A faint knock at your apartment door charms your mind and distracts you from the book you're reading. At first, you're willing to bet it's the landlord, or an unwelcome guest, but after a faint voice phases through the door to seep into your ears, you relax.
It's Him.
The sound of the couch stops after you're fully standing, and the next sound you hear is foot steps. Your own. Turning the door is an easy task, and you glanced up to see a smiling welcome face, one you trust.
"Come inside," you said. Short, but understandable.
"Hey there Lauren. I was really excited to see you again," He said. Long, but understandable.
"I have too, it has been a long time. How is Amy?"
"She's doing well, she told me to tell you hi."
The thought of Amy saying so warmed the heart of disgust you felt for her. In all honesty, she was a nice, beautiful woman, with a kind heart who just seemed worse when you barely knew her. It's just that your jealousy took over what affection you had for her over that fact that in a few months she's been closer than you've ever been to Him. You can't blame yourself, so you don't.
"You still have that picture?"
An all too familiar voice rings through your mind, snapping you back to reality. The picture he had mentioned was neatly placed on a polished marble counter. What was visible, two young faces, one a male, one female. They were smiling, in a cheesy pose in what looked to be an amusement park... It was you and Him.
It made you smile, to think of the old days.
"Yeah, I do. Why would I discard it? It means a lot to me."
And you didn't lie. You denied yourself of romantic attraction of Him, because you never wanted to ruin your friendship, and never wanted to deal with a break up. When the happens, it's usually on bad terms and it's just awkward. You don't want to go through that. You don't want Him to go through that. So you blocked out all your emotions, and it worked. You have someone else now. He looks at you.
"Hm.." He murmured, his eyes content, but sleepy. "May I have it?"
Now you thought about this for a minute. On one hand, you'd love for him to have it and it makes you beam that he would. But on the other hand, you don't trust him with it. Eventually, your mind makes up a deal.
"I'll only let you have it, if we can take another picture with the same exact pose for myself."
He looked at you funny, but shrugged.
"Alright, get your Polaroid camera."
---
And it was then you took a picture, and then you kept it. It was then when things were alright. You're somewhere else now.
You inhale sharply, your head down, your eyes up. He is walking towards you. There's silence, only silence.
"Hello," you said. Short, but understandable.
"Hi, long time no see. I guess it's about time, huh?" Long, but understandable.
A dreary awkwardness fills the room. His eyes were dead, and you bet yours were too. It's strange how it had come to this. The room you were currently standing in had only grayscale. It felt lonely, full of solitude, anxiety- quietness.
Soon enough, it drives you insane. The lack of any noise at all is piercing through your head, it hurts. It hurts so much. And yet, you stood still. You had wished blinking made a louder sound.
Finally, He breaks the silence. Walking towards you, those foot steps gave you a sense of paradise..
But then He stops, and it rips through you again, making your mind and heart suffer. You can't focus on anything but the lack of noise. You don't even notice he places his soft lips on yours.
You don't flinch, you don't dig into him, you just stay still. Not out of fright or surprise, just content. You don't move your lips, and neither does he. None of you care for anything more than this. It felt like forever, going forever. Minutes.. Hours, heck- days even. It was nice, but not nice enough.
He lifts his head up and stares back at you. He steps back, and looks to the right of you, at a door. You see an obvious exhale.
"Before I go," He begins. "I need to give you something."
He shuffles around his pockets and takes out a thin wallet- one that you're certain he won't ever need again. His thin hands slip onto something and out comes a very peculiar polaroid photo. It lays in your point of view, and you gently take it.
You stand
and stare.
He- no, the man walks to your right and turns to the door. For there is a long hallway before the door is near, he fades from your sight. Even then, you hear a voice.
He said, "Goodbye, Lauren."
"See you." A lie. A loud creak was heard, and you closed your eyes.
You never saw him again.
