Pursuing Nirvana.

t h r e e

A shrill ringing pierces through the still silence of my room. Blinking my eyes open slowly, I reach for my phone to silence the alarm.

6:45.

I groan loudly, internally wishing that I could sleep forever and never have responsibilities.

Looking around my room, I notice the early morning light streaming from the slightly opened window, forming long thin strips of pale light on my bed.

Today is a new day. Another chance in the pursuit of happiness, but also another chance for disaster. Upon this thought, I recall the events of yesterday. Brayden. He'd promised to return to the shop today to meet my boyfriend who doesn't quite exist. My stomach churns at the thought of the possible encounter.

Nevertheless, I push it to the back of my mind. Forget him, I don't need to prove anything to anyone. Today will be a good day and I'm gonna make it that way on my own.

Standing up out of my bed, I walk to my closet and pick out a white Grateful Dead t-shirt and torn black skinny jeans, tossing them carelessly on to my bed.

Slipping on dusty black sneakers and grabbing my name tag, I head out the door and begin my journey to work.

........

As usual, I wave to Alfred who is awake in the early morning hours. He greets me by name as an almost toothless grin spread across his face.

Alfred has always been super friendly to me since the day I moved in, and I definitely count him as a friend even though some may think it's weird to be friends with an old man. I don't mind.

........

"Oh hey, Alex, what are you doing here?" I asked the tall blonde boy organizing some misplaced records.

Wait a minute.

I squeeze my eyes shut and rub them, as if they had previously deceived me. I reopen them to find him still standing there and my heart skipped a beat. I couldn't believe it.

He turns around nonchalantly with a classic smile painted on his face, his eyes filled with joy. "Just thought I'd come in for a bit to help out with dad's shop."

The similarities between us are uncanny: we had the same eyes, hair color, skin, the list could go on for ages. I waste not a second longer and run to him, enveloping the lanky boy in a big hug.

I rock him back and forth, grinning from ear to ear in a state of disbelief. He was really here, right here, in the flesh.

"It's been way too long since I've seen you!"

"I know," He responds, short of breath, "But you know we could catch up more if you would release me from your death grip, I kinda can't breathe."

I apologize, realizing I was probably strangling him and let him go. I guess I'm stronger than I think.

"So how have you been, dude?" I ask excitedly as I unlock the register.

He shrugs and adjusts his short blonde hair, gelled sky high, to assure it's perfection, "It's pretty much the same thing everyday if I'm being honest, studying architecture isn't really too upbeat."

I nod in agreement, "I can imagine."

Alex has been studying architecture at Cornell University in Ithaca for about four years now.
It's been his dream ever since he was a little boy to become a successful architect and to design skyscrapers for major businesses. Now he's finally chasing it.