Vapor (unedited)

0.7

The slight warmth washed over her face gradually became a major nuisance. She woke up, feeling bitter than ever and exhaled loudly, regretting the fact that she didn't close the curtain.

"You're awake." A calm, deep voice suddenly spoke.

Elis didn't turn to look who was the guy. She glanced out of the window, looking at the bright blue sky. To think last night the rain fell heavily and the storm was quite vicious, compared to the weather this morning, what happened last night felt like a dream.

But, it seemed it was all real and Zach wasn't a part of her dream.

"And you're still here." she stated with a hoarse voice, groggily pulling herself to sit up. She didn't even put away her spectacles. This sucks. Her face was oily with natural sebum and her bed hair made it even worse, though, she didn't really mind it that much. Elis blindly search for her phone under the pillow. Once she found it, she pulled it out and noted the time. It was surprisingly early, it was almost 9 in the a.m.

"I am," he responded quietly.

Elis combed her bangs from her face with her fingers and got out from the bed. Zach was sitting on the floor and he stood up when Elis was going towards the door.

"Mom didn't caught you?" Elis yawned walking towards her room.

"She asked me to wake you up," Zach replied simply.

Immediately, Elis stopped in her tracks. Both of her hands fell to the sides and she shook her head. Honestly, Elis didn't know what to expect from her mom, and she felt like the universe was planning a prank on her life or something. She was already tired, and she really don't wanna play any games. But it seemed, the universe really had another thing planned for her.

She clicked her tongue, irritated by this sudden change of events in her life. "You can tell her I'm awake now. I'm gonna wash up and I 'll join you guys downstairs." she said despite feeling despair in her heart. She didn't know why, but she definitely wasn't feeling euphoric nor ecstatic that she was currently under one roof with her crush and that he had slept in her bed few hours before. Instead, she felt this some kind of dread, clawing at her heart, fold her stomach in knots.

Elis heard the footsteps getting closer to the stairs, so she glanced back, trying to take a look. She wasn't very certain before, when she just woke up, but she didn't really get it wrong. Zach wore a plain black tee with the same sweatpants she gave him the night before. That tee, though.

She eyed him until he was out of sight and exhaled slowly. Suddenly her phone vibrated. She walked into her room, somehow not surprised that he made the bed. Without checking her phone, she walked into the bathroom.

It's going to be a long day.

***

Three hours before.

"You know very well, the reason why we were sent." she spoke up, breaking the silence between them.

The earth was still cold from the rain. The clouds gradually disappeared, leaving the sky bare with stars scattered all around the blinding light of the moon. The large ring around the sphere that reflected the light looked like it was keeping the stars from being too near to the moon. But somehow a small flicker could be seen if one looked long enough.

"Though," she took a wet brown leaf and put it on the streaming water in front of her. The water flowed with high current, taking the leaf away from their sight. "In the end, we can't really blame what we feel in this chest. It's a matter of choosing whether you want it or you need it. It can get stronger as time passes, but eventually, it will pass. Everything will pass. Especially when it isn't fated or destined in the first place." she continued with a small smile. A smile that meant anything and nothing at once.

He chuckled, looking up to the sky. "I've watched her lived lives before, never once my feelings betrayed me." he hummed to himself, trying to soothe his heart.

She watched the water that seemed to glitter under the moonlight. The colour wasn't really transparent from the dark of the night that engulf around them. But the water that refracted the light gave out glitters and it shimmered in the soft light of the night. However, morning shall show it's shy colours soon.

"...because, in all those lives, never once they crossed life and never once they met. It is a matter of time and now, it has come, finally." she stopped in her sentence. Although, there were the unspoken ones she didn't dare to say aloud. As if it will end up as a curse and she desperately prayed mishaps and misfortunes won't occur because she had never been so sure as she was right then. This can happen. She was very certain, but sometimes destiny defied her intuition and promised her another time.

She really hoped, some kind of miracle or anything, can make this happen. All those lives the poor girl has been searching for the one, but never seem to find. They've crossed lines but never met. Walked the same road but never intersect. Although, now the tables turned, she hoped -prayed, because finally her other half was making the first step. Their souls had long been apart and they long to be together. It was heart wrenching to be the one to observe and watch their progress. They never find any luck. Never. Not even once, even though they were destined to be together every time their souls reborn.

"You don't even trust your words, yet you still believe even though you can feel it."

She was silent for a while.

"You are not planning to spoil this, are you?" she inquired softly, a string of hope laced in her words as she pulled her legs near to her chest.

He inhaled the fresh air around him and slowly let it out. He closed his eyes and smiled to the sky. "It never crossed my mind. It's just, it's so sick that it has already been spoiled. And the messed up part now, is that, we don't even know what type of mess is spoiling this one chance. Especially after those lives...," his words taste bitter even on his own tongue, but it felt right letting it out from his chest although not entirely.

In the dim lit late night sky, the girl looked up to the boy who was standing besides her, gazing longingly at the twinkling stars. "You love her," she stated simply with thousands of meaning behind it.

He crouched down, palming his face and shook his head lightly. "I'm so sorry." He managed to squeak out a reply, although it wasn't necessary.

She stared at the helpless creature in front of her for a while, then she got up. She shuffled close to him and bent down, kissing the centre of his head. Then she patted the shaggy dark brown locks and smile with a small reassurance. "It can't be helped then." She muttered lowly.

He peered up to the old soul in a small body.

"You can be with her, but you won't be the one who can make her full. She'll be whole but with a hole."

***