Aria felt her bag vibrate. Balancing the umbrella on the crook of her neck she reached into her bag to take out her mobile. Like everything she owned, it was padded in a sponge to prevent her from accidentally injuring it. It made it look fluffy, as if a child's toy. She groaned while looking at the number that flashed. It was Harry Holland from her college. Even though they had finished their classes and awaited their graduation, Harry refused to stop pestering her for a date. She had failed to convince him in the past three years that he was not the kind of person she saw herself with. She didn't like to talk about her condition. Only a chosen few received that privilege even though the differences that made her Aria were for all to see.
"Hello Harry. What made you call?" she spoke reluctantly. She was standing on the pavement, umbrella in hand, trying to keep her strawberry blonde hair from becoming a tangled mass of red moist cotton. She already knew most of the pick up lines he was used to using on her, all of whom she had found a counter to. She was smart that way. Some would even call her witty, but they wouldn't be allowed close enough to know how much.
"Hello, does this phone belong to Harry?" a deep voice enquired on the other end. The voice was unfamiliar and had a bit of foreign accent. She tried to place the accent but realized that it was a fruitless endeavour. She pursed her lips worrying over an appropriate response to such a question.
She settled for a straight- forward one. "Who is this?" She ended up asking. If Harry was kidnapped it was highly unlikely that the kidnapper would just give out their names. But then again this could be a good Samaritan helping an inebriated youth return home. Aria looked at the nearby news tower and noted the time. It was 6 pm, hardly a time for getting drunk. The sun had set not an hour back, the sky still carried streaks of sunset.
The voice hesitated at answering. The pause made Aria grow weary. "You won't recognize me by name" he confessed, "I am a bystander who witnessed your friend collapsing in the middle of the road. Do you wish to come to provide some assistance?" he asked in a way as if gauging her reluctance even before she voiced it.
Aria wanted to confess that he isn't really a friend. But truth is her friend's circle was so limited she dare not dismiss even a distant acquaintance and Harry was in most of her classes. "Can you not call anyone else? I am sure that there are other contacts on his phone." She replied.
"Your contacts are saved under 'favourite' in his device. I realize your reluctance in responding positively towards an unknown male. However, for the sake of your friend's safety I would strongly advise you to make the journey." There was almost something ominous about how he said that and Aria felt herself shiver. Then again, it was not a sensation she was used to, due to her CIPA. Aria felt her jaw slacken. Who spoke like that? What safety was he referring to?
"Are you one of Harry's friends? Please tell him that I am not letting him in my pants if he pretends to be sick." she asserted. That was actually a major reason she avoided any dalliance with Harry. A few encounters with the male species had not gone well during her youth and she wished to avoid all emotional entanglements as far as practical, especially someone who knew where she lived.
The awkward silence on the other side of the phone call temporarily made Aria regret her words. She scrunched her brows thinking of ways she could take it back when the unknown voice spoke again, this time with pronounced distaste. "I am receiving the impression that this fellow is a somewhat unsavoury character." The man concluded. Aria did not want to pronounce such a judgement on a fellow human but it was spot on. After a pause the voice continued, "I apologize to have bothered you with it. I just woke up after recovering from jet lag and found this creature on a pavement outside my residence, bleeding from a cut in his forehead and wished to infer whether a loved one might find him missing. I assure you that I shall not bother you at all."
The phone call ended abruptly. Aria didn't feel good about herself at all. She started on her way, trying to get her mind off Harry. There must be other numbers saved under favourites as well. Why was her number one of Harry's favourite? They did not particularly hang out. The most they saw of each other were on study sessions just before the examinations were held. The fact that those interactions were enough for Harry to save her number under the label of favourites gave her pause. It wasn't that her heart melted and she was prepared to be irrevocably in love with him. However Aria desired to be worthy of the label and found herself calling back. "Give me your address. Harry may not be a favourite character he is someone I know."
"And Hello there," the voice replied in a richer octave. He cleared his throat before speaking again. "Wise choice and opportune timing." He commented. "Do you know Wanstead?"
"You're in the East End? What was Harry doing there?" Aria questioned, a bit exasperated. The journey would take her a couple of hours in the downpour. That would mean that she would have a late night ahead and she hoped to be fresh for an early morning interview the next day. It was true that the interview was for a waitressing position, however she was tired of ringing up her reluctant parents for financial aid.
"Good question. As the former, I own a villa here. They are both spacious and affordable and took my fancy. So yes, I am in the East End. As for the latter question, unfortunately I don't have the answer. You will have to enquire of your friend when he regains consciousness. Please note down the address." The voice informed and Aria found herself obeying immediately. She scrambled to get a piece of paper from her bag and scribbled down the address.
Her evening had suddenly become interesting. She just hoped that trusting this voice wouldn't be a bad decision. It took her an hour by the tube to get to the station after which it was another half an hour by cab.