Chapter three

CHAPTER THREE

RIE

I walk down the hallway nonchalantly and looking at my cell phone, take a sip of coffee I bought at the coffee shop and hear the hurried footsteps of someone else in the hallway right in front of me but I ignore it. I'm sure it's some security agent or something making sure no strangers are around.

Without any warning I crash into a person and all the coffee stains my shirt and I feel the burn on my skin because it was scalding hot, but somewhat bearable. The fabric cushions the burn.

I look up and a short girl is with her eyes wide open, she seems scared waiting for my reaction but to her surprise I don't react in a bad way, quite the opposite.

“For God's sake! I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to.... I just wasn't watching where I was going” she stammers and her nervousness makes me feel tender.

I let out a small giggle and confusion spreads across her face. She slyly details me and I can't help but smile. I'm detailing her too, she's very pretty.

“Easy, okay? It was an accident” I snort with amusement as I stare at the tiny ones that are barely visible on her face.

“I'm still sorry. I have to be more careful”

“Maybe a little bit”

“Yeah... I have to go. I'm really sorry, I hope you can get the stain out-he waves goodbye and walks towards the cafeteria while his hair tied in a ponytail moves in time with his movements”

“Sure, but if it doesn't come out you'll have to give me a new one”

I don't get an answer and say goodbye with a shout so he can hear me.

“I'm kidding. Goodbye, it was a pleasure”

Now I head for the exit of the clinic to go home and hopefully get this stain out of my hair.

It's important to clarify one thing, it's not me who goes to the psychologist, it's my brother Robert, he has clinical depression and generalized anxiety since 1 year ago. The reason is because he found his girlfriend (with whom they had been in a relationship for 5 years and with plans to get married), with another man in his bed and not exactly playing wrestling. They are both the same age, 26 years old.

She started a new relationship with this man who was Robert's best friend.

That's right, as you read it, he was her best friend and she betrayed him in the worst way.

Every time he goes on a date I'm the one who goes with him, or rather, I'm the one who has been there through the whole process. The eternal sleepless nights where his sobs could be heard even in the corners of the house and the countless times he locked himself in his room without going out for days, without almost tasting a bite of food. He started to lose weight and was getting pale so I decided to do something for him, I contacted a psychologist and brought him here.

He is much better now, he goes out a bit more, eats three times a day and sometimes laughs non-stop when I tell him my anecdotes from school. Even though he is so broken, I continue to see him as the strongest person in the world because he is, at least for me.

I arrive from the clinic to the house with Robert following in my footsteps, when I open the door a delicious aroma floods my nostrils and after that my stomach roars. I'm starving.

“My loves,” exclaims Mom, the best chef in the world and runs to give us a bear hug, which we reciprocate, “the food is already served. Let's eat”

The three of us sit down together and Robert and I eat in silence, while mom keeps talking about the new recipes she is preparing at the academy and that she will make for us later. Dad is not with us because he is on a business trip, although he is not one of those absentee fathers, his days off and vacations are always dedicated to us and he tries to make up for his absence although we have told him not to worry, we know he loves us and he doesn't have to try so hard to show it. However, he always finds a way to do it.

Life gave me wonderful parents.

When we finish eating, we help mom with the cleaning and then I go to my room to use my cell phone for a while and try to figure out who the mysterious girl behind the screen is.

A couple of days ago I went to a party, danced with a beautiful girl and she gave me her number. I texted her and then got a reply telling me it was a wrong number, we shared a few messages but then she didn't reply anymore, I didn't think anything of it but now I'm kind of bored so whatever.

I unlock my cell phone and type.

“Are you around?” *send*

“Yes, what do you want? I'm busy now”

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing that concerns you”

He answers bluntly and surprisingly makes me laugh.

“Ruda… I like them that way”

“I don't care how you like them, stop writing me”

“Okay. Okay, I won't bother you anymore”

“Thank you”

“I'm bored, I won't stop writing you.”

5min later I don't get a reply and I snort. Bored.

I leave the cell phone on the bedside table and take the guitar in my hands. Yes, this is my dream, to be a world renowned artist. I have a notebook with written lyrics that I love to sing when I'm alone in my room with nothing to do. It relaxes me and filters my stress.

I play a soft melody that instantly makes me close my eyes so that the inspiration flows by itself, the voice comes out of me before I can think about it.

Between heaven and earth I am

Where am I going?

I don't care if I'm with you

I don't care if you're with me

Stay, don't go away

You're part of me and if the sky turns grey I'll be there

Don't forget me

I'll be there

Music is my escape from reality although that song is not composed by me, but by my brother, it was a song he wrote for his ex-partner when they were just over two years old.

We inherited the gift of music thanks to dad, he loved to sing as a young man, now he has dedicated his life to business, but I would have loved to see him sing and be happy.

I am content to hear him sing once in a while, he has a very good voice.

I'm so focused on the melody that I didn't notice that my cell phone has been ringing for a while for a call. When I see the number of the girl I've been writing to from time to time I don't hesitate to answer, thinking about the joke I'm going to tell her but when I hear her sobs I close my mouth abruptly and without understanding it very well my concern increases. I don't know her, but she is a human being. And we all deserve a helping hand when it's a difficult moment, so I get ready to speak.