Chapter 6 : Hello stranger
1285 Words
AVA'S POV
Monday mornings on campus were a study in controlled chaos, and I felt completely detached from it.
Students hurried between lecture halls, coffee cups balanced preciously in one hand and notebooks tucked under arms, a river of motion that I couldn't seem to join.
Conversations drifted through the corridors, mixing with the rhythmic sound of footsteps and distant, carefree laughter.
I sat halfway down the lecture hall, staring at a page in my notebook that held nothing but the date.
The professor's voice had faded into white noise, replaced by the hum of the projector and the scratching of pens against paper.
Everyone seemed busy.
Everyone except me.
My phone vibrated against the desk, the sudden buzz cutting through my numbness.
Mark ❤️
I hesitated, my thumb hovering over the screen before I unlocked it.
Good morning, babe ❤️ Hope you had a lovely night.
A faint, fragile smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.
It wasn't an apology.
Still... it was something.
My fingers moved automatically.
Morning.
The typing bubble appeared almost instantly.
I've been thinking. Let's go watch a movie tonight. My treat.
I stared at the message, my heart doing a dangerous little flip.
A movie.
Simple.
No crowded restaurant where we would have to perform happiness for strangers.
No forced smiles over expensive food.
Just the two of us in the dark.
Maybe this was his way of making things right.
Maybe he realized he had crossed a line.
I replied before I could overthink it.
I'd like that.
The rest of the day passed a little easier.
The heavy knot in my chest loosened just enough for me to pay attention during my afternoon lecture.
I even caught myself smiling once, a genuine reflex, when I remembered the trailer for the movie I'd wanted to see for weeks.
Maybe tonight wouldn't fix everything.
The damage from the anniversary wasn't something a popcorn bucket could erase.
But it was a start.
It was a step toward normalcy.
By six o'clock, I was back at the apartment.
The silence of the empty space was a relief; Laura was still on campus.
I stood in front of my wardrobe for a moment, my hand hovering over my clothes before I selected a cream knit sweater, blue jeans, and white sneakers.
Simple.
Comfortable.
But I took care with the rest.
I curled the ends of my hair, brushed on a layer of mascara, and added a touch of lip gloss.
When I looked at myself in the mirror, I paused.
It wasn't perfect, and the sadness was still there in the background of my eyes, but I looked happy.
Or at least, I looked like someone who could be happy.
My phone read 6:42 p.m.
Mark had said he'd pick me up at seven.
I grabbed my handbag and settled onto the couch to wait.
Every few minutes, my eyes drifted to the clock on the wall.
6:50.
6:57.
7:05.
Nothing.
The silence in the apartment felt heavier now, pressing against my ears.
I unlocked my phone.
No missed calls.
No messages.
At 7:18, the screen finally lit up.
My smile disappeared as soon as I opened the notification.
Hey babe. The guys invited me to watch the game. Can we do the movie another night? Don't be mad.
I stared at the message.
The words blurred on the screen.
I read it twice, then three times, waiting for the meaning to change.
It didn't.
My thumb shook as I pressed Call.
Mark answered after the second ring.
"Hey."
"Where are you?"
My voice was quiet, terrifyingly calm.
"Leaving work."
"I thought you were coming to get me."
"I was."
A pause.
I could hear the background noise of a bar or a sports grill in the distance.
"The guys called."
"And?"
"I'm watching the game with them."
I closed my eyes, a wave of nausea rolling through me.
"So... we're not going anymore?"
"We'll go another night."
Another silence settled between us, thick and suffocating.
"Mark..."
My voice cracked.
"Hmm?"
"I got ready."
"So?"
The indifference in his tone was a physical slap.
"I thought tonight mattered."
"It does."
"It doesn't feel like it."
A quiet sigh came through the speaker, loud and exasperated.
"Ava, it's one movie."
"It's not about the movie."
Another sigh.
"You're still stuck on the anniversary?"
"You embarrassed me."
"I joked with a waitress."
"You called me a jealous psycho."
"You were acting like one."
I swallowed the lump forming in my throat, tears burning my eyes.
"I just wanted you to choose me."
"This again?"
His voice was sharp now, defensive.
"I don't think you're hearing me."
"I think you're making everything bigger than it is."
"So this is my fault?"
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to."
Silence stretched out, filled only by the roar of a crowd in the background of his call.
Then Mark spoke again, his voice cold and final.
"If you stopped overthinking everything, we'd have a lot fewer problems."
My grip tightened around the phone until my knuckles turned white.
The realization hit me with the force of a car crash.
He wasn't going to change.
He wasn't going to see it.
"I'm unhappy, Mark."
Another pause.
Then a short, incredulous laugh.
"You're impossible to satisfy."
The words landed harder than I expected, stripping away the last of my hope.
I didn't answer.
I simply ended the call and tossed the phone onto the cushion beside me.
The apartment fell silent again, but this time the silence was absolute.
I leaned back against the couch and let my head rest on the cushion, staring at the ceiling.
I stayed there for several minutes, too exhausted to cry, too hollow to move.
The front door opened.
Laura stepped inside, carrying two grocery bags.
She kicked the door shut with her foot before looking up, her cheerful expression faltering as she saw me.
"Ava?"
Her smile faded instantly.
"Weren't you supposed to be at the movies?"
I looked over at my friend, my eyes red-rimmed but dry.
"He cancelled."
Laura frowned, dropping the bags on the counter.
"But... you're dressed."
"I was already prepared."
I tried to smile, but it never quite reached my eyes.
It was a mask that had cracked.
Laura crossed the room in two strides and wrapped her arms around me.
"I'm sorry."
I returned the hug for a brief moment, leaning into the warmth before pulling away.
I couldn't handle pity, not even from her.
"I'm just going to lie down for a bit."
I reached into one of the grocery bags and stole a chocolate bar, my hand trembling slightly.
Laura watched me, pain in her eyes.
"Help yourself."
"I always do."
I managed the smallest, saddest smile before heading upstairs.
I changed into an oversized T-shirt and shorts, tossing the cream sweater and the carefully chosen jeans onto the chair beside my desk.
The outfit looked pathetic now, a costume for a play that never happened.
I climbed into bed and pulled the covers up, the darkness of the room wrapping around me.
The chocolate disappeared faster than I'd intended, the sugar offering no comfort.
With nothing else to do, I opened i********: and began scrolling aimlessly.
Travel photos.
Dog videos.
Friends posting selfies, laughing, living lives that felt miles away from mine.
None of it really held my attention.
I was just moving my thumb, trying to numb my brain.
My phone vibrated.
A w******p notification appeared across the top of the screen.
Unknown Number
My heart skipped a beat.
I frowned, confusion replacing the numbness.
I didn't recognize the number.
I opened it.
Hello, stranger. How's it going?
- Writer
