Another City Of Lights.

Chapter 26.

                        New York.

Aaron's POV:-

New York is stuffy, and full of people. And I mean literally full, because the street I'm currently standing on is totally crowded and I don't even have space to move. Not that I would actually know where to go anyway.

I don't like it, I don't like this city, and I can't help but think why Sam always dreamt of this place. It looks like a somewhat better version of my town back home. But I can see her, I can feel her presence all around me. If I close my eyes and imagine her, I can see her perfectly. She would fit in here, ofcourse she would.
She wouldn't mind all the people and the traffic, she would blend in perfectly with them.
It makes me happy to see this is where she is. I'm standing where she might have been a few days ago, or maybe hours ago. I can't help but think that I'm so close to her.

But ofcourse, it turns out I wasn't exactly that close. The address Dash had sent me was of one of Sam's friends. I don't even know where it is, and I don't even know who the guy is. I don't know what he looks like, and I doubt I'll ever find the place.

I have a little over 50 dollars left in my pocket, and I know I need to save the money I have if I want to go back to Chicago, but it's already 2pm and I'm starving. I've had no such luck in finding anything so far, mainly because I never asked for directions, I was just standing and looking at things and wondering where Sam would want to go. And after wasting hours doing that, I realised what an idiot I was being. I was wasting precious time, I could be already with her by now. Instead, I was staring at a tree in Central Park, and wondering where I had seen it before. Turns out, I had seen it, or one just like it, in a picture Sam showed me once. I can't believe I actually remembered that.

It was around two hours later that I found myself passing NYU, and arriving on the street in the address. It was surrounded by who I assumed to be students, and a long line of houses. I had the address in my hand, but I had close to zero intention of actually going towards it. I needed some more time to be mentally prepared for whatever I was going to find, and I really was starving now.

At the end of the street, there were two shabby looking diners, opposite to each other. I stood in the middle, trying to decide which one was probably more shittier, and came to the conclusion that it was the one with the green sign board. There was hardly anyone inside, and that was perfect for me. I hadn't actually made an effort to talk to anyone, and I planned to keep it that way.

I took a deep breath, and stepped inside, hearing the little ding of the door as I pushed it open. There wasn't anyone there and the seats were all empty. I took the one in the back, farthest away from the door. It wasn't comfortable, but I was beyond exhausted and I literally couldn't feel my feet anymore. I considered taking my shoes off, but decided against it. I may be alone, but I wasn't ill-mannered.

I took out my phone to text Dash, just before a tall guy walked over to where I was sitting.
He was tall, probably an inch taller than me, and had jet black hair. His white shirt didn't exactly cover up any of the tattoes on his arms, and his apron had coffee stains.
He offered me a menu, and kept standing there as I picked out the cheapest items on it. I asked for a coffee and a sandwich, and waited for him to leave, so that I could text Dash.

When he came back with the food, I noticed that his name tag said Max. But he hardly looked like a Max to me.

I texted Dash, and finished off my sandwich before my coffee, which meant I could procrastinate more now. It was probably cold by now, but I was nowhere near ready to go yet. I still had to decide what to say to Sam if I found her, and what to say to Dash if I didn't find her.

I was even more exhausted now than I was before I came here, and halfway asleep, when the bell on the door dinged, and a guy came through, carrying a couple of books and an umbrella. His hair was more messed up than mine, standing in various directions, and he seemed to be looking for something.

"She's not here", The waiter, Max, called out to him.
"Ah, fuck", The other guy groaned, and plopped out on a table near the door.

He was literally sprawled across the table, his eyes closed. I couldn't decide if that guy was just tired, or drunk. Max poured him a cup of coffee, without him even asking for it, and sat down across from him.
"When did she leave?", The tired guy asked, still not moving from his position.
"Few hours ago, said she had to study", Max replied, shrugging.
"Can you get me some food?", Tired guy asked, looking into his phone.
"Can you pay for it?", Max spat at him, but still got up to get him something probably.

I didn't know why I was sitting here prying into other people's lives, when I actually had a job to do.
It had started raining outside, and it was getting late. If I was going to do this, it had to be now.
So I got up to leave, and paid the bill over the counter to Max, who didn't even look at me.

Outside, the rain was coming down hard, and I was soaked as soon as I got out the door. I didn't have an umbrella like that guy, and I couldn't get one now anyway.

The address Dash had sent me turned out to be easier to find than I had predicted previously. It was just a few buildings away from that diner, a small apartment on the second floor of an even shabbier looking building. The door was plain wooden and someone had written 213 on it with a black marker.

I couldn't imagine Sam living here in this dump, but I couldn't help but feel nervous as I knocked on the door.
No one answered, but I heard shuffling on the other side of the door, and then a girl threw the door open. She was wearing incredibly short shorts and a shirt and stared at me with wide eyes. She definitely wasn't Sam, which both relieved and disappointed me.

"Can I help you?", She asked, raising an eyebrow at me.
"I'm looking for Remy?", I checked the name again on my phone while I asked.
"Oh, Remy isn't here yet. Who are you?", She asked, leaning on the side watching my clothes drip on the floor.
"I'm looking for someone. When will he back?", I try again, I didn't want to make conversation with this girl, whoever she was.
"Probably soon. I would ask you to come in but I don't know who you are", She stated, plain and simple.
"Right. Well, I'm looking for my friend", I tried again, but she cut me off before I could finish.
"Look, maybe you have the wrong house. No one lives here except for Remy and his girlfriend, okay?", She spat at me.

I didn't know if it was the anger I felt towards this obnoxious girl, or the disappointment of not finding Sam, but I turned around and walked away without saying anything. I pushed past the guy on the stairs, who I thought looked like the tired guy from that diner, but I didn't stop to look. I was out of the that building, and on my way back to Chicago that same night.

My legs were shaking the whole way, I was soaked beyond measure, I had spent the day walking from one street to another, and in the end I had gotten told off by some weird, selfish girl. Dash was wrong, Sam wasn't here. She wasn't here, I would've found her if she was. And now I had no idea where she might be.