Linked Stars

Chapter 1

He who steal my spot

" Drink your meds. Go to sleep early, I love you. Bye."

"Yeah, bye."

With a backpack hanging on my left shoulder , I ended my sister's call and put my phone on its left pocket before I cross the street.

It's just 7:00 am but people are already busy doing there business. Pushing fruit carts. Sweeping dried leaves off the street. Men and women walking here and there. Passing cars and vehicles with students and workers as passengers. And here I am, tying my hair in a bun before walking in to my favourite maid cafe. Craving for the cheapest coffee of all time.

"Happy morning Lily. The usual?"

I nod and smile in the sight of Macky in her blue and white maid outfit. She handed me a tumbler of smoking black coffee with a note written on it.

'Smile like coffee.'

I directly rush to my usual spot but to my disappointment, a human being is there, sitting comfortably while gazing outside the window with his hands on his chin. Wearing my crumpled expression, I walk directly at the spot and sit in front of him. I look at him with a blank expression, I've waited for him to react but it seems like he haven't notice me.

The atmosphere is giving me discomfort but it didn't prevent me to grab the small notebook and a pen from my backpack. I look at the person in front of me again, he's still in his own world maybe he would never pay attention to me so instead of frowning, I just start writing in my journal.

June 24, 2020
Someone just stole my unofficial spot.

" l never did."

I rolled my eyes after hearing his words. He did notice me after all. But instead of talking back, I sip in my coffee and continue writing.

I thought he won't talk, but to my surprise, he did.

He breath heavily with a sound of disappointment. He's reading what I am writing but that doesn't bother me. After all, it's all about him.

"What are you doing?"

You can't really judge people based on appearance just like this man in front of me. A moment ago, he's like drowning in thoughts and seems to not care about the world but right now he cares so much about a simple gesture.

"Complaining about you stealing my sit."
I remained writing without giving a gaze at him. I'm busy telling my journal about how this man suddenly became annoying.

"Complaining in a notebook? You can just complain in front of my face.You see, I'm just one spit away."

Now I notice the tone of his voice. Like a broken glass mixed in peebles, a cracking sound of a burning wood. A cheerful melody of a lonely man. That moment, I can't help myself but look up and stare. The smile on his face caught my attention first. And then, I look down again and write what I saw.

" You're ignoring  my question yet you're complementing me in a notebook. You're a weird stranger huh."

A smile formed in my mind after hearing his words. Idiot. What I am writing isn't a complement.

"First time meeting a stranger like me?"

I looked at him with a grin on my lips. He nod and take a sip on his smoking coffee.

"Why are you writing it?"

He's so talkative for someone who's seems so lost a while ago.

"I'm just capturing the moment. It's my kind of low class photography."

I fix myself and leave the guy in a puzzled look. Sometimes, people would misunderstood me as someone who's weird, actually, that's what I thought about them too. Weird. Yeah, that's them.
I am about to leave the shop when someone just grab my arm and take me back to where I came from. It was the guy who stole my spot. He had this weird expression of wanting to ask something but don't know how to start. Curiousity reigned over me so I sit properly and directly stare at him waiting for the reason of his sudden action.

"So?"

I can't help it when I'm curious, I really can't stand cliff hangers.
He breathe heavily and stared back with equal intensity. This stranger have a weird awra telling me that he has something to do with me.

He break the eye contact and grab something from his wallet, a piece of paper no a photograph. He stand up and hand me the picture. It was a silhouette of a girl standing in a cliff, what caught my attention was the reflection of the moonlight in the water under the cliff. It was a familiar sight. Adrenaline rush over me as memories start flooding in my head.

"I'm happy to die with you."

The silhouette is me wanting to end my life. But I wasn't alone that night, I was there with a crying stanger.

"I'm going to save you."