Chasing Fate

Asleep

AMIA

It’s a bright and sunny afternoon and we had a really long break. What a beautiful combination.

Our group decided to chill around the park today, and by park, I mean the sunny park-like campus grounds we have. It’s where students can study or just chill out. It looks so peaceful and fun in contrast to the small forest next to it. Honestly, this school is so ideal for me as a future filmmaker. My friend Martha set up the huge picnic cloth under the shade of the tree as we all sat around it. We talked nonstop about our weird teachers and over load of homework. After a while we all decided to nap, well except me. I wanted to catch up on my reading. Everyone settled down on the picnic cloth and made themselves comfortable.

“Amia,” Chris started. “Do you mind if I sleep on your lap?” Well that was awfully straightforward.

“Okay,” I reply. No harm done, he’s just going to sleep on my lap. No biggie.

He placed his head on my lap and fell asleep almost immediately.  I went back to my book in peace.

The afternoon air was humid and there was a gentle blowing breeze. I could feel my eyes getting heavy as well. I couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore so I put my book down and decided to sleep too. I was in an awkward position to sleep since Chris was on my lap, but I leaned my head back on the tree a little bit more and closed my eyes. I can feel myself drifting off, because my thoughts seem to be getting cut shorter and shorter.

I jolted slightly awake, my head must have rolled over to the side and fell forward. I can hear Chris chuckling.

“Your hair just tickled me awake, sleepyhead,” he smiled up at me.

“Sorry, sorry,” I quickly apologize. He began to stand up. I was about to tell him that it’s still fine if he wants to sleep on my lap again but he sat down beside me.

“Put your head here so you can sleep without your head rolling off,” he patted his shoulder next to me. I looked at him weirdly.

“It’s okay, Amia. You let me sleep for a bit on your lap anyway, it’s alright. I can sleep from here too you know,” I was still looking at him weirdly until I decided, what the heck, I still wanted to sleep. I laid my head on his shoulder, he adjusted himself a little because he was tall. The last thing I remember before drifting to sleep was that he smelled so nice.

CHRIS

I woke up to something tickling my nose. As I opened my eyes, Amia’s face was inches from mine but her eyes were closed. She fell asleep. I laughed a little at how she looked right now.

“Your hair just tickled me awake, sleepyhead,” I told her.

“Sorry, sorry,” she began to apologize. I looked at her again; the fatigue in her eyes was evident. She really needed to sleep. Thinking of a great idea, I quickly stood up and sat down next to her.

“Put your head here so you can sleep without your head rolling off,” she then looks at me with this funny little expression that only she can do. She must think I’m crazy for suggesting this. Don’t her other guy friends back home do this sort of thing? I guess not.

“It’s okay, Amia,” I started. “You let me sleep for a bit on your lap anyway, it’s alright. I can sleep from here too you know,” She still has that funny expression on her face until she shrugged her shoulders and started to lower her head onto my shoulder. I had to adjust a bit since I was sitting a bit too tall.

Amia looks so peaceful sleeping next to me right now and her hair smells like strawberries. This is no big deal, I mean I’m just letting her sleep on my shoulder, there’s no malice or anything.  My eyes quickly glanced over the book she was reading earlier. There was a small laminated thing sticking out, it must be her bookmark or something. Quietly, I lifted the book and opened it in the page where she left off. The bookmark was a photo. A photo of her and another guy and they look happy.

I looked over at Amia, she was smiling in her sleep. Maybe she was dreaming right now. Maybe she was dreaming of him. I felt a slight tinge of jealousy.

But what am I jealous for? I already have someone special. She has someone too. She deserves to be happy, she deserves a smile on her face.

With that, I put Amia’s book back down and leaned back into the tree.  I closed my eyes, until I heard the sound of a camera shutter.  But I was drifting off already and my eyes wouldn’t open anymore. For now atleast, I was already dreaming.

I saw someone smiling in my dream. She’s a girl, and she’s pretty petite.  She’s running toward someplace, tagging me along behind her. Her red hair was dancing with the wind that it made her look like she’s flying. The image in my head became less and less blurry, every step we take. She looked back at me and for the first time, I can see her face.  It was Amia, smilling at me.