Falling - Yoe Mase
The work week had flown by quickly, full of busy schedules. The city of London was thriving in the early summer heat. Windows had been wide open, fans had been spinning and ice creams were selling fast from the corner shops. Summer was just beginning, and as the country predominantly lived through dreary weather, the citizens were trying to make the most of it before the sky turned grey again.
Amidst busy schedules, Eva had barely seen Nicole. She would leave early in the morning, return late in the evening and head to bed only for the cycle to repeat the next day. Eva hadn't realised how truly unavailable Nicole was. She was like a ghost in the flat.
Nathan had only seen glimpses of Nicole since that Saturday. His week had also been quite hectic, though he had managed to reserve some time to check on Eva. He'd pop round for ten minutes or so on his way back home from work. He had seen Nicole briefly stop by to change clothing before leaving the house one afternoon. She'd been modelling a grey skirt alongside a classic, white blouse finished off with a matching pair of grey, pointed high heels. She'd left in black leggings and a cropped, grey hoodie. Eva had told him that Nicole had arrived back home past midnight that night.
Friday night couldn't have come around quicker. Nathan needed a drink and time to loosen up. A university friend of his was throwing a birthday house party in Canary Wharf. It was an opportunity for free drinks and a laugh that Nathan was taking happily. Black bomber jacket, black t-shirt, black jeans, blacked out Converse; Nathan was beginning to break a sweat in the heat. The party was in full swing; people were dancing, drinking and chatting. The flat had a rooftop terrace where Nathan was stood conversing with the birthday boy himself, Beck. Well, Beck was talking and Nathan was peering over the party, passively listening.
Nathan's eyes were locked on the group in the middle of the terrace who were dancing in sync to the music blaring. The crowd was cheering, arms in the air moving with the beat. They were as happy as they could be in the late night. Amongst the mess of colour, Nathan spotted a girl who had also gone for the all black approach. As he looked at her, Nathan realised that she was wearing almost the exact same outfit he was; black bomber jacket, black crop top that had strings that crossed over her chest, black leggings and blacked out Vans. Nathan chuckled to himself.
The song changed and the crowd cheered loudly. The girl started dancing with a boy and became the centre of attention; they moved with joy to the music. They weren't casually dancing; they were performing some sort of choreography. They seemed like professionals with the way they moved together. In between the movement, Nathan caught a glimpse of the girl's face and immediately recognised her.
'Is that Nicole?' he nudged Beck in order to get his attention, his eyes not leaving the girl.
'Nicole Newman?' Beck spoke up, peering into the crowd. 'Yeah, my sister's part of her dance group thing.'
It was strange, seeing Nicole like that. She was relaxed and having fun. The usually focused expression she wore on a regular basis had been replaced with a gleeful one. Her body was working the music well. Back up dancer, Nathan remembered her saying.
As the song ended and a new one began, Nicole headed towards the drinks table with the guy she had been dancing with. They were chatting casually, Nicole laughing at something the guy had said.
It was the first time Nathan had heard her laugh, and it was angelic. He couldn't help but gaze at her in awe. It took him a few moments to register that she was walking towards him. Nicole looked up and locked eyes with him, and her grin grew.
'Nathan, hey!' she greeted him in a complete different manner than she had the night Eva had moved in. 'You know Beck?'
'Yeah, we went to uni together,' he told her, scanning her up and down once more to make sure she was the girl in all black. 'I like the outfit.'
