Skyline

Address to the Sky

Do you ever sometimes lay in bed and wonder if you can impact the world? To make it worth while? To do something so awesome it earns the title of a good life? Ambitions like that is what makes the world turn. Make it click. Improve, revise, and improvise for the better.
...
Rays of sunlight penetrated through the opaque curtains, stirring the boy awake from his comfortable slumber. He twitched, eyebrow scrunching up in annoyance as he realized he couldn't go back to sleep. The teenager sat up, stretching and yawning like a cat. He glared at the alarm clock by his bed side. It read 9:59 AM. He let out another yawn before hoping out of bed and getting ready for the day ahead.
After getting the necessities of looking presentable for society out of the way, the handsome teen headed for the front door of his apartment.

He was greeted with the hustle and bustle of the city of San Francisco. Almost instantly, his mood brighten as he was surrounded by businessmen and women. They scurried past, talking on cell phones and holding briefcases. Children rushed by, chasing each other and laughing merrily. The boy looked up to see other late risers peeking out their windows and balconies. Some held coffee mugs while others held toothbrushes.

The teen strolled down the street, cutting alleyways to bypass street venders, and into busy streets to blend in. Not long after, he arrived at a dainty little coffee shop. The same one he went to every Tuesday.
He opened the door, the little bell above his head jingling gently. He had grown accustom to the smell of freshly ground coffee, the hint of cedar wood and vanilla bean.

A petite girl looked up and smiled politely. "Hello, what can I get for you, Nick!" She questioned, wisps of her blonde hair bouncing as she spoke. Nick dipped his head lower as a hello. She adjusted her green apron, tightening it around her small form. "I'll take a..." Nick suddenly pursed his lips in thought, "...Café miel please. Thanks, Alyssa." His lips twitched into a confident smile, as the lady smiled back and got to work.
After a short wait, Nick sipped his coffee gingerly, watching drivers and pedestrians stroll by. He listened intently to Alyssa's humming the first notes of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. She did this often, humming notes of classical music. Or tunes of sad meaningful songs such as Say Something or Fall for You. At first, he was a little uncomfortable with her choice of music- being full of melancholy and emotion. However, he grew to accept it as part of her personality and interests.

Nick leaned back in his chair, swirling the straw in his cup absentmindedly. Eventually he said his goodbyes to the blonde lady, and exited the shop. Once again, he slipped into the alleyways. He had no particular destination, since it was his day off. After wandering around a bit, Nick found himself at a local park.

It was a nice summer day, in which many people were spending that time outdoors. Some jogged, some walked their dogs, while others had a picnic or sat down drawing pictures. He sat down on one end of a bench. It faced a rather large playground in which many children seem to squeal in delight. He smiled.

Unknowingly to him, -too wrapped up in his thoughts to notice- a girl quietly sat at the other end of the bench. Her eyes drifted up and down his form. Although he was slumped over slightly, it was obvious he was tall and well toned. He had thick hair that seemed in need of a trim. Her eyes traveled and strained to look at his eyes. However, his dark brown hair shielded his face from prying eyes. The only thing visible was his prominent jaw line and his innocent child-like smile.
"Excuse me..." She began, but before she continued any further, the boy beside her let out a shriek of fear and toppled off the bench. His eyes shot upward and gave a nasty glare. Any trace of tranquility on his face had completely disappeared. He inhaled sharply, before propelling himself off the ground. The teen let out a noise of disapproval and brushed off the dirt that had collected on his pants.

"I'm sorry!" The girl suddenly laughed and gave a quirky smile. She stood up and held out her hand as an apology. "Are you alright?" She inquired, sweeping away her dark bangs to see him clearer. Nick glared at the offending hand, but shook it anyways. "I'm fine. Thanks." He let go, examining the girl in front of him. "Who are you?"

"My name is Riley Rowans. What's your name?" She replied, suddenly noticing his eye color. It was a deep amber which seem to captivate and have a depth of its very own. A chill ran down her spine when his eyes narrowed into little amber slits. "...Just call me Nick." He muttered, shifting from one foot to another. Riley beamed, giggling. "Right. Hey Nick. I'm sorry for scaring you, but you just seemed really cool so I wanted to chat!" He rolled his eyes, "What is this? Kindergarten? I don't chat with strangers."

He began to walk away, but in a panicked rush, Riley grabbed his hand. "Wait! I really like you so I want you to come to this place tonight!" She suddenly pulled out a napkin with an address scribbled on it in blue ink. However, Nick ripped his hand away completely irritated with the girl's pressing antics. "Come on, please!" She begged, pressing the napkin into Nick's hand. "You won't regret it, I promise!" She smiled a thousand watt smile. Nick gave a resigned sigh, clasping the napkin between his fingers. Riley grinned and suddenly hugged the grim teen. He hissed throwing her off his form.

Riley only laughed.

Nick soon retreated back to his home, his mind reflecting on today's events. He snarled in annoyance. He was supposed to have a normal day. Like every day. He would get up. Grab some coffee and watch the world pass by. Then report to work. Then come home and go to bed. Not have this...this...girl! He threw his hands up in irritation.

"Gah! Why won't anyone leave me alone in peace!?" To an outsider, this may seem like overreacting. And it probably is. However, due to any hardship like any other human being, he secluded himself. And had adjusted to that lifestyle for several years. In those years, his paranoia had increase dramatically and now come off as cold, boring and a bit crazy. Just the way he like it. And now this girl had disturbed his secluded peace.

Now, he could have just ignored the invitation. But in all the years of isolation, the one thing he could not suppress was his curiosity. He tried, but failed miserably. He couldn't ignore an interesting character like Riley. Or ignore her address that he now clutched. He growled and mentally debated with himself, pacing back and forth in his apartment. But alas, his curiosity got the better of him.

He grabbed his coat and left the apartment.