Charity

Chapter 7

A/N:  Thank you for everyone who has reached the end of my story.  Like many of my other short stories, I could have gone one with this one, but I'm going to leave as a short story.  I was only planning at the most 10 chapters, so I still managed to stay within that idea.  

Without amazing readers like you, I wouldn't still be writing these stories.  Your support encourages me to keep writing and going on.  Thank you so much.  💖💖💖

I grab my bag from the floor and sigh. I have to go to class today, but I don't want to.

I want to go back to that resort and spend some more time with Mew. However, I can't. My life must go on, but deep down in my heart, I'm grasping to a little glimmer of hope that I'll see Mew again.

I snatch my phone and car keys from the coffee table, and I head out the door.

As if I'm stepping back into my life before Mew, I don't pay attention to anything around me.

Click.

I keep my focus on my door as I lock it, and out of habit, I ignore the person who just has stepped out of the apartment next to mine. As my neighbor's footsteps fade, a wave of guilt suddenly washes over me. I have promised Mew that I would start to see my surroundings, but here I am doing what I always do. I'm ignoring everything.

I glance down the hall as my neighbor disappears around the corner.

We have lived side by side for almost a year now and the only thing that I know about him is that he is tall and quiet. I never hear anyone visiting him. He never turns up his TV or music too loud. In all aspects, he is a good neighbor.

However, I don't even know what his face looks like or what his name is. I have never taken the time to even introduce myself to him.

It is the first day and I'm already failing at my promise to Mew.

I take a deep breath and head off down the hall. I can do this.

***

Once again, just like this morning, I force myself to look around and see the other students in the canteen. I did spot a few shocked faces though, but I also spotted some fake smiles. However, I think I did spot a few sincere smiles too.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Mild taps the table in between us, and my eyes instantly snap across the table at him.

"So, are you going to explain why all of a sudden you are starting to pay attention to the people around you? Hey, does this have something to do with your question from yesterday about you ignoring your surroundings?"

I slowly nod my head. "After talking with Mew, I realized that I'm missing out on a lot of things that are happening around me."

BAM!

Mild slams his hand on the table. "MEW! Where did you see him?"

Oh, I forgot to tell Mild about my weekend.

I rub the back of my neck as I force out a nervous chuckle. "Well, Mew is the one that 'bought' me at the auction."

Mild's mouth instantly falls open as he stares at me.

Normally, I would look down and ignore everything around me, including Mild's shocked face, but not today.

I glance around the canteen. There are a few students who are staring at us, but most have already gone back to whatever they were doing before Mild's little outburst.

Luckily, most people aren't really that interested.

My eyes are suddenly pulled the back of a tall man walking out of the canteen. For some reason, he seems familiar, but why.

BAM!

I whip my head around to Mild. "What?"

Mild leans over the table towards me. "Spill it. Tell me everything that happened this weekend."

***

I drag my feet as I walk down the hallway back to my apartment.

I didn't see Mew all day long. However, I did keep seeing the back of someone. There is this feeling in my gut that keeps gnawing at me that I know him, but I never could see his face. So, I don't know.

Click.

I look up and see my neighbor unlocking his door.

Wait.

He has on the same clothes as the guy that I kept seeing all day.

A smile instantly spreads across my face, and my feet have a slight spring to them as I dash towards my neighbor. Just as he opens his door, I call out, "Hey, neighbor. I'd like to introduce myself. I'm....."

My words get stuck in my throat as the tall man turns around.

This can't be.

"Gulf. I know."

I stumble forward the last few steps as my heart begins to race.

His smile is one of the things that I have etched into my mind. I thought that I wouldn't be seeing it so soon.

He is right. I have missed so much, but not anymore.

I softly gasp, "Mew."

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Posted  December 15, 2020