When it rains in the desert

Brown coats and boots

I won't lie to you and tell you that this is a happy story because that would be a lie and I want to be real with you. This story may rip you apart and I just want to warn you if you want happily ever after then Cinderella will be in the children's section. Now that we're straight with each other let me introduce you to the characters. First of all, Jacob Mendoza (that's me) and for now that's all you need to know;) 

Have you ever felt like your going backwards and the rest of the world is going forwards. It's like everyone's moving and you're just stuck. I'd felt like that my whole life. That is until I met my Celia. God she was so beautiful. She was breathtaking. Her smile tasted like fireworks. Every time. I never understood how another person could make me feel like that. But if I sit here describing her I will be here all day so let's not get ahead of ourselves. I was 23 when I met my Celia, the rest of my life is irrelevant because none of it actually mattered until I met her so let's begin.

"I can't do this anymore man" I whined. I had been job hunting for almost three months and i was getting nowhere. It was emotionally and physically draining. I mean whatever pride I had was getting a little hurt but I needed this.

My parents had told me I needed to take some responsibility and that I was too old to still be  living with them and to be fair they did have a point so I'd been living with my best friend Aaron and although I appreciated his spare bedroom I needed to find my own place and believe it or not I actually needed money for that so here I was after my 7th interview.

They said they'd be in touch by the end of the week but I didn't have too much hope. I heard Aaron laughing on the other side of the phone.

It was easy for him, he was basically living off of his dads money and he maybe sold about three paintings every few months.

"Come on man, you've just got to struggle for a while until your parents realise you're stupid and help you out" he said almost in a reassuring tone.

The thing was, as much as I loved Aaron, I really did not want to turn out like him. I wasn't stupid, just in a pickle. "Whatever I'll figure it out, talk to you later dude" I heard a grunt of acknowledgement and put my phone back in my pocket.

I just needed to walk. To clear my head. To not think for a while. I had been using walking as a means to escape for as long as I could remember.

Always being in the busy city could get overwhelming sometimes. But when I needed it, it provided a distraction.

I loved living in New York, it was like I was finally the man I had always wanted to be (even though I didn't have a job yet,but I was working on it) I had always dreamed of living in a big city. Big enough to feel like I made it. And even though I hadn't yet made it, it felt like the right way. I was walking down some random street I hadn't learnt the name of yet when I saw her.

It's been 12 years and I still remember what she was wearing the first time I'd seen her. Her brown coat with a white button down shirt under it, a pair of black jeans and boots that went all the way up-to her knees. To anyone else she may have just looked like a normal 22 year old New Yorker, but my God i swear it was love at first sight. She had brown hair that fell just below her shoulders but that day it was tied back.

She was waiting for a taxi when I walked up to her so dumbstruck.

"Umm ... can I help you mister" she said with a glorious British accent and a confused look.  she had every right to look confused I was just standing in front of her, in her way.

"Not at all" move you idiot. I don't remember how long I stood in front of her for until my  common sense kicked in. " Shit sorry, erm , I'm Jacob " I said like an idiot, offering her my hand.

"Hi Jacob now if you'll excuse me I need to catch a cab and you're kinda ruining my chances"

"Wait- " was all i could say before she cut me off.
"I'm sorry, i've really got to go" and with that she got into a cab and I thought I'd never see her again.

I went home that night after walking for an hour or so and I could not get this girl out of my head.

She had the funniest little accent and I could not get over how stupidly I stood in front of her like a little love struck high school boy. "Want a slice?" Aaron offered me the pizza box which i gratefully took.

I hadn't eaten since this morning and I was starving. Aaron was watching some stupid T.V show that I could never keep up with. "Hey man why can't we ever watch normal people shows like the office or I dunno Riverdale. Literally anything other than this"
He stared at me for a second before he burst out laughing. "Bro are you 13? Riverdale. No absolutely not"

"Fine I'm off to bed then, I have another interview tomorrow" I said as I got up and made my way to the spare room in Aaron's generously sized house for one person.