That's Just Life

That's Just Life - Pizzalover202:)

Is the glass half full or is it half empty? Well whichever way you look at it, it still has the same amount of water in it so what does it matter? People often ask this question to get you to look at the bright side of things but sometimes no matter what way you look at it you will always see the same thing. So you just look at it for a little while longer until you realize that its just a glass of water and that someone would have had to be way worse off than you, to be desperate enough to try and find a solution by looking at a glass of water and trying to be optimistic.

"Cut, okay that's it all finished for the day", shouted the director jumping off his chair.
"Hey, Isla would you want to grab a drink after you're all done here?" Aaron said walking towards me.
"I'm sorry but I don't mix work and relationships I know I have acted differently until now but I didn't know you were gonna be in my show. You see I have a rule, I don't date at work and I don't work on a date"
"Hey I never said nothing about a relationship but it sounds like a good rule, no worries forget I said anything"
"Thanks for understanding Aaron", I said picking up my jacket that was hung on the back of the chair.
As I was walking out the studio I felt my phone vibrate in my bag so I stopped to check my messages. 'So how about that drink, since you are no longer at work? – Hot Stalker guy ;) '
I turned around to look at him through the door way still stood there from 30 seconds ago with his phone in his hand. He looked up at me and smiled so I replied 'Real clever, meet me at the bar in 15 ;) '

Later at the bar it was quiet probably because it was Monday night and only sad people and drunks go to the bar on a Monday night. Or in my case hopelessly waiting for a guy.
"So what's your story then?" Aaron said pulling out a stool next to me to sit on.
"My story? You probably know more about me than my own friends do"
"Your story, the reason why you're so strict with relationships?"
"What you think I must have had a bad history with past relationships just because I have the ability to discipline myself and not jump into any guys arms that walks past, unlike the models that you date?"
"Whoa that's a big assumption and they're not all models thank you very much", he said ordering a drink.
"No, you made the assumption when you walked in here thinking that I was all broken and that you can fix me to get what you want", I said picking up my things about to leave.
"But it is why you're defensive and why you jump to immediate conclusions to protect yourself", he said remaining in his seat taking a sip from his drink.
I noticed he stayed sat down like he was going to let me leave, which made me realize maybe he didn't want anything from me, which also made me realize... He was right. I sat back down next to him picked up my glass, downed the whole thing and sighed, "You're right I am defensive and I do jump to conclusions"
"It's okay, no ones perfect I have my own share of imperfections trust me" "Can we get a refill over here please", he said waving over the bar tender.
"For example, how you are incapable of keeping one girl for longer than a week?" I said sounding sarcastically sympathetic.
"Ouch, it keeps me relevant in celeb magazines to change girl every now and again"
"That's disgusting! You use women just to keep yourself relevant!"
"I used to I don't anymore and they knew their purpose they didn't get attached or anything", he said picking at the label on his beer bottle.
"That's so wrong, that is literally the stupidest thing I have ever heard", I said laughing at him.
"Then why are you laughing?"
"Because it's funny, two adults that have a mutual agreement to pretend to be together for like a week just to keep their name in a magazine", I said laughing harder.
"Yah well that's just life, but I'm not like that anymore"
"Clearly, because I can't actually remember the last time I did see your name in a magazine"
"Exactly... wait that's probably a bad thing", he said sighing.
"For your career it is", I said laughing even harder now.
"It can't be going too bad because I was hired to be in your show, so there"
"The way I see it is that I'm saving your butt from your career going down the toilet", I said finishing up the last of my last drink.
"No, I probably could have got work else where even if you..."
"Thanks to me, are you or are you not getting paid?"
"I am but..."
"There we go then and with that money you can pay the bill as a thanks to me for saving your butt", I said tilting my head to the side with a cheeky grin on my face.
"You're leaving?"
"We're leaving", I said picking up my coat.
"Oh? And where are we going?" He said paying the bartender.
"You'll see", I said taking him by the hand.
"Okay then let's go".
The sun was just starting to set we walked along streets just across from the beach while I racked my brain trying to remember how to get to this place.
"Do you know where you're going?" He asked.
"It's been a while but I know where I'm going, now hurry up or we're going to miss it"
"Miss what?"
"You'll see"
We turned the corner and in front of us was a five-story parking lot.
"Are you sure we're in the right place this is a car park and it's like 9:20pm?" He said looking up.
"Shoot! Hurry up or we'll miss it," I said tugging his arm. We ran up the stairs that seemed never ending. They carried on spiralling upwards until we finally reached the top.
"Okay would you care to explain why we're here?"
"That. Is why we're here", I said pointing out to the ocean that complimented the most perfect sunset. The many colours of the sky blending into the infinite blue ocean, the whole scene just glowed.
"It's moments like this that makes me feel like my future is brighter, like I was supposed to witness this, like this is where I'm supposed to be here right now and nothing else matters"; I said smiling.
"Like everything just makes sense?" He said pulling me round to face him.
"Exactly".
He moved his hand to my neck and stared into my eyes, at that moment it felt like he knew every inch of me, like there wasn't a single thing I could hide from him. Like he understood all of me without me even having to say anything. In that moment all I wanted was for him to kiss me but... He didn't. It didn't make sense he's been after me since we met this would be the perfect moment but... nothing.
We just stood there looking into each other's eyes like a never-ending moment.
"I am defensive and I do jump to conclusions but I think it's mostly because I'm scared, I'm scared of getting hurt. I don't want to let people in because I don't want to lose control, because the minute I let them in I immediately lose control over my own feelings", I said looking down holding his hand that was resting on my cheek.
"It's okay that you don't want your heart to get broken, it's normal it's what makes you human", he said lifting my chin up to look at me.
"I'm afraid that, because it's been broken so many times there's nothing left to be broken", I said looking up at him. "But I want to test that theory, I want to test this theory with...."
His phone began to ring, "I'm so sorry"; he said taking his phone out of his pocket. The contact name read 'My #1 girl' with a heart next to it. "I'm really sorry but I have to take this", he said walking over towards the barrier.
I watched him smile and laugh with joy and then that's when I realised that he hasn't changed and that I'm just another girl that was inches away from falling into his trap. He's not looking for a relationship just another toy to play with, someone that will keep him relevant in a magazine. I was so glad that I never finished that sentence.
Trying hard to fight back the tears I walked away.

That evening I was sat in bed eating ice cream and binge watching my favourite show when Kate phones.
"Isla what are you doing?" She said
"Eating ice cream and watching TV", I replied moodily.
"What happened with Aaron?"
"He's an idiot, all guys are idiots!"
"Okay I'm coming over", she said hanging up the phone.
When she arrived she came and sat in bed with me and I told her everything.
"Okay we need to get you on a dating site", she said taking my ice cream away and starting up the laptop that was at the foot of my bed.
"No, I don't want to be on a dating site"
"Well you can't just sit around moping every time you get knocked down, you have to get back up again and start over no matter how bruised you get"
"No dating sites are sad and pathetic, I don't want to be sad and pathetic", I said mumbling taking my ice cream back.
"You're sat in bed eating ice cream moping over a guy, sad and pathetic has arrived and left the station love, besides it'll take your mind off Aaron"
"I'll be fine I don't need to use a dating site", I said shoving another spoonful of ice cream in my mouth.
"I helped Myles set up a profile too that's where he met his girlfriend, look we will just set you up a profile you don't actually have to do anything with it if you don't want to", she said tapping away at the keyboard. I just continued to eat my ice cream.
"There all done would you like to see?"
"Nope"
"Okay fine", she said laying the laptop on my desk over by the window.
For the rest of the evening I put on a movie that neither of us really watched because we fell asleep pretty quickly and that was that.

In what felt like no time I could see I bright light coming from a gap in the curtain and kept hearing a dinging noise. I thought what on earth could that be. I looked over and saw Kate still sleeping soundly beside me so I got up and opened the curtain it turns out the bright light was the sun and it was about 7:40am but that didn't explain the noise 'ding' there it was again. I looked over at the laptop on my desk and realised it was coming from that. So I put on my dressing gown, sat at the desk and opened up the laptop. It had a message request on my dating profile from 'Pizzalover202'. I clicked on the request and it brought up a private messenger and a notification saying 'Do you want accept this message request?' I hovered the mouse over decline button but then looked over at Kate who was still asleep and chose to accept because... why not? The message read "Hey, on your profile it says you love the beach, I do too I spend most my free time there J"
   So I replied with "Yh, but tbh I didn't set up this profile my friend did it, I would never have done this on my
own LOL:)"
"Haha my friend made me do one too"
"Well does it work?"
"If you mean for meeting people it has for me so far"
"If it worked then why are you still using it?"
"This website helps you meet new people it doesn't give you the perfect person straight away"
"So you got dumped?"
"Something like that"
We spoke for a while talking about what we do, our past and friends and it turned out we had a lot in common. Then I heard Kate get up so I quickly shut the lid of the laptop because I would hate to admit she was right.
"What-cha doing?" She said coming over to the desk.
"Nothing", I said resting my arm over the laptop trying to look casual but failing badly.
"You were using the dating site aren't you!"
"No!"
"Oh come on Isla the game is over you're face gave it away completely... well come on let me see"
"Fine", I said opening the lid of the laptop. She stood over my shoulder reading the messages.
"Aw that's so cute you have to ask to meet him"
"What no! I don't even know his name"
"That's okay save it for when you see him it'll be more romantic that way... come on for me... please"
"Okay fine"
So I typed "Hey, it seems like we have a lot in common would you like to meet up at the beach later?" Them I got an immediate response saying "sure meet you at pier in 30?"
"Okay see you then Pizzalover202 :)"

I was walking down the street towards the pier ready to meet this new guy that could possibly change my life for the better, when all of a sudden it felt like I'd been here before walking down the street to the pier to meet a guy. In fact I had been here before, I used to meet Myles here all the time when we were younger.
"Myles?" I spotted him standing in the exact same place as where we used to meet. I could have sworn I was dreaming.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
"I'm meeting someone", I replied.
"Oh, same"
"Cool", I said standing facing the road trying to see if I could spot Pizzalover202, not that I knew what he looked like anyway, for all I know he could be a 60 year old man even though his profile said 25. Why am I even doing this again? I stood there for a bit then it hit us both and we turned to look at each other with a stunned look on our faces.
"You're Pizzalover202?!" I said.
"Oh"
"Well I have stuff to do so I'm just gonna go", I said turning to walk away.
"Wait!"
"What is it?" I said turning to look at him as it started to rain.
"You said it yourself we have a lot in common, just give it a chance"
"The only reason we have stuff in common was because I gave it a chance, 10 years ago!" It stared to rain harder now.
"Then let's start a fresh"
"Fine, you can come back to mine to get out of this rain"
"Wow, slow down I don't even know your name", he said smiling.
"What?" I said confused.
"Hi, I'm Myles he said holding his hand out to shake mine"
"Oh I get what you're doing now.  Cute"
"Well..."
"Isla", I said shaking his hand and rolling my eyes at the same time. "Now can we get out of the rain?"
"I gotta place we can go", he said taking my hand. We ran across the road in the rain over to an old building on top of the parking lot. It was the bowling alley we used to go to as kids. We used to come here all the time.
"Wow this place hasn't changed at all", I said looking up to the ceiling.
"Here let me take your coat", he said hanging my coat up to dry. He set up a game and I stood up to take my turn but just like before I was rubbish still, I threw it straight into the gutter.
"Here let me help", he said. He picked up the ball and handed it to me. He stood behind me and put one hand on my waist and the other guiding my hand to throw the ball straight.
He spoke softly "Pull your arm back, then forward and let go". As I did so the ball actually went straight for once and it felt like déjà vu it felt like I'd suddenly gone back 10 years. All the pins crashed to the floor.
"Strike!" He shouted.
"Not really, I got it on a spare", I said laughing.
"It still counts in my eyes", he said smiling putting his arms around me. Maybe this day would change my life for the better?