Intertwined

Chapter-2

James

I stare at the long hair, ending in soft curls bouncing as she walks ahead of me, pondering. I don't know what it is that draws me towards her. Short, brunette with turquoise highlights, round faced and eyes dark enough to be black, surrounded by smile lines, she is quite mediocre.

"Come on, the rain is getting heavier."

Too engrossed in my own thoughts I don't realise when the rain gets louder. I look up and see that she is already halfway across the street, holding her hands above her head looking out for the traffic. I catch up with her as she reaches the other side.

She looks up and she smiles at me as we walk up to the counter. She orders a butterbeer and I get a pumpkin spice latte. We got o the first floor since this one is pretty full. The first floor is quieter and emptier with people mostly working on laptops. The noise from below is drowned out by the sound of the rain. She points to one of the seats in a corner. We have a view of the street below of the people hurrying home and others looking for shelter. Lottie sitting down opposite is holding her cup with both the hands. Mimicking her I relish in the warmth of the coffee. She stares outside, pretty much zoning out.

"Enchanting, isn't it?"

"Huh?" She says turning towards me, her eyes still glazed over. She must have been pretty deep in her thoughts. Her eyes linger on me till they come back into focus but she still looks pretty confused.

"My looks?"

"What?" The incredulous reaction, cracks me up.

"The view, I am talking about the view."

"Not anymore." Her bemused expression contrasting mine.

"Yup, everything else dulls in comparison."

"How do people associate rain with sadness when water has always been a good thing? The sound itself is so soothing." She ignores my last statement completely.

"Yeah, I just can't get enough of those rain noise playlists. I don't get it, why is it that the sound is so calming? Any other kind of loud repetitive noise would drive me insane. There is just something about the loud and soft, rhythmic, pitter-patter that is just so tranquil and beautiful and calming."

She bends her head to take a sip of the 'Harry Potter drink', a strand of hair falling on her face.

"Maybe it's the familiarity of the sound which is so welcoming and comfortable. I associate the sound of the rain with sitting in the warmth and comfort of my home, drinking tea while watching the rain. The soft breeze bringing me the smell of the rain. I clutch my cup firmly as a shiver runs down my spine, taking the heat in."

My eyes flicker to her hands.

"It just makes people reminisce over pleasant times. I suppose it is very nostalgic."

She focuses her attention at me, her eyelashes fluttering as she looks up from her cup. I want to reach out and tuck the strand behind her ear. I smile instead, supplying her with yet another one of my witty comments.

"Wow. Poetic."

"Just something I have had on my mind, lately."

We just sit there for a while, listening, feeling, taking it all in. The atmosphere quiet and beautiful, not awkward, just the two of us and the rain. The sound fades into the background as my thoughts take over.

"Petrichor."

"Sorry, what?" She seems startled.

"The smell in the air before rain, petrichor."

She smiles at me, a genuine one. I mentally save it. I am not forgetting that anytime soon. I may have shown how touched I was because it immediately turns into a smirk.

"Who is the one being poetic now? Huh?"

She starts laughing, her nose scrunching up, and now I see where the smile lines on her face come from.

I look away, suddenly conscious that I had been staring. I run my hands through my hair. Looking through the window I notice the rain returning to a soft drizzle.

"It's slowing down, the downpour."

"The downpour? Who says downpour?" That sets her off again, laughing, uncontrollably.

"I do."

She is still giggling as she stands up, pulling out her phone. We walk towards the stairs. I wait for her to say it but there is poorly unveiled hesitation in her body language. We reach the doors silently, her phone still in her hand as she turns towards me to say goodbye. My eyes still on her phone, I give in.

"Here, let me give you my cell."

"Yeah!" She says enthusiastically, sounding extremely relieved. I can see the tension reducing from her demeanour. She sounds too relieved to be honest. I can see her facial expressions change as she realises and the atmosphere turns awkward. I mentally scoff and take her phone from my right hand while reaching for my own to give it to her with the other hand.

I enter my number and return the device to her. She returns mine. An incredulous look replaces the smile she was giving me a second ago and I almost feel bad, but a smirk breaks through and I can't contain my laughter.

"REALLY??' the hottie with the blue eyes'?" She dramatically rolls her eyes and pushes her hair back from her face.

"Ugh, 'the blue eyes', what does that even mean?." She says with disgust and pockets her phone.

I notice that she doesn't change the contact. She gives me a patronizing look, huffs and walks across the street. I do the same.

"You won't get rid of me so soon." We walk shoulder to shoulder. She completely ignores me as our footsteps are synced. Or as much as it can be because of my long legs, anyway. She gives me a very staged reaction. She huffs to blow hair out of her face, which makes no difference at all. All at once she stops and gives me an exasperated look which convinces no one, bids me goodbye and turns the corner.

I contemplate all the happenings of the day and walk towards my street. As I turn the corner, my building coming into sight, I realise that today in a very long time wasn't a black day. I have this strong urge to write it down, remember it and memorise it my brain forever.

Entering my flat I see my roommate isn't home yet which is a relief. I find my journal in a corner of the room, dusty and neglected. It will be a first in a long time that I write the truth.

It's been a while, it wasn't even something special in particular. I was just dilly-dallying about on the street. 

Have you ever owned something so beautiful, so precious, it just makes you grateful for your existence. It's like being in love but only the best bits. It makes you happy, an intense euphoric feeling, unfathomably so. I can't help but feel giddy in the chest just thinking about it. It means a lot to you, not just you, really. It is so pulchritude, it is overwhelming, it might seem weightless but it isn't. You wan to share it but its yours, specially yours. You are too selfish, it cant be anyone else's. It pulls you down along with it, drags you really.

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Heyyyy... this book is aliiiive. hello. hello. HELLO, is anyone there??? no one? WHOOPS. soooo this chapter is 1225 words excluding this shittty authors note. are you proud of me?? i am proud.. but mostly i am tired..... ughhhhh. 

also IMPORTANT!! give me advise on how to improve cause i am humble and i am open to improvement..... jk its cause i really need to improve... also how the hekity-hek do people write 2k+ words and update every week??? Do you guys have a life??? bye i am gonna stop talking now

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