I was late. Or rather very much right on time. If I could have just made it out of the elevator in the next 30 seconds and walked fast to the bus stop in the next 2 minutes I could have caught my bus. Nothing out of ordinary. Between studying for a test in the morning and banging on the bathroom door urging my brother to bath fast a girl can be late now and then. There was I in the elevator with my mouth full of my breakfast and juggling my bag and books, which should have been in my bag between my hand, so occupied with my multi-tasking that I had failed to notice the Boy in the corner of the elevator. It was not until the elevator violently jerked to a stop and the lights flickered out did I notice the other occupant.

So, a little cut scene here. The guy was one of the residents in my building, near my age I guess and lived on one of the floors above mine. We definitely were not in the same school. He had moved in at the starting of the year and we might had been sharing the elevator quite frequently in the mornings. And I may or may not had not bothered to change my very much double edged morning routine because I liked my morning rides with him.

He was not a particularly tall guy with shaggy black hair covering his eyes and his neck always bend downwards, shoulders slouched. It was like he was trying to occupy the least possible space. He did kind of remind me of the boys I read in books, looks like they are up to no good and really has that broody face of Victorian heroes going on all for them. I might not have done justice in describing the guy but I never thought that I would have to describe someone like him who exists outside the pages of books.

Back to the elevator. He gasped out loud as the elevator stopped. I would have too, but as we have already established food in the mouth. Just no time to eat breakfast at a table like a normal person. "Are you all right?" he asked me. I did not want to turn around with my cheeks swollen up like a chipmunk so I just signaled a minute with my finger and got on chewing furiously. After a few seconds when I could finally turn around I realized he cannot really see anything as it was pitch dark. Still, it was no manners to talk with food in my mouth. "Hmm, yeah perfectly ok" It was so dark that I could not even see my hands near my face. I was so glad that it was he who was with me in the elevator. He was a bit on the scrawny side (again eyeballing, few seconds do not let me observe him as much as I would like to, because of no particular reason obviously). I was sure I could take him down if he tried any funny business.

I was alright at that moment but the very next my brain caught on to my current surroundings. "On a second thought, I do not like this darkness very much," I gasped, breathing fast. It was like the darkness was closing on me from all sides. I could not see anything and then, the thought that we were hanging in the middle of the elevator shaft, several floors above ground, made my heart beat faster and my stomach felt funny. As I was trying to get my senses back I felt a hand on my shoulder, patting me like he was trying to find something. It was probably my hand but he ventured into a strict no zone and I had to joke, "I would not go any further down if I were you buddy." He jerked his hand up so fast that he almost whacked me across my face. His antics calmed me down a bit and I giggled. He found my hand at last and apologized in a sheepish voice.

"Do you know what to do if we have a freefall?" I asked him timidly. All the advice my dad had given, all the physics classes whooshed right out of my head. What use is knowledge when I cannot remember it when I needed it. "We probably should lie down and hold our neck up, our heads not touching the floor." At least he had paid attention. I was glad to be stuck with him, now for all different reasons. "Yeah, yeah let us do that," I said eagerly, taking my hand out of his and proceeded to lie on the filthy ground immediately. I was confused as I could not feel him next to me and he said from above me "I guess, we should try to call help first," mirth was evident in his voice. I sprung up and rearranged my skirt, nodding. Then realizing no light I murmured my agreement. Maybe you will not believe it but I could feel his laughing eyes at me and I can bet that moment he was doing all he can to not laugh. Few minutes with him in a dark box suspended in nothing reduced me to a halfwit. So yeah I would be avoiding the triggers in the future.

I shuffled past him to the steel doors and started yelling, hoping the security would notice the stopped elevator. The elevators were not near the apartments so the chances of any resident hearing us were low. As I tried to recollect if it was the time when the securities changed shift I realized I had no chance of catching my bus that day and had to miss the test I woke up early to study for. The thought angered me and I let out a frustrated grunt.

"What is the matter?" asked the boy. As I turned to answer him I realized we did not even know each others' names. "Not a fan of being stuck in a steel box a million feet above the ground," I said teasingly. "I am Cynthia. What is your name?" I asked him.

"Alex"

"Nice to meet you, Alex. I am sure you cannot see it but I am smiling here." He chuckled. I felt a sense of accomplishment in making the broody guy laugh.

"So, I think we should try to minimize our movements and try again a few minutes later. The guards would not be at their station now," I proposed, my first constructive suggestion in the whole predicament. He agreed and we just stood there silently. It was almost reaching the pinnacle of awkwardness when he broke the silence by asking, "So what would have been your day like if you were not currently floating, figuratively?"

I answered him laughing, "You had to remind me of that, didn't you? Well, I probably would have run to the bus stop to catch my bus, then have a normal regular, expected boring day in school. What about you?" "Pretty much same, though, I do have a tournament today. Not glad that I am missing it. Where will you go after this?"

"Oh you mean if not to my funeral?" as he winced I explained, "Sorry, have morbid humor. I am currently locked out of my house so I think I will be experiencing the street life for the next few hours."

He laughingly said, "You do have a unique humor." I did blush at that. "Will you-," he continued but never got the chance to finish. The elevator had had its fun with us and had started moving all on its own. I rushed out as soon as the doors opened and did my pre-planned brisk walk to the bus stop but the damage was already done and the bus was gone. I walked back to the building dejected and soon Alex joined me. "Yours has gone, too, huh?" I asked him lifting one of my shoulders up.

It was eight in the morning and my parents and brother were already on their way to office and school respectively. I could not call them back and did not even have the keys with me. I was still hoping to make it till I saw the empty stop.

"Hey, don't look so down now. It is Tuesday. We can hang out at the library. Or not. If you are not into books. I just thought you might be as I have noticed you going to the library quite frequently. Not that I was actively looking out for you. It just came upon my notice. Will you take mercy on me soon enough and shut my ramblings anytime now?" he asked running his hand through his hair. Again never had seen a guy really to do that, just read about it.

"Where would be the fun in that?" I asked very much enjoying his rambles. It clued me in that he too had noticed me before that day and I was very giddy about that. "So I gather that you are inviting me to spend the rest of the day with you?" I asked teasingly. I very much should not had done that. If I was in his place I would have just turned about, embarrassed, and walked away as fast as I could. But he stood his ground and replied "If you want to." "I very much accept then," I replied, smiling.

We spent the first few hours of the day in the park. He tried to swing on his feet but the swing started creaking. I almost rolled on the ground with laughter at the terrified face with which he jumped from the swing. Then in the library, he very patiently heard my reviews about each and every book I had read there. And there were many books. I was really fond of visiting the library. For the record, so early on a weekday, there were very few people so we could go on about whispering without disturbing anyone. He too had read a few books, so he made some recommendations which I borrowed. The librarians did give us funny looks. Two students in their uniform on a school day had all signs of playing hooky. Alex did not mind the looks but me being me, I just had to explain what had happened and that we were not purposefully bunking the day.

Then we played badminton for a while with the racquets in the lost and found box. And then afterward there was an hour of Alex boasting his win. Only because of his tallness. We had lunch near the community poolside. Then played a few rounds of carrom.

By the time it was time for my younger brother's bus to arrive I was exhausted. But so happy. It was the most fun I had ever had. We laughed, talked, dared each other to do crazy stuffs. Like I made him climb a tree and get me a flower (I only did it because he was boasting his climbing skills just a few moments back and I wanted a demonstration) and he made me wave to an unsuspecting woman cooking in her ground floor kitchen, from the window. Thankfully, the woman did not take an offence and even waved back.

I had not wanted to walk away from him. He gave me one of the most amazing days of my thirteen years and I did not want my time with him to end. I felt as if I was in the 'Everything has changed' song by Taylor Swift. As I saw my brother's bus arriving I turned back to him, "I enjoyed today. I will see you around, right?" seeking confirmation that this will not be the last time we will spend time together. His eyes softened and replied, "Me too. Every time you would like to. And not too. If we are in the same place. Unknowingly. You know how it is sometimes. Coincidence." This time I did stop his ramblings. He had a habit of going off the topics "I get you." I replied with a smile and turned around to see my brother getting down from the bus. I usually came home before him so he had no idea I was not at school.

My family had not had the faintest idea what I had been doing that day. Which was good and also bad in case I had been kidnapped. Looks like in the last five years of my friendship with Alex some of his habits to overthink and ramble have rubbed up on me. Yeah, you read that right. Alex and I have been friends for half a decade!! (Though there had been times which makes me think maybe more than friendship is possible in the near future.) Today we head out to our college, in a new city, ready to tackle an adventure together, not unlike our first day. And to think I would never have him in my life without a misbehaving elevator, which has been working perfectly fine since that day.