Strangers▪ Matei Covaci imagine

Nineteen

I wake up on the sofa, my legs tangled in a fluffy grey blanket. Everything hurts; my head is pounding, my ankles are blistered from wearing shoes for so long, and my stomach is making some worrying noises. I curse my past-self for not bothering to shut the curtains as I roll onto my side and see the remnants of a meat feast pizza I found at the bottom of the freezer last night. Just looking at the greasy mess is enough to turn my stomach. I don't think I cooked it properly.

I sit up and fumble about for my phone, to no avail. For all I know, it's in the microwave. As my senses kick in, I pick up an odd smell within the room.

Oh god. It's me. I'm the smell.

I trudge upstairs, searching for my phone as I go, but it's still nowhere to be found. Unbuttoning my school shirt, I can't help but feel like I've forgotten something. I throw the crumpled shirt onto my bed and stretch properly for the first time, hoping it will help clear my head. My body begins to function normally again while I look for something to wear, then I hear the doorbell. It makes me freeze out of surprise; who the hell could that be? Grabbing my shirt off the bed, I throw it on as I run down the stairs, and almost have a heart attack when I reach the bottom.

Through the distorted glass of the door, I can make out the classic black jacket and white shirt combo and I curse myself yet again for forgetting. I hastily open the door and try to act like I'm not surprised to see Matei standing on my doorstep. He smiles in return, making my heart pang with guilt. I can't believe I forgot about today.

What's the etiquette here? How do I say hi? More particularly, how do I say hi when I look like I've just dragged myself out of a hedge? Matei looks perfect as always. His dark hair is tousled but still tidy and his chiseled facial features are beautifully accentuated in the long morning shadows.

I look down and realise I didn't re-do up the buttons of my shirt. He's noticed too; I can tell by the fact he's trying really hard not to let his eyes wander..

All this happens within the space of a few seconds, but of course, it feels like a lifetime before one of us finally says something.

"Sorry, you didn't say what time to come round, and- you weren't picking up your phone. I got worried."

It's dulled over by the fact I just accidentally flashed him. I fold my shirt over my chest and murmur something like come in, letting him brush past me into the living room.

"How do you feel?" He asks.

"It's like dark moon day but worse" I answer with a yawn. His eyes soften and a genuine smile emerges. Everything about him is radiating adoration, or am I imagining it?

I look around for something to talk about and my eyes fall on the questionable pizza. Without thinking it through, I thrust it in his direction.

"Want some?"

"Wow, that looks...did you microwave it??"

"...I can't remember." I reply quietly.

He laughs. "I think I'll pass."

I shrug. "Probably a wise choice."

I go to the kitchen and throw the greasy mess into a bin. The kitchen is equally untidy; dirty plates are stacked up in the sink, packaging litters the tabletops, and my phone is- of all places -sitting in an open cupboard. I realise this probably isn't giving the best impression.

"Let's go outside," I suggest, guiding Matei to the back door. We step out, my bare feet sinking into the grass, and I immediately relax. It's still early enough for the grass to be dewy, but the autumn sun feels warm against my skin. By the empty flower beds sits a rusty metal bench which was left by the previous owners. We sit here and I watch Matei as he takes in the extremely sparse garden.