Coincidences

Act XIX

I held the plushie in my hand, its fluffy fur caressing me. Its ears stood limply, and I played with these. I smiled at the simple sight of it. It reminds me of the day I officially liked Zoey.

I was in bed, yet unable to sleep. I'll probably suffer from insomnia because of her. I tried to lay my head to a comfortable position, but I'm as comfortable as I possibly can. It's not enough, though. I switched from side to side, but it didn't work. I just couldn't fall asleep.

I checked my phone. It was nearing midnight, I saw. There was a notification, too. I tapped on it, it opened Flipboard, and I started to read the article about how to sleep properly. It said stuff like, no checking your phone, no looking at the time, lay down straight and try not to think of too many things. I unconsciously disobeyed everything written there. What a coincidence, as if that would shock me.

I closed my eyes and smiled. I can't shake the wonder off my mind. All I see is her adorable self, her slim body and her warm face, instead of sheep hopping over a fence. Her voice is stuck on repeat, not in an annoying way, but, instead, it was more soothing. I could imagine her beside me, hugging me firmly, while we sit on the boulders with the view of the calm waves.

In spite of all that, I still couldn't help but stay awake. I unlocked my phone again. I inspected the list of active friends at Whatsapp. She was on. Believing the fact, I peered over my window.

To my surprise, Zoey was doing the same. She, too, looked out the window, her phone in hand.

She typed something on the screen. I receive the message. It said, "Cant sleep?"

I replied, "You too?" I pressed send and watched her as she read mine. She nodded yes.

I chuckled to myself. My fingers tapped vigorously on the tempered glass. "How are you doing?"

She answered, "Sleepy, yet awake. Still got school tomorrow."

"I know."

We continued to chat through Whatsapp. We talked about Monday's subjects, how there was a test by then, how the teacher was disturbingly strict, and plans for the summer. We also talked about our pasts. Here's a part of it:

"So, where did you live before you lived here?"

"Somewhere... over the rainbow. Nah, in the Mojave, actually."

"Isn't it hot over there?"

"Yeah. You have to take a cooler full of drinks everywhere you go."

"That's exaggerated."

"I did that once, or twice."

"Do you miss anyone there?"

"Not really. There was a bully who always picked on me."

"Really?"

"Yeah, though his brother is really nice to me."

"Is he your friend? What's his name?"

"Tyrone. You could say that, but we aren't that close. Reasons."

"I can tell. I have some friends, too. I miss them and all, but I don't think I'll ever see them anytime soon."

"So, where did you live?"

"On the other side of the country. The cities there are too chaotic, too polluted, too much traffic. We heard it's calmer in California, so we had it with Manhattan and pack our bags."

"Oh, you're from NY? I've never been there."

"It's cool and all, if you like a busy life."

"Then, no thanks."

We jumped into a deeper topic. "So, how did your dad pass away?"

There was a long buffer between the reception and the "Zoey is typing" sign. After a whole minute of hesitation, she sent the message.

"Car accident."

My reaction was delayed. This is the first time I knew. "My mom died in a car accident, too."

This time, she texted in a normal pace. "I know."

"How do you know?"

"Your dad told me."

So that's what she meant back then. "Oh. Did he tell you everything?"

"Only a bit. He said she saved someone's life. I don't know who."

My memory of it was blurred. I only remember I saw it happen. I can't recall who she saved. "So, did your dad dive into a moving vehicle, or something?"

"No, rather he was driving a car, and, somehow, although he had perfect health, he had a heart attack. The car crashed into a traffic light."

"That's tragic."

She responded after a few seconds; when I tended her, she was wiping her eyes. "Yeah."

I left the topic be and moved on. "So, is your mom asleep?"

"I think do. Is yours asleep?"

"I dunno."

The moment I sent the text, Dad barged into my room. I guess he's fully aware I am still awake. Same goes for Zoey. The lights next door blinked on, and I had no more incoming messages.

"Martin, you have school tomorrow," Dad yelled. "Go to sleep!" He confiscated my phone and slammed the door behind him, in an agitated manner.

Oh, well. At least I won't be able to check both my phone and the time.