelopes on the wooden table, and I pressed my lips nervously as I wondered what Wolfe wrote to Aleyn and Kaela. 

I opened my bag and took my letter to put on the table with the others, and my friends stopped talking to look at me. I lifted my head and gave them a sad smile.

“You know, after what you said yesterday,” Kaela started, “I reread the letter, and I realised how confusing it is.”

“Mine too,” Aleyn mumbled, “When I first read it, I was still shocked with his sudden death, and I didn't stop crying. But his words sounded strange and enigmatic when I took another look at it yesterday night.”

“You're not the only ones then,” Shadow arrived with a small wooden tray. He put the porcelain cup on the table, and I smiled when the tea fragrance brushed my nostrils.

“Wolfe's words made no sense,” he added as he looked at me, “He kept talking about colours, and I have no idea what it means.”

Before I could say anything, the doorbell rang, and Shadow went to open the door. Jay and Tyler entered, drenched, and they left their shoes by the door. 

“You came directly from the football field?” Aleyn raised an eyebrow, “You could've taken a shower and got changed,”

“I didn't want to be late,” Tyler took the towel Shadow gave him and joined us in the living room, and as soon as he saw the envelopes, he opened his sports bag and got his. Jay also put his letter with the others, and finally, Shadow did the same. 

When everyone took a seat, they looked at me, expecting me to start as I was the one who convocated them here tonight. 

I took a breath and stared at the letters, one by one. They were the same envelopes, and Wolfe probably wrote them with the same pen, but each one told a different story, and each one bore an unsolved mystery, an enigma to decipher. 

“Well, then,” I clapped my hands and rested them on my knee, then I pressed my lips and looked at my friends with a nervous smile, “Who wants to start?”