life in the city

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2:05 A.M. - August 5th

       The note sat delicately atop the nightstand, the lamp illuminating the white paper to make it obvious and visible to anyone entering the room.

jessie,

i couldn't have asked for a better friend. you have always been there for me when nobody else was. i hope you know how much i love you and care about you, and i need you to know that's why i'm leaving. i cannot be your problem anymore. you don't deserve to continue to carry the burden i place on your shoulders. i cant tell you where i'm going, mostly because even i'm not sure of that, but also because i don't want you to come looking for me. i'll be okay. we will meet again someday.

- ophelia

Ophelia knew it was the best thing for everyone in her life. Nobody she had been involved with for the past few months deserved any of this. The only thing that made sense to her was for her to pack up in the middle of the night, take her car, and go. She had taken the entirety of her savings out the day before, which she knew could get her at least halfway across the country with no issues. Her bags were nearly completely packed at that point, with just a few more things to toss into her suitcase. For a split second, Ophelia swore she heard a knock on her window. She quickly dismissed the idea when she realized she was on the third floor, and there was absolutely nothing that could be tapping against her window. Maybe, she thought, just maybe, it was a sign. For her to stay, and do better with the life she had in Michigan.

It was a silly thought, really. She didn't believe in any higher powers, or anything that could've provoked the now prominent knocking on her window every few seconds. She didn't scare very easily, but something about the noises made her skin crawl. It was the dead of the night, so no birds could've been up there, and that was the only thing she could imagine would be that high up. Ophelia slowly stepped towards the window, the knocking getting louder each time, and making her heart skip a beat or two. She squeezed her eyes shut, placing her hands on the window and opening it quickly. The second the window was wide open, and the cool breeze of the night hit her, but something else did too. She felt a sharp pain in the middle of her bicep, and she yelped in surprise.

"Shit!" She heard a voice yell, "I'm sorry!" The boy sounded frantic with his apologies as she glanced down at the ground. She had to squint to see what was happening, but surely enough, Sam stood on the driveway with a hand full of pebbles. "Are you insane?" Ophelia hissed, "Life isn't a goddamn movie! You could've broken the window!" She whisper-yelled, careful not to wake the rest of the house. "But I didn't! Come down here!" Sam yelled, and Ophelia quickly shushed him. "The whole neighborhood can hear you, Sammy. It's three in the morning." She groaned, "You come up here! The front door is unlocked!" Ophelia shut the window, making it clear that if he wanted to see her, he would have to come to her.

She looked around her room, eyes widening with the realization she was clearly packing all of her things. She shoved everything into the closet, praying he didn't notice the lack of decorations she usually kept around her room. It took Sam about two minutes to burst into her room, shutting the door quietly behind him and looking down at her. "You need actual help." Ophelia groaned, picking up her phone to make sure it was fully charged before she left. She hadn't planned to see Sam before she hit the road, but she wasn't exactly surprised he showed up just in time to make things hard for her. That's what he did best, after all.

"My parents were pissing me off. Come here." Sam mumbled, grabbing both of her hands and pulling her into his embrace. Ophelia sighed against his chest, trying not to feel like it was the last time she would ever see him. "What were they doing?" She asked, resting her head on his shoulder. "They caught me smoking in my room, and they won't stop threatening to kick me out." He sighed, pulling away from her to fall back onto her bed. "Shit, really?" She furrowed her eyebrows, sitting down beside him on her bed and studying her carpet. "Yeah. Sorry if I woke you up, or anything. I just wanted to be with you." Sam says, shifting over on her bed to lay his head in her lap. Ophelia squeezes her eyes shut, an ache forming in her chest as she realizes just how much she was going to miss him. "You didn't wake me up, love." She ran her fingers into his hair, gently playing with the soft locks. "What were you doing?" He asks curiously, looking up to meet her eyes.

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