The girl picks up her phone and scroll through names in her contacts list, she stops when coming across the name "Fallon Saunders". Taps it, and makes the call.
It rings a couple of times before the person on the other end picks up,
"Hey, Ji."
"Come over after you're done baby sitting today?"
"Sure."
"I haven't told you why yet! Uh— Sleepover?"
"Haha yeah I'll be there around 7."
"Awesome. See ya"
She hangs up, and puts down her phone, checks the time
"5:21," she rolls over the bed and sighs. "—pizza" she says randomly, her eyes slowly closing as reality begins to warp, and the room lighting start to dissolve into darkness— she yawns, tears slowly seal her eyes shut, the girl drifts into unconsciousness.
The whole house falls into silence.
Street lights gleam brighter as the sky is embraced by a mantle of gray. The sun sinks deeper down the horizon, houses lighting up one by one until the entire town lights up the night.
People exiting their houses with their pets, going on a relaxing night run. Cars pulling out of driveways— a family pepped up, ready to catch their dinner reservations. A mom carrying a bag of groceries calling for her kids to help.
It was but another ordinary night in the peaceful City of Belleville.
—buzzz buzzz
The girl, still half asleep, is awaken by the buzzing that fills her whole house in vibration.
—buzzz
Clumsily, she waves her hand around her bed searching for her phone and she finds it, the screen lights up and she checks the time.
7:15PM
—buzzz
She jolts, her eyes fully open as the shots up from the bed and runs out her room, down the stairs and to the door which she opens the moment her hand reached the handle.
"W- Were—" catching her breath, "Were you here long?"
A tall female figure stands outside the door, her hand holding up a box, her face illuminated by the barely lit living room.
"No," she holds up her hand "I got pizza"
Justine's eyes light up, a ray of sunshine paints across her face, her smile stretches across her cheeks.
"Girl- I was just thinking about that!" She laughs "Come in, come in!"
Fallon reaches for the light switch upon entering, she leaves her sandals on the shoe rack to the side, her jacket to the coat hanger on the left.
Justine takes the pizza from her hand and walks to the living room to turn the television on.
"Do you want to finish General USA: The Winter Cadet? I don't think you made it to the ending last time-"
"Yes please."
They both fall back to the soft couch and grab a warm slice from the pizza box placed on the coffee table.
"I'm surprised Zed isn't here, Ji."
"Yeah well, his saturdays became busy recently. I just let him do his thing."
"Someone's tryna be a decent girlfriend" she smirks.
"I am!"
The empty house is then filled with voices teasing with light arguments, laughter and warmth as the night continues to fall darker and colder.
"Why didn't you invite Jae Kim, Ji?"
"You know what he'll say Fal-"
"Try?"
Justine sighs, and she reaches for her phone and dials on Jae Kim. An immediate pick-up
"What." His voice groggy and emotionless.
"Movie and pizza?"
"Thanks. No."
He hangs up.
"Told you."
Fallon laughs. "Haha it's okay, you tried."
They shrug but continue to watch the movie.
Later, they were up on Justine's room, in pajamas and beauty face masks, with all the lights off but one lamp illuminating the room.
"Hey Fal, do you wanna talk about boys?" She giggles.
"I'm sure there's a million other things we can talk about—"
"I'll start. If you could date someone from the Volunteers Club, who would it be?"
Fallon sighs. "I don't see them that way."
"Really? I think Jenkin is pretty in to you tho."
"Jen—" she flinches "No. He's trying to look after me."
"He's pretty hot, come on." Justine teases.
"He's..." Fallon stares off the ceiling "perfect."
"So you like him?" The intrigued Justine scooches over, her eyes lighting up and excited.
"I can't do that to him." She frowns.
"What do you mean?"
"He's perfect. He's a kind, thoughtful, and happy guy... I don't want to—" she chokes up and stops.
Justine reads the atmosphere and withdraws.
"Aight Fal. It's okay, we have our reasons."
They lay on the bed, both spaced out and staring at the ceiling. The night is quiet, the house was empty and the moonlight seeping through the window pane in between the curtains.
"I hate this feeling." Says Justine, breaking the silence of the room.
Fallon sits up and looks at her, Justine's eyes staring up.
"What feeling?"
"Alone in an roomy space."
Looking back, Fallon reminds herself of the times she comes home with nobody in her house, she wakes up and everyone has already left. Her parents come home late and leave early, she doesn't get to speak with them.
"Yeah." Fallon reaches for Justine's head and pats it gently.
"You can't help but yearn for love when you're used to being lonely." Justine says, her expression firm and serious, keeping her gaze locked above.
Fallon froze, her eyes avert from looking at Justine. Her heart pounding from her chest, she chokes up, bows down her head—
"Too cheesy?" Justine scoffs and snaps out of her daze.
"Y- Yeah." Fallon, breathing with relief, laughs albeit slightly awkward
Justine lets out a deep sigh, sits up, and faces Fallon.
"Fallon Saunders."
Fallon winces, straightens herself. "Crap. That's my full name" she thought, trembling.
"Thank you." Justine adds.
The nervous Fallon again, relaxes. Letting out a relieved exhale.
"For what?"
"For being one of those people that make my life less lonely."
Fallon pauses looking at Justine's bright smile, her vision became blurry and her lips quiver, she felt warm tears creeping out of her eyes.
Justine smiles, puts her hand on Fallon's shoulder— "Too cheesy?"
Fallon, choking up, let her tears overtake her as she wept. "Yeah." She sniffles, sobbing but lets out a silly laugh, "It was pretty cheesy." her voice cracking from the crying.
Her eyes welling with tears yet her lips forming a smile.
Justine reaches for a box of tissues beside the bed and places it on Fallon's lap.
"Knock yourself out."
She watches Fallon as she reaches into the tissue box and wipes away her streaming tears— Justine is awed by her friend's pure emotions and brittle heart.
Much later that night, Fallon was forced to sleep by her heavy eyes red from crying and lids were swollen. She lays there peacefully, asleep but not making any sound apart from her subtle breathing, yet Justine was wide awake, she lays there straight, but her head faced to the side as she observes Fallon sleep, unlike Fallon who was relaxed, Justine's expression however was crunched, biting her lips as if she's holding something back. Guilt was written all over her face.
She whispers under her breath.
"If you found out I'm actually a horrible person.. would you still cry for me?"
Her lips trembled, she hides her head under the covers, sighs and closes her eyes.
She then eventually falls asleep.
The next morning.
Fallon Notes (Page 3)
My friend allowed me to hear kind words and honestly made me feel great even though I sobbed a whole lot.
I'm glad I was able to provide some extent of positivity to my friends. I may feel worse on that fated day that I have to say goodbye, but at least my last days aren't repetitively unpleasant.