"What a day!" She says while giggling.
"Amusement parks and carnivals are more enjoyable at night."
She looks at me, and her happiness just vanishes in the thin air.
"I can't leave my apartment at night."
"Why not?" I ask.
"Because I think it's not safe to leave at night."
I smile at her, and we drive back to the apartment. When we arrive, her cat's claws are peeking underneath her door. I rub the rough floor that she makes with her nails and I fear our landlady will be mad. She opens the door and her cat runs quickly out the door to our feet.
"Hi Peach." I say, then tickle her neck.
"She really loves you, doesn't she?"
"Hope so."
"Thanks for this day." The girl says.
She picks up her cat.
"Good night." She whispers.
"Good night."
I walk into my sad dark pitch apartment, gloomy and the mist having a party in my insomniac tiredness. Wrestling in my thoughts is her sad life that I can't comprehend how to deal with. I lay on my bed trying to sleep but I couldn't. Then I heard a noise from my window. I stand, checking the commotion — Peach is trying to get inside. Now that I have company, I give up sleep.
"Now, what can I do for you, gorgeous?" I say when she finally got inside.
I make popcorn while Peach is roaming around my apartment.
"We're going to watch a movie. Would you like that?"
Peach meows and I take that as a yes. When the popcorn is done, I sit on the couch. Peach follows me and sits next to me. I open the application and click The Curious Case but Peach meows at me.
"You don't like this one?" I ask her.
She meows at me again. I look for another movie and found Butterfly Effect, but she meows again.
"You don't want this too?" I say while shaking my head.
I try playing cartoons but she meows as well, circling on the couch. I almost give up; it seems she doesn't want to watch a movie. I try again and put another movie but she doesn't bother this time. She sits back on the couch and focuses on the TV.
"Letters to Juliet, huh? Got you there, buddy!" I scream in victory.
Minutes after the movie, there's a familiar knock on my door. I give Peach some water and put the popcorn in front of her before proceeding to the door.
"Sorry, Jack." I hear her say before I come to open the door.
"Hey, it's late, you're still awake." I say to her.
"Yeah, I was sleeping but got awakened, and noticed my windows were wide open."
"She's here." I say, looking at the back of my TV. "We're watching a movie."
She leans her head on the door. "I'm so sorry, that's embarrassing."
"Hey, no, no, no, it's fine. Tomorrow's weekend, got nothing to do. Besides, I'm having trouble sleeping."
She looks tired and sad. She puts one hand on her chest, pressing it gently.
Terrible of me not to invite her inside.
"Would you like to come inside and join us?" I ask, blushing in embarrassment.
She chuckles and comes inside, stealing the popcorn from Peach and scooping her before sitting.
"Would you like some coffee, juice, anything?"
She looks at me, synchronizing her stare with her cat.
"Any warm milk?" she asks and gets back her attention to the TV.
I check my fridge but have no milk, leaving me no choice but to close the door and book pizza and powdered milk on Grab Food. I walk back into the dining room. Peach is still eating my popcorn, and she's hooked on the movie. She stares at me as I place my coffee on the glass table in front of us.
"Where's my milk?" She asks, hurt.
"I have no milk. I already booked on Grab Food."
"Oh, cancel it. I have in my unit."
She puts the popcorn and the throw pillow down.
"No need. I also get us a pizza." I explain.
She smiles. "Why? Now you're a best friend of mine."
"Marathon, it's um." I say. "Your cat likes romantic movies."
She nods her head. Peach meows at us. The cat just got offended by what I've said.
"Did I offend her?"
She chuckles while nodding. I receive a call from the Grab Food Rider. She runs to the door, snatching the pizza, then she sings "thank you". I follow her to the door. And I smile at the rider paying for the pizza.
"Are you always like this?" I ask her.
She giggles at me, shoving the big slice of pizza into her mouth, and leans her head on the sofa while I sit next to her, admiring her face.
"You haven't slept? Or you had slept in the same clothes you were wearing?" I ask.
"I was playing back what happened and fell asleep on my sofa." She says, but it was a lie. I can see it through her eyes.
I remove the hair from her eyes. She feels uncomfortable so instead, I pet Peach's head.
"I'm so sorry if I offended you earlier." I say to Peach.
She strokes the head of her cat with a smile on her face while munching a pizza. I look at her studying her face; her lips are dry and grey; her skin is pale, and she's skin and bones, and weak. I don't want to stare at her long enough to make her uncomfortable, but she's mesmerizing, and I don't know why I find her decaying body mesmerizing.
"You're making me uncomfortable." She whispers.
I close my eyes. "I'm sorry. It's just, I never paid too much attention to your face."
Opening my eyes again and got fascinated with her even more.
"And what did you notice?"
I swallow the lump in my throat. "You're undoubtedly beautiful."
"Why do normal healthy people like dying people?" she smiles at me and turns her attention back to the TV.
After the first movie her cat meows again, I don't know how Peach knows it's the ending of the movie, but the way she looks at me, I know she can read what's on my mind. She shrugs her shoulders. It's my cue to check on more romantic movies.
"What do you think she'll like?" I ask.
"We love Dear John. It's our favorite movie." She replies.
Romantic film may not be my favorite genre but I watched some rom-com movies with my exes. Though films that are based on Nicholas Sparks are never my cup of tea. This girl lady and her lovely cat are just adorable, so why not try it, right?
"What's your favorite movie?" She asks.
"What genre?"
She chuckles. "Do you have a favorite movie in every damn genre?"
"Precisely." I whisper.
She smirks. "Romantic."
"Rom-com, romance drama, or classic romance?"
I look at her through my peripheral view, she leans back her head and answers "all".
"Rom-com, 10 Things I Hate About You. Romance drama, 100 Tula Para Kay Stella. Classic romance, Breakfast at Tiffany's."
"What wonderful movie choices from a loner guy." she teases.
"What about you?" I ask her back.
"You've Got Mail, Dear John…" she pauses and looks at me. "Is Blue a Warmest Color consider a classic?"
I smirk. "That's a very interesting question, but none of us are movie experts."
"Pretty much, just movie lovers." She drinks her milk, then clears her throat. "Let's proceed, no sub-genre, okay?"
I nod my head, agreeing with her.
"Favorite action film." She asks.
"Hanna."
"I like Erased."
"I've never watched that one before." I say.
"You're missing out. Favorite Drama?" She doesn't look disappointed, though.
"Cast Away or Into the Wild."
"The Bucket List."
"Morgan Freeman?" I ask.
"And Jack Nicholson."
"Your movie choices are something else."
She jolts into her seat and clasps her hands together.
She then looks at me, beaming. "I have an idea. Let's watch all our favorite movies together!"
"That's a great idea! But we need more pizza." I look at Peach. "This lady finished all the pizza."
She carries Peach and kisses her on the cheek.
"Oh, and she only prefers romance movies."
"She does like other genres, though."
I order more pizza. "Will she behave?"
"She'll behave, trust me." She winks at me. "With pizza."
We stay until the end of dawn watching all our favorites. We watch The Bucket List last because I know she'll cry, and to my surprise, she didn't. They left my unit at 9:00 in the morning and I sleep on the couch with pizza boxes everywhere. I never sleep this late in my life by just watching movies, but I regret nothing.
I woke up today with a headache same as having a hangover. I clean the mess and notice a letter sneaked underneath my door.
Thank you. Last night was fun. Peach and I had a wonderful time.
She didn't say her name, and that's suspicious. I turn on the paper and there's a P.S.
Don't forget about my birthday. My dad is in the hospital, he couldn't accompany me and Peach, so please don't forget Peach to include in your plan. I only have you.
- Love, The Dying Girl
"The Dying Girl?" I whisper.
She first referred to herself as Product and now Dying Girl? Has she ever called herself human?
I lean on the wall after cleaning my house and think about a good plan for her birthday. She said to plan for her birthday when I don't know when her birthday is. I'm not really a planner, I'm more of a spontaneous one. I smile as ideas flow to my brain.
My Birthday Plan:
First, we're going to the Play First Restaurant for breakfast. It's the only pet café in the city.
Second, we're going to the Planetarium. I heard pets are allowed there and since she said she had never been to any amusement parks, she'll be going to love it there.
Third, we're going to the zoo to have a picnic for lunch.
And for snacks, we're going to the Candy Museums. It looks like she has never got sweets before.
At the end of the day, we're going to Cruise Dinner nearby the Candy Museum. I'm pretty sure fireworks start at 6:00 PM.
This is going to be exciting and romantic! It's more of what she needs and she'll kiss me as thanks!