Phantom Nights "Night Two"

The picture is taken from: Pinterest. Credit: unknown.

There was a night event in my college after we had our finals. I was getting ready for it and was standing in front of my closet, choosing which dress to wear. I was kind of confused between choosing a dress, or an elegant night lady suit. And after a long time of thinking, I decided to choose a skirt with a pullover. I did my hair with the blow dryer, put on my light makeup, wore my shoes, then left my house. I pulled my car keys, went inside the car, and drove it, playing its radio on one of my quiet playlist’s songs.

Few minutes after driving, I was nearly half way to reach the college, and all of a sudden my car started making some weird sounds. I stopped my car slowly aside, and went out to see what was wrong with it. And after checking everything in it, I realized that its engine just stopped, and won’t be able to work anymore. And the car needs someone to pull it for maintenance. I raised my head up to the sky, and sighed. It was a wrong time, a very wrong time. Few seconds later, my friend called me, asking where I had been, as she was waiting with the others for me to come. So, I made up my mind, and decided to not ruin the night just because my car’s engine has stopped.

I took the bus, heading to the college’s night event. I sat somewhere on the bus, and put my earphones on, and started looking through the window. 19 minutes later, I arrived at the night event. I saw my friends and everyone was having so much fun. Anyway, when the event ended, everyone started leaving, and I started thinking of my car, as the bus won’t be able to take me all the way back home. It will drop me off in the same place where I took it; far from my broken down car.

When I got into the bus, it was busy with all the college students that were in the event. I walked all the way to the end, and reached the penultimate seat on the bus. I sat next to the window, and put my earphones on, but didn’t play the music yet, I was choosing what song to play. Then you came, and sat next to me with your graceful perfume and elegant clothes. You were mad at something, saying, “You can’t do this to me tonight. You just can’t.” I looked at you, and posed for a while. You glanced at me then turned your face, then looked back again at me and posed too.

Throwing back to 12 years ago. When we all were in the camp, and returned from the trip back home. “Hey, the backseat is empty if you wanna sit with us.” My friends called me from the back. I stood on my knees on the seat, turning my face to them and said, “No, I’m okay. I’m actually feeling comfortable here.” They all were surprised by my answer, as I was so tempted to sit in the backseat at the beginning of the trip. Then you, who came to sit next to me by the end of the camp trip, said without no one asking you,“I’m feeling comfortable in my seat too.” They looked at you, surprised by your answer when no one asked you.

At that moment, I turned, and sat back in my seat, feeling a lot of things fluttering deep inside me; butterflies. It was the very first moment in my life to feel the butterflies. I looked at you, you looked at me and smiled. I still remember your smile, your face, your innocent features. Your face picture never disappeared from my mind. I had snacks on that day. I opened the potato chips and asked you, “You want some?” You looked at me and said, “No.” I moved my head and said to you, “Why do you keep saying no to all the snacks?” “I don’t like them.” Back then I did not believe how a person could not like snacks. But now, I finally can understand you. I looked at you, you just smiled at me.

Back to that college event night. We both were posing, looking at each other, with no words. Then, you smiled at me. Oh my god, that smile, that same innocent smile, just took me back 12 years before. “You?” I asked you. “You!” You said, while smiling, and all of your anger just disappeared. “Hey, dude, come sit with us, I thought you came with your car, I didn’t know that you would be taking the bus with us tonight.” My friend called me from the backseat. We both turned our faces to her. “No, I’m okay. I’m actually feeling comfortable here.” I said confidently. You looked at me and lowered down your face and started smiling so hard. I looked at you smiling too, biting my bottom lip. Then you raised your head and looked at my friend and said while smiling in a confident way, “I’m feeling comfortable in my seat too.” I burst out laughing. Then we both sat back with our faces smiling. My friend didn’t understand anything, and stayed quiet for a moment trying to figure out what was going on.

I looked at you smiling, then I pulled a chewing gum from my purse and asked you, “You want one?” You smiled, leaning your head aside a little bit, looking so cute, and said, “I think it was supposed to be potato chips.” I smiled, and said, “I stopped eating snacks for a long time.” “It’s way healthier, right?” “A lot.” I said while smiling. Then you took one from the chewing gum and said, “Thank you.” My smile started fading, and I kept watching you. You looked at me closely, then asked, “Can you feel them?” I smiled, and continued your sentence, “Fluttering!” “Flying all inside.” I shook my head (Yes). Then we both ate the chewing gum, and sat quietly in our seats. I put back my earphones inside my purse. You waited for me to sit quietly and stop moving. Few seconds later, you leaned your head, putting it on my right shoulder. The crazy butterflies just went up like they were about to get out of me. You were closing your eyes, smiling so hard, quietly. I was smelling your shampoo, closing my eyes.

The bus reached the place where my car was. But I missed it on purpose, because I can come back home everyday, but I don’t know when I will be able to spend this moment with the grown up kid who I was friends with 12 years ago, again. The bus got empty and everyone left and we were the only two left on the bus. The bus had reached the stop, and its path ended. I looked at your hair while you were asleep on my shoulder and smelled your shampoo again. The smell was so good, I couldn’t stop it. I closed my eyes, and the bus driver just ruined the moment, and shouted, “You two?” You woke up, and looked at him. “We reached the end.” The bus driver said. You looked at me and apologized, “Oh my god, I’m so sorry, I fell asleep on your shoulder and made you miss your station.” I raised my shoulders, and smiled, “And I’m not complaining about it.” You smiled.

We both got out of the bus. “So, who was she?” I asked you while we were walking. “She, who?” You asked surprisingly. “You can’t do this to me tonight. You just can’t. You were saying this angrily when you sat next to me.” You smiled, and said, “Yeah, I hate her. I mean, I don’t. I really love her, but I don’t get it. Why does she keep doing this to me?” I felt weird, for a moment. I mean of course after all these years there should be someone in your life. You looked at me and smiled mockingly without showing me. Then you continued saying, “She looks so pretty all the time, clean, beautiful. And really, really fancy, but still, she annoys me.” I felt so annoyed, and said, “Well, then break up with her.” “No, I can’t. We’ve been together for years. She’s my love life.” A disappointed look showed up on my face. Then you said, “You know, I’ve never seen you that jealous before.” “Me?! No. I’m not jealous. I’m just mad at her, like why would she do this to someone kind and nice like you?” “Right?! I don’t know. Tell her.” “Give me her phone number and I’ll talk to her.” “Who? My car?”

I stopped walking, and posed, then said, “Your car?” “Yes! She betrayed me, and cut me off, and made me take the bus, and ended up stopping at the end of the path that I seriously don’t know where.” I looked at you trying to understand. Then you got closer, and said, “But you know what? When I get back to her, I’ll kiss her, and thank her for cutting me off. Because she made me see the girl that I’ve been wishing to meet up again with, at every birthday party, for 12 years.” I smiled so hard. And understood everything. “You were the first girl to bring up butterflies, fluttering in my stomach. And I’ve never had this feeling again. And tonight I felt it, the same way I felt it 12 years ago.” You said. I looked at you smiling, and said, “If I told you that my heart has never beaten for anyone after you, would you believe me?” “You don’t have to tell me, because I already saw it in your eyes when you looked at me in the bus.” I smiled. “Can I hug you?” You asked me nicely. I smiled, closed my eyes tightly, and shook my head (Yes).