"Hello, um... Aliza? yes I think that our bags have been switched."
"No, no you have to ask her first 'Am I talking to Aliza' then you tell her." Seb instructed me-surprisingly doing a great impression of me, while Joshua and Paul were straightening my clothes.
"Ok, I get why Seb is instructing me, but what the hell are the two of you doing?!" I questioned Paul and Josh.
Paul swayed his head disappointed, "This will be your second encounter, you gotta bring your A-game with you man!"
Frustrated, I typed her number and took a deep breath before enquiring, "Hello am I talking to Aliza?" I asked while receiving a thumbs up from Seb, and cheeky smiles from the other two.
"it has been two hours already, I was waiting for your call, Rumi!" the speaker spurted.
"Yu... you were waiting for my call." I asked flustered.
"Duh! Our bags have been switched, ok... anyways." She sighed. "meet me in the main lobby." She finished.
"Ok." I cut the call, my hands still trembling- until the boys helped me sit on my bed.
"What happened?" Josh asked.
"She was waiting for my call." I said blushing.
Seb smacked his hand on his forehead before interrogating me. "Then? Where will you meet?"
"Main lobby."
"Wait... we aren't allowed at this time!" Paul interrupted, walking towards the wall where our instructions were pasted- conforming the little doubt he had.
"Wait what!" The fictional world in my mind, where we meet again, shattered like glass.
"Call her, and... tell her to abort the mission." Josh suggested.
"What mission?" Seb asked quivering his eyes on Josh, telling him not to suggest anything for the time being.
I called her back, wishing to catch her before the bearded menace does. "Now what do we do?" She asked knowing why I called her.
I looked at the pamphlets lying on the floor- when an Idea formed in my mind. "which floor are you on?" I asked, receiving suspicious frowns from the others.
"1st floor."
"Perfect!" I beamed. "Wait for my next call." I cut the call.
"I'm not liking the look on your face." Seb admitted.
"Then trust me you'll hate my plan." I assured him with an instinctive smirk growing on my face.
"This better be some mission impossible shit!" Joshua exclaimed.
I assured them that they had a very small role in this endeavor, then continued dismantling my partner's bedsheets. Lastly, I tied the corners of the sheets making a bedsheet rope.
"Ok, so first of all you're not Jacob Harlon." Paul said remembering the scene from Shot Caller, "And second of all this ain't a movie man." He finished.
"Trust me it's gonna work." I guaranteed him. "there's only one small variable." I confessed.
"What is it?" they said in unison.
"I unlocked the window located at the end of the room, showing them what I meant. "Snow."
"Ok... so you're tellin' me that we have to wait until the sky clears?" Paul asked yawning.
"Yepp, I think we have to wait an hour or so, before we are clear." I smiled, "get it?"
They helped me with the preparations, and got back to their bathing, dressing and with no surprise, sleeping- for josh. We drew shapes and different figures on his face to pass the time, but my concentration was pushed back to thinking of my mom.
She always loved some action. I constantly asked myself, 'Why does it have to be her, why not me?'
I imagined her typing on her typewriter, which she used to escape from reality, but I couldn't-because I knew she was in her hospital room reading a magazine or chatting with her doctor, sharing snide comments on her dying.
I shoved the thought and checked my watch before lifting my head and nodding to the others. Paul was busy waking Josh up, who was rubbing his face, smudging the ink on it.
"Ok boys this is it." I started, "This is the moment you were born for."
"Tone it down a bit... will ya." Josh complained.
"We're not the ones going on a suicide mission." Seb reminded.
"Anyways... lets just get this over with." Paul announced eager to sleep.
I walked towards the open window, the sky was clear and I knew what that meant. I checked the forecast and was over joyed to learn that it was the perfect occasion.
"We're ready." Seb announced from behind.
I silently nodded, while they lowered the makeshift rope in the darkness below. Tightly gripping the rope I started the descend, and received a torch thrown from where I had crawled from, after I touched the ground. I turned the torch light on the white snow below before uncertain, I tried to remember the map I had memorized in the hour.
I turned, sticking to the wall of the hostel, in order to not loose my footing. Despite the added weight of the bedsheet rope in my backpack, I carried my leg forward. Finally, after five minutes of sneaking and creeping, I reached my destination.
"Aliza, are you alone?" I asked after she answered her phone.
"No, my roommates are with me." she answered.
"Good, ok now open your window." I instructed her.
Her black outline nearing the window in her room. She unlocked the window, instantaneously a look of shock appeared in her eyes.
"What the hell are you doing here?" her voice sounding from both my phone and above.
I pressed my phone to my ears and said in a hushed voice, "I'll throw this rope towards you, at the end of the rope, you'll find a piece of paper attached to it with a phone number written on it."
"What are you doing it's cold, close the win..." her roommate, with blonde hair and bangs- strangely complimenting her pale skin, interrupted me.
"Tell your roommate to contact that number." I continued, "in the meantime if you want your bag, you'll have to come with me." My lips curled in anticipation, Seb had told me that this plan was more like a kidnapping than an exchange, but the second she had explained the situation to her roommates-she accepted the rope giving the end to the blonde girl. And to my astonishment started crawling out of her room without any hesitation.
I packed the rope back in my backpack and glanced towards her, "I thought you wouldn't accept this friendly stroll."
"It seemed more like a negotiation." Her sweet voice countered.
"Let's go, we'll miss it." I pressured her. Walking towards the road.
"Miss what?" she said, holding my hands.
Her warm hands took me off guard making me stop in my tracks.
"You'll see." I reassured her. "C'mon."
I led her near a white ford focus almost camouflaged by the snow, at one side of the car a 'Taxilo' sticker covered the doors. I unlocked the door gesturing her to get in, while I took the door on the other side.
After settling ourselves, she turned towards me and asked, "how did you know that I'll come with you?"
"I had an intuition." I answered casually.
"Oh... is that so?" she reached for the handle. "then I'll take my leave."
"Feel free to go, but you'll miss a 'once in a lifetime opportunity'."
She retracted her hand and was surprisingly silent, which made the fifteen minutes seem like an eternity, but I thought to myself-being with her in this peaceful silence covered for the three years I had spent in the isolated stillness I encased myself in. Just thinking of her made my heart jump beats, but sadly so did the car as it screeched on the snowy road transporting me back in the car.
"það verða þrjú þúsund og fimm hundruð herra." The driver said after stopping the car.
"Ensku takk." I said revealing my foreign accent.
"It will be 3,500 Krona sir." He explained in English-almost fluently.
"Here." I gave him two, 2000 notes. "Can you stay for 15 minutes-we'll be back soon."
"No problem sir."
"Þakka þér fyrir." I thanked him, and guided Aliza- holding her hand- towards the lighthouse.
"this is Grótta Lighthouse." I explained to her. "Although we came here because we are studying the Aurora Borealis, I think this is the best time in spotting one."
Hearing that she turned towards me, and asked, "Why are you doing all this for me?"
"Do you want an honest answer or a sarcastic one?" I opposed.
"Just tell me the truth." Her eyes sparkling.
"Because, for the past three years I wanted to talk to you, the moment I saw you." we were now climbing the staircase leading us towards the top. "and I've never once stopped thinking about you after that." I finished.
We were now at the top of the lighthouse; I switched off my torch, which I had been carrying, only to be met by complete darkness and clear skies, 'this is it' I thought-as all the conditions were met.
Suddenly after about five minutes of the same peaceful silence, I looked towards Aliza who had her gaze fixed on me, her face not visible in the minimal light. However, in seconds her face lightened as green streaks ran through her face.
"Look it's the Aurora!" she jumped. She held my hand- her grip solid. She shifted her gaze- her eyes now piercing mine- those eyes told me exactly what I needed to know. I wasn't the only one longing for the touch. She had the same- identical motive. A touch, which had been longed for three years. The time had finally arrived.
Not giving me a second to take in the gorgeous sight anymore, she wrapped her arms around my waist- her face close to mine. Her lips twitched as she grew closer, unable to move-transfixed at her actions, I closed my eyes as her lips finally touched mine. I placed my cold hands on her thin back as I pulled her towards me.
The northern lights giving me the perfect backdrop for this magical moment; my first kiss.
She pushed me back, only to be attracted again by my eyes. This time I pursued her until our lips met again, and the feeling of her warm lips sent a soothing sensation throughout my body. I wished this night would never end as I held her, but time- Time is the only barrier in achieving what really matters.
I withdrew my arm, finally separating me from her- she said, "Let's just do what we had come here for."
"I don't know about you, but I came here for the kiss."
She punched me softly on my arm- before locking her arm with mine, suggesting, "Let's just... enjoy the Northern Lights, and... thank you, Rumi. A smile formed on her soft, beautiful face. She rested her face on my shoulders.
Her voice, sitting peacefully in my heart as I turned to witness the Northern Lights.