6 Hours Away

They say distance means so little when the person means so much… But when you mean nothing to that person then, the little distance will definitely mean so much… They say distance is a test of how far love can go but what if there is no love in the first place… They say the worst thing about distance is we don’t know whether they miss you or forget you, but what if they don’t even give a sign that they feel your presence even after looking at you every day… Distance doesn’t just refer to the miles between two persons. Because we are not living in different places far away from each other, but still, there is a distance between us. Is it going to be just there forever? Or will there be any way to reduce it... You may have become my husband, but you made yourself as a stranger to me by forming this distance between us, and I am losing the little hope which I formed in the beginning slowly…

My sister's graduation party was held on June 25th, the same day SAT scores were released. A banner hung across the hotel ballroom reading, ‘Congratulations to Bria Sumner, ranked 8th in the district, on her admission to Graymont Preparatory!’ The room was done up with balloons and fresh flowers, and Dad had ordered a custom cake with ‘The Sky's the Limit’ piped across the top in buttercream. I was sitting on a chair in the corner when my phone lit up. It was a notification from the College Board. I had scored a 1,580, placing me in the 99th percentile statewide. I silently turned the phone face down on the table. My uncle, seated next to me, slapped his forehead. "Paige, didn't you take your SATs this year too?" Mom lifted her glass and answered for me with a laugh, "Oh, her? She's still got a ways to go. Her test isn't until next year." My fork stopped midway to my mouth. I had spent months studying for the SATs on my own, diligently working through the vocabulary, reading, math, and essay sections. I set my own alarm on test day, called my own cab to the testing center, and came home to an empty house afterward. Mom had only sent me one message that day. Mom: [Get up early tomorrow. We need to book the venue for Bria's party.] I lowered my head and pushed the food on my plate around. I had lost my appetite. That night, I sat alone in my room, opened the college applications portal, and entered the farthest university I could find as my first choice. The university was 808 miles away from home.

My mother was critically ill, and I drove five hundred miles back to my hometown alone. At a rest stop, I saw a video online. A young man had posted: "First day driving long-distance as a nervous beginner. My ex followed me for three hundred miles, all the way until I got home safely." In the video, a familiar black Mercedes followed a white car the entire way. The top comment came from a burner account: "I'm the driver's ex. No other meaning. I just couldn't stop worrying. "He's timid, but always tries to act brave. I was afraid something would happen to him. "Please don't overthink it. Don't bother him. I'll feel bad." The internet exploded. "What kind of once-in-a-lifetime devoted ex is this? Get back together already!" I stared at that Mercedes. The plate number was GB-8860V. It was my fiancee Vanessa Tomlinson's car. That morning, she had canceled the plan to drive home with me. She said her company had an emergency project and she could not get away. I had sent her dozens of messages, and she had not replied to a single one. Yet she had time to escort the man she never truly let go of for three hundred miles. My phone buzzed. Vanessa had finally texted me: "Is the interstate jammed? Drive safe."

I've been in a long-distance relationship with Xavier Harrington for four years. Every time we meet up with each other, the first thing he says to me is, "You've gotten fatter… and shorter." When my friend finds out about it, she jokes to me, "Maybe he has another girlfriend who's taller and thinner than you." It's supposed to be a joke, and yet I take it seriously. It explains why I've decided to travel a span of 1,800 miles just to seek Xavier out at the city he's stationed to. But that's when I accidentally stumble upon Xavier going on a stroll with a young woman side by side. I trail behind them, only to see them going to a cafe that's filled with people. There, they line up so that they can snap commemorative photos. However, whenever Xavier's hanging out with me, he often turns my suggestions down impatiently. To him, lining up at such places is a waste of time. Later on, Xavier and the woman secure a table in a restaurant. There, Xavier pulls out a chair for her before he starts setting out the cutlery for her. Even when the food is served, he will subconsciously push the woman's favorite dish in her direction. For the first time ever in our relationship of eight years, I find out that Xavier can be caring when he feels like it. I watch as Xavier chats animatedly with the woman at the table. He shares everything with her, be it the irritating experiences at work or the funny and interesting incidents that have happened to him so far. Then, I lower my head to look at the short text messages Xavier has sent to me in the past. "Time for work. It's lunch time. I'm about to nap." Suddenly, I find my relationship with Xavier extremely boring, so I dig out the invitation sent by my company regarding their outstation request and tap on it. After all, I no longer want anything to do with this flawed relationship anymore.

During a long holiday, my husband booked flights for a family vacation. On the way to the airport, I suddenly saw numbers appearing on everyone’s head. The numbers on my husband’s head indicated sixty years, but my parents and I had only six hours indicated on our heads. While I was puzzled over the meaning of those numbers, I noticed that the driver next to us only had six seconds indicated over his head through the car window. Five… Four… Three… Two… One. When the number turned zero, a massive truck immediately rammed into the car next to us. I saw flickers of fire, flesh and blood exploding before my eyes. People were screaming for help, but I could not hear anything. I trembled as cold sweat drenched my entire body. It was because my flight would be taking off in six hours.

6 days is all she needs ... Zuri takes a vacation to America but three men: Passion, Lust, and Desire reroute everything for her. She is in bliss out living the American dream but sometimes meeting a stranger isn't always in your best interest