To Hakkespetter

Prom in 2020 (One Shot)

Around this day, you were graduated. You were officially done with your high school studies -- but you didn't seem to feel like you made it.

The pandemic was still there. Proms and graduations were cancelled and everyone was glued to their screens. People were still confined to their homes. People were still suffering and dying. And quite recently, there was a recent terror attack a few miles away from your home town. 

It was the most anti-climatic year ever.

Around 4 PM , you were staring at your laptop screen. Your name was called and you took the oath.

After you had your virtual graduation on You Tube and Zoom.

You still felt incomplete.

You weren't able to have a problem closure with your friends.

Even you have achieved a lot of things in the past - you didn't feel acknowledged

Morten has been watching you in a sullen state for the past three weeks. You didn't really tell him how you felt about the zoom meetings and the lack of emotional physical connection you had with your friends. You were devastated by the anti climax contributed by COVID-19.

But he knew what was indeed going on.

You closed the laptop and fell on the bed. You were staring at the ceiling with tears dripping from your eyes.

Morten gently arrived to your room and sat next to you on your bed.

He looked at your face and gently brushed away your tears and softly asked " Hey, what happened?"

"Nothing. I'm fine"

"You don't seem to be.. I'm worried"

"Well, I feel so sad"

"Would you like to tell me why?"

"Everything is just collapsing right now. Today is supposed to be the day I celebrate my accomplishments in my studies. But, what's the point? Everybody is suffering. Everything.. including the prom is cancelled. And everything is just on the laptop screen. My studies, my exams, my assessments and now my graduation. It feels...so artificial. I looked at the pictures of my seniors and saw how happy they are. I can never get that. Also , so many people have died in Vienna attacks and now people are just fighting against each other. What's the point of all my hardwork if I don't get to celebrate in a way everybody in the past did?."

Morten looked at your eyes in silence. He gave you some time to let yourself cling on to his lap and cry for almost 10 minutes. He gently brushed your hair and you continued to rant about how bad the year was and how it has severely affected your health.

He slowly frowned in sadness. He gulped down to keep himself from crying and softy replied "I'm so sorry"

Morten slowly lied down on the bed next to you and wept along with you as well.

Both of you cried and hugged as you became much more aware about the agony the year has brought.

It has been almost an hour and both of you looked at the ceiling as you held hands and snuggled.

After a while, Morten's eyes sparkled. He got up from the bed amd walked out of the room. Leaving you confused.

What is he upto? You wondered.

He returned back to the room with a pot of orchids. He sat next to you on bed and stammered.

"Y/n, i....I have something to tell you"

"Go ahead Morten"

"Um..." He scratched his back and struggled to speak

"Oh come on...tell me" you insisted. His behaviour left you wondered and charmed.