Finding Paris

Fallen

“Can’t we start over again?” I heard his words echo in my head. I feel the café spinning around me, like I was drowning in all the chatters and aroma. These were the words I wanted to tell him way back and now I hear it coming from him. The moment was so surreal and terrifying at the same time. I was at a loss for words.

“Can we?” He asked again, his eyes hopeful.

As I was about to answer, I remembered Victor waiting at the apartment.

“As friends,” I finally said.

“Okay,” he said happily. “Come on, let’s eat somewhere else.”

Half of me was hoping he’d tell me his reason for wanting to end the relationship before and half of me didn’t really care anymore.

“I can’t,” I said. “I have to go back to the apartment. My friend’s waiting for me.”

“Who?” He asked.

“He’s a new friend you don’t know,” I said, somehow eager to go back to the apartment.

“He?” He said. This conversation was taking too long to end. I’m happy, we both could start all over again – as friends – but I’m feeling really on the edge right at the moment and I just want to get back to something normal for a while, to the apartment. This all felt too fast and weird. I felt like I did something wrong.

“Victor,” I said finally. “Thomas, I have to go now. He must be waiting for me at the apartment. We’ll talk later.”

“Okay,” he said. “I’ll call you. Let’s meet up somewhere again. With Victor.”

“Alright.” And with that I finally stood up and left without looking back. I don’t even know if I did the right thing. My head’s messed up and everything was happening so fast. The road seemed blurry and dark.

When I finally arrived at the apartment, I saw Cecile and Pierre drinking coffee.

“Hi guys,” I greeted them. I didn’t see Victor anywhere so I went up the stairs to the room after a bit of weather talk with Cecile and Pierre. They said it was going to be stormy today and we probably shouldn’t go out until tomorrow when the sky is clear.

I opened the door and saw the room empty and dark. He must’ve left a long time ago. I sat on the bed and looked across the room where his things lie. It was all ordered and tidied up. Everything was in order. He was even more organized than me. I smiled when I saw the picnic blanket we used the day before. The sky looked dark outside and finally, I saw the tiny droplets of rain turn into fat oval ones. It was pouring. Where is he?

Why did Thomas have to come now when I was already used to him gone and now when I’m back to my old self with Victor? This was going to be messy, I can feel it in my cells. At that moment as I was busy pondering over Thomas’ sudden appearance, my phone rang and shook the empty room with its noise. It was Victor calling.

“Yello,” I said. “Where are you?”

“I’m here at Au P’tit Grec buying crepes when suddenly the rain poured and now the long line vanished,” he laughed at the end of the line. “They said it would usually take you about half an hour to get your turn but because of the rain, I was now second in the line!”

“Where is that?” I asked him, happy to hear him so excited.

“At Rue Mouffetard. I took one of the bikes and drove over here when you left,” he said loudly as the strong rain was overpowering his voice. It sounded like a nice place so I told him I’ll go there.

“You should probably not. I’ll just bring you crepes! The rain is so strong out here.”

“I know I can see it from here!”

“Woah, you can see me from the apartment?”

“Shut up and bring me the crepe!”

“I’ll bring you the worst! That’ll serve you!”

“No! I won’t let you in here if you bought me that.”

“As if you would!” He said giving out a huge insulting laugh. “It’s my turn now. I’ll hang up now!”

I lie on the bed and stared at the ceiling. I’ll forget about Thomas first because I don’t feel all that well when I think of him. I’ll probably just mention him if Victor asks. The rain was still heavily pouring and I can hear it hit the roof above. I wonder if Victor brought an umbrella.

“Cecile, did you see whether Victor brought an umbrella when he went out?”

“That reminds me, my dear. He went out so hastily he forgot the umbrella I lent him. Where is he?”

“He’s out on the crepe store at Rue Mouffetard. I’ll call him.”

I ran to the room and dialed Victor. He wasn’t picking up, probably still buying crepes. After a few minutes, I dialed again and he picked up instantly.

“Sup. I bought the crepes and am coming back now.”

“You forgot the umbrella Cecile lent you. And it’s raining hard. You’re going to get really soaked.”

“That’s fine. I have a bag. The crepes won’t sag. Got to go now.”

He hung up. He’s going to get soaked throughout and all he cared about were the stupid crepes. I dialed him again and he’s not picking up. I ran back down and sat down with Cecile.

“All he cared about were the crepes.” I said grumpily while Cecile was polishing the silverware.

“He’s going to get wet. And it’s quite a long ride from there to here. The kid’s stubborn.” Cecile chuckled. “He’s just like Pierre. When we were dating, he used to go this little bakeshop and buy me macaroons. One time, I failed an exam and I met up with him crying. He walked me home and told me he was going to treat me. However, it was raining heavily that time and I told him to just go home. He didn’t listen to me and ran through the rain to the bakeshop and back at our house.”

“I was waiting for him at the front door and he arrived all drenched. He was huffing as he handed me the macaroons, dry and safe. That was probably one of the best days of my life by far,” Cecile said with a smile.

I helped Cecile with the spoon and forks and tried ringing Victor but to no avail. After about thirty minutes of spoons, forks and knives, I heard running from outside. I rushed to the front door and saw Victor running towards the apartment. The bicycle was parked near the gate. He stopped a few feet away from me and smiled.

“How was it,” he said.

“Weird. He asked to be friends again. He asked if we three could eat together. You’re soaked.”

“But the crepes aren’t. Here.”

I don’t know what came to me but I stepped out of the front door, into the pouring rain and I hugged him. I don’t know how long that was but I let the rain run to me and soak me as it did Victor. I heard Cecile out the front door to get the crepes and bring it inside the safety of the apartment.

“We’re soaked,” he said. No one broke off from the embrace. The rain was still pouring and the sky fell darker than before. I heard the leaves rustle.

“Yeah but the crepes are dry. Did you buy me the worst one?” I asked him.

“No. I’ll never buy you anything bad. You’ll always get the best from me,” he whispered in my ear as I buried my face in his sweater.

“Always?”

“Yeah, always.”

I found my Pierre.