The Many Personalities of Love

Chapter 1 - Tyler/ Samantha

Chapter 1

Tyler Lawson couldn't listen to another pointless ad about the new weight loss method or the latest skin product. He turned off the radio and decided to let the sound of nature be his music.

That was until he opened the window and heard the sounds of the city instead.

He remembered being in this exact position when he was a freshman in college two years ago. He had been new to the city of Rose Lake, new to the culture around him. At first it was hard to adjust, considering he came from the small town of Reya but after a few months he learned the ropes of the big city.

Now advancing two years later, Tyler had become a pro at handling big city problems. However, he would always prefer his small town over Rose Lake. He had just come back from spending summer in Reya with his family and friends but now it was time to get back to school and start junior year. Time went by fast and nothing had gone as planned which nothing ever did, his mom always said. The further Tyler got into life the more he realized how wise his mother was. She was a strong woman, full of happiness and gratitude even when everything in her life had turned an unexpected route.

After a few minutes of driving in the car with silence, Tyler grew bored until he heard music again. He turned to where the music was, directing to a bar called 'The Alma'. He had always passed by the bar, trying to sneak in and buy drinks but he never could. However, this year he turned twenty one and twenty one year olds could go into bars without being kicked out.

He checked the time, knowing it was smart to go back to his dorm and start unpacking but he didn't want to be there before his roommate Louis. Louis and him had a bet they played every year, consisting of being the last person at the dorm. Whoever got there first would have to clean the whole dorm and make sure it was nice and tidy for the other roommate. Louis won every year, always managing to come later than Tyler, even when Tyler tried every tactic to show up later. Yet, now Tyler could go into bars and talk to random strangers while ordering drinks to pass the time.

Without another thought he turned into the bars parking lot. He walked out of his car as the signs flashed 'Alma' which meant soul in Spanish. Tyler only knew that because his family was part Hispanic. He wondered why they called it that, a bar was not the place to find your soul unless this place had some sort of magic.

Tyler searched for an empty space, passing a group of drunk girls who went to his school. He talked to them on occasions when Louis took him to parties. He casually waved at them as they went on with their nights turning into cliche college girls.

He searched for a seat among the crowd but there was not an available space in sight. He thought of leaving, until he suddenly found a reason to stay. From a distance he set his eyes on a brunette beauty who staring into mid air, as if her mind was somewhere far from this bar.

She seemed to be his age or even a little older, it was hard to tell with all the makeup she was wearing. Tyler observed her, she looked around like she waiting for someone, tapping her fingers in irritation. Maybe she had been stood up, it had to be from a blind date because he could never imagine a beautiful girl like her be stood up from someone she knew.

She wore a tight dress that revealed her cleavage which Tyler would say was a cry for attention but she seemed to want the opposite. She wanted to be hidden, especially the way she sat at the corner of the bar away from all the drunk creeps.

A woman sitting next to her moved away and Tyler knew this was his chance. He quickly walked over before anyone else could.

Tyler took a few breathes, pretending to have confidence. However, the longer he sat there the harder it got to talk to her. He noticed her check her phone several times, maybe she was meeting someone important and he was just wasting his time.