Strangers (One Shot)

Strangers

She is walking down the street, not sparing a glance at her surroundings because she is late for school. Until she saw a stranger walking to her direction. They made eye contact with each other for a few seconds. Then they looked away at the same time, both with smile on their face. That was their first meeting.  

Their second meeting happens in a coffee shop. She is reading her favorite book while sipping her favorite frappe. It was a sunny afternoon, the café is packed with customers. Suddenly, there is the sound of the bell, indicating that there is a costumer coming or leaving. She suddenly felt the urge to look up, to her surprised there is the boy whom she saw at the street last month entering the café. He was searching for a place to seat, until his gaze found one. It was beside her.

“He will not remember me.” She said to herself. But when the boy is walking to her direction with a hint of recognition in his eyes and a friendly smile, her guess was wrong. He did remember her.

“Can I seat here? There is no empty seat just this one.” He said, still smiling while gesturing at the empty seat beside her.

“Sure.” She said returning the smile.

They sit in a comfortable silence. She continues to read her book while he is busy typing on his laptop. A few minutes later he shut down his laptop and looked at her.

“Hi. My name is Jared.” He suddenly spoke. She stops reading her book and looked up. He is staring at her, smiling.

“Hello. I’m Xena.” She replied with a shy smile. She is not used to talking to strangers.

Soon they were talking to each other. Asking questions about one another. They feel very comfortable with each other as the minutes pass by. They became friends.

Months pass by, they get to know each other more. They are often with each other.

Until they both fell for one another. He confessed his feelings for her and she returned it.

They are happy, but the happiness did not last. He got tired.

“Sorry. I can’t do this anymore. Maybe we should break-up. It is for the best.” He said when they were eating at the park. His words stabbed her like a knife. She felt her eyes got wet, she is crying.

They never talked or see each other again.

2 years passed by quickly. She is walking down the same street where she met him 3 years ago.

She saw a very familiar boy in the distance walking to her direction. Suddenly, she feels the nostalgia hit her. All the joyful and sad memories of both of them.

They walk past each other and just like the first time, they made eye contact and looked away but only now they don’t have smiles on their faces. They pretend that they don’t know each other. They pretend that nothing has ever happened between them.

They were not friends nor enemies, just two strangers with memories. Strangers, that is what they are, again.

Maybe, just maybe they will cross paths again when they are slightly older and make things right. But right now, they are young and full of mistakes.