Loved Not

New account - 2

New account - 2

Morning arrived too soon for Scarlet and she was eager to be out of the house. Her shift wasn’t due till two hours but she was eager to be away from the emptiness the house held for her. Today, she was in high spirits and wanted her outfit to portray that. She picked out one of her new dresses and put on. It was a pastel colored midi gown with puffy sleeves and a rope to secure the fitting, she did a little twirl in it feeling much like a princess. Her hair styled into a bun, she applied some gloss on her lips.

Quickly slipping out of the house before her Aunt could spot her and ruin the mood. Scarlet felt lighthearted at the little victory and hurried to the transparent glass of an office building. Her dress was beautiful and a perfect fit which caused a smile to light up her entire face. Right, she had to create her f*******: profile today and get in touch with Jimmy. The blue of the sky was particularly enchanting this morning that she raised her phone to capture it. The photo turned out crisp and an exact replica of what she physically saw. She turned the camera to take some shots of herself, a smiling photo, her fingers splayed in a peace sign, her fingers underneath her chin, and the straight faced photo. All looked good as she swiped through them whilst heading to the store.

“Watch where you are going,” a firm voice cut through her thoughts, causing her to look up to the elderly man with a wooden stick whom she had nearly bumped into. With a flushed face and an apologetic nod, she tucked her phone away and hurried to the shop, eager to set up her profile.

“Aren’t you a lot early today Scarlet?” the shop owner’s wife said to her.

She hesitated briefly, unsure how to respond before offering a polite smile.

“Don’t just stand there, come in. You are here now, are you not?”

“Good morning” she greeted.

The air carried the warm scent of freshly baked bread, mingling with the rich aroma of cinnamon. The shop owner’s wife, always brisk yet kind, gave her a thoughtful look before turning back to her work at the counter.

“It’s a lovely morning, isn’t it?” the woman said rhetorically.

“Thank you for being a great help yesterday, I heard the shop was bustling more than your usual hours. It wasn’t much trouble, was it?”

“Not at all. Glad to be of use.”

“I will be in the changing room if you need me” Scarlet said as she walked towards the employee changing room to make herself comfortable on the bench knowing she wouldn’t be bothered until her shift started.

Filling necessary information and her f*******: account was finally set up. Scarlet followed her cousin and a few friends from her high school in Manhattan. Choosing a display photo wasn’t difficult for her. The smiling one was nice, but it only captured a fleeting moment of happiness. Wanting something more reflective of her true personality, she settled on the straight-faced shot.

With a display photo, and her blue sky photo uploaded. She noticed she had three new follows, they appeared to be boys she recognized from school. She had seen one of them amongst ‘people you may know’ when she was following some persons. The only male amongst her ‘following’ was her cousin. She wasn’t a fan of the male folk, never had any dating experience and couldn’t recognize love for what it was or could be. She decided not to follow them back.

The changing room started to get warmer, causing her to stand up and open the windows.

A notification popped up.

Jimmy: “Hey Scarlet”

She felt her chest thump with excitement when she clicked on it, she had been trying to search for his account again because she recalled seeing the message button then but then it had gone after she tried adding other people.

His display picture was a dog with its tongue out. So typical of him—it made her smile.

Scarlet: “Hi, I received the presents, thank you Jimmy. I never would have imagined.”

Jimmy: Don’t mention. Did the clothes fit? I was hesitant about it because of your current size. I only recall your size from the last time I saw you and I had hoped you weren’t much bigger. I figured you should be two sizes up at most…. that was tricky.

Scarlet: I have only tested one but they look the perfect size to me. 🤗 hug emoji

Jimmy: Thank goodness. 😅relieved emoji.

Jimmy: “I know you must have wondered what happened all this time. Tracking you hadn’t been the easiest. Nobody seemed to know where you had gone. I’m truly sorry, I had no idea you lost your mum.

Scarlet frowned at his words with creased brows. He hadn't known? She had assumed Aunt Magda took her in as part of a family decision. But maybe there was a lot she didn’t know—things she was too insignificant to be told of. She dismissed the thought.

Scarlet: It’s alright. We got to reconnect, that’s what matters. How’s your Dad doing?

Jimmy: He’s okay, his usual self as you know 😁. He added a smiling emoji for her to understand he meant it on a light note.

Scarlet: Glad to know that.

For a moment, her mind drifted to the past—the times when they all hung out together, and her Uncle brought her treats. Jimmy was usually all smiles and they had lots of fun playing. There were lots of moments of shared laughter which had brought her immense joy.

She recalled that one particular incident, when she had tripped and scraped her knee while they played an overly enthusiastic game of chase. The concern in her Uncle’s voice as he tended to her whilst he scolded Jimmy, telling him to be careful and ensure they didn’t play dangerous games that could likely hurt Scarlet. Jimmy had taken it seriously, hovering over her afterward to make sure she was fine. A wistful sigh left her lips at the memory.

Scarlet: Catching up like this reminds me of old times.

Jimmy: I feel the same way. We should chat often.

Jimmy: Reconnecting like this is good, but I don't want it to be just that. I want us to talk more. To actually catch up, not just exchange pleasantries.

Scarlet’s fingers hovered over her keyboard, a sad smile playing at her lips knowing she couldn’t truly tell him what she was experiencing. The last thing she wanted was for Jimmy to worry.

Scarlet typing…: I would like that—

Just as she was about to hit send, another notification popped up—a message from an unknown sender.

She hesitated for a moment, then clicked on the message

“Hey babygirl”

The sender’s name was unfamiliar. Curious, Scarlet opened the profile. Their display picture was striking— a face wrapped in cloth, revealing only captivating eyes framed by long, dark lashes. An outstretched arm held a perched bird, its feathers sleek and sharp against the background.

Scarlet still had her hands hovering over her keypad wondering who the sender might be when Jimmy’s next message came in. Pulling her attention back.