Caroline drew open the curtain. The sky was in a gyrate of silver and orange hues. She heard on the radio that a storm is to pass by the city, but she hadn't expected it to touch down that night. After popping a pill to calm her nerves, she headed to her kitchen and prepared a one-person meal; just as always.

Successful as she was in her job as a florist, Caroline lacked the scent and color of happiness. She was as gloomy as the storm outside, thus, it prevented her from having a chance to find a lover or even a roommate to be with. Perhaps, that's why she has chosen to be amongst the flowers; to bathe, even for a while in their color and scent. To pretend that her everyday life was that of those who'd come into her shop with wide smiles spread on their faces, requesting intricately made bouquets. Because if she'd be honest, the pretense was all she had. Reality would never let her in. Not in the way she wanted.

A loud clap of thunder from outside, seconded by the sudden whistling of her kettle, had her jumping off her chair.

"Damn it," she cursed as she made her way to the stove. Carefully lifting the kettle, she reached for her cup and poured water on it.

Coffee, coffee was perhaps the only scent and color she had, which was sad—according to her sister—because it was black and could cause a disease. Perhaps, that's what she was, a disease.

Slowly, she made her way to her living room, laid her cup on the side table, and reached for the remote. Another rumble and the deafening sound of thunder startled her. With a swift craning of her neck, she cursed at her window, then murmured, "I wish the electricity holds up."

She drifted off to sleep. Caffeine no longer worked on her. But that slumber was disturbed when a loud knocking from her door nearly rivaled the angry drum of thunder in the sky.

Groggily, she looked up at the clock. The time showed twelve. Frowning, she wondered if she had heard a knock. What idiot would be knocking on someone's door in the middle of the night? Or better yet, which moron would be out on a storm?

"Caroline?"

Her heart instantly skipped a beat. It had been eight long years, but she recognized that voice. It was rougher and deeper, but still, it was the voice that plagued her dreams. A voice that lived in a reality that she'd never been a part of. He made that clear when he suddenly vanished from her life.

Caroline walked toward the door. She fought with herself as her mind bounced between opening and keeping it closed.

"Caroline, it's Jeffrey. I was in town. I heard from our batch mates that you live here. Please open the door. I'm soaking wet. Don't worry, none of them came with me. I know they made you uncomfortable."

She wanted to yell at him. How dare he, she thought. After years of silence, he suddenly decided to come and see her. But then again, what right had she to hate him?

Jeffrey was her senior in high school. He was part of the chess committee and that's where she met him. She wasn't a member, nor had she known how to play, but she found the game fascinating. Every day she would drop by the chess club and watch the players. Then one day, Jeffrey approached her and asked if she wanted to learn. She was a timid girl, and so, she ran.

She thought that was the last he'd speak to her. He had no reason to. He wasn't a handsome guy or a school jock, but he had his charm and that made him popular with the girls. But one day, she found him by her classroom door and begged to speak to her. He said he needed a junior to mentor. It was part of their club rule. Caroline had no reason to protest, other than the fear that the other girls might bully her. But Jeffrey assured her that he'd watch over her.

Every day he would wait for her to finish class and the two of them would spend hours inside the club room. Soon, she became a regular member, earning a spot amongst the players that competed against other schools.

Jeffrey had been so kind to her. He treated her fairly and even turned a blind eye to her timidity or complained about her tedious ways. He fought for her when other girls bullied her, stood up for her when boys bothered her, and soon, she found herself falling deeply in love with him.

He never showed any romantic feelings toward her and kept their relationship platonic. But that was enough for Caroline. As long as he was there, every day; guarding and speaking up for her, she was happy.

She learned to live her life with him around, and she thought things would remain that way, unfortunately, in their third year of high school, Jeffrey didn't enroll. He instantly vanished from her life.

She tried to ask where he had gone, but no one knew. After his departure, she left the chess club and reverted to being the silent introvert girl that she was.

"Caroline? Are you gonna let me in?"

I should, she thought to herself. "Wait a minute, let me get the keys."

A chuckle permeated from behind the door. "Don't tell me you're still using one of those old, heavy, and gigantic locks of yours. You haven't changed a bit, Car."

Change. Perhaps he's right. She hadn't changed one bit. If she had, she wouldn't still be in love with him.

A minute later, she had unlocked her door, and there, outside Jeffrey stood, face pale and soaked from head to toe. His countenance was just as she remembered. He didn't even seem to have aged.

"Com... Come in."

"I thought you'd never open the door," he replied as he stepped inside, leaving muddy footprints on the floor.
"Sorry, I stepped on a puddle on my way here. I hope you don't mind."

Caroline smiled, shook her head, and led him to the kitchen. She then handed him a towel. "What are you doing here," she asked.

"Well, as I've mentioned, I was in town and I wanted to see you. How are you?"

How is she? That's a question even she, found hard to answer. "I'm fine."

Jeffrey smiled, "That's good. I heard you're a florist. I'm glad you made something of yourself."

Caroline bobbed her head, there was awkwardness in the air, one that mainly radiated from her. She has numerous questions for him, but she couldn't will her tongue to ask.

"Anyway, I came to apologize. I know I hadn't given a proper goodbye back in the day. See, my dad got himself in trouble with the law and we had to flee town in a hurry. I was never allowed to communicate with anyone because my dad feared someone might learn of our location."

So that's what happened, Caroline thought to herself. And in that instant, the confusion that had lived in her head was lifted. It felt like a weight that had taken residence on her chest found reprieve. "Would you like some tea, Jeffrey," she asked timidly.

He gazed at her with the kind and loving eyes that made her fall for him and then replied, "Yeah, that would be great."

After Jeffrey had his tea, he asked for Caroline to sit with him in the living room. He said he had one more thing to tell her.

When they were seated on her couch, he pulled out an envelope from his pocket. Caroline reached for it. The paper was wet and the inks on the words were smudged, but still, the words were readable.

"I wish you can attend," he murmured.

Caroline stared at the paper, then tilted her head up to look at him. She smiled then bobbed her head, "I'd love to."

Jeffrey smiled and then hugged her. "I'm so glad Car. I was hesitant, but..."

"No buts, I'd happily attend," she answered.

With the raging storm outside her apartment, she asked Jeffrey to spend the night there. It would be rude to let him leave when he's already drenched from head to foot. She thought he'd refuse when he first answered with a frown, but soon, she saw him bob his head in agreement.

That night, Caroline had a hard time sleeping. She tossed and turned. Her heart was in chaos. The thought that Jeffrey was only a wall away from her made her giddy. Standing from her bed, she went to the kitchen and took another pill to calm her nerves, and soon, she was fast asleep.

When morning broke, Caroline woke up to the smell of bacon. Never had she experienced something like that. As a child who lived with selfish parents, the word taking care of was taboo.

"I hope you don't mind. It's the least I can do after you've taken me in."

Caroline chuckled, "What do you mean taken you in? It was basic courtesy, senior."

Jeffrey laughed. "I haven't heard anyone call me that in years."

They had a great breakfast, perhaps the happiest one Caroline ever had. But soon, Jeffrey was by the door and bidding her goodbye. As she watched him put on his damp shoes, the heaviness in her chest returned. She felt like crying. She wanted to ask him to stay a bit longer. But she knew that was reaching. Besides, they'd meet again, right?

She was readying her heart for his departure when all of a sudden, he turned to face her. "You look like you're about to cry, Car. Are you worried they'd ask you to dance at the party? I remember you hate being in the spotlight."

She smiled, "We...well yeah." She lied. In the previous years, she had learned to accommodate the people around her and adjust, in difficulty, yes, but still, she managed.

"Well, how about I help you get used to it before I leave," he murmured.

Caroline's heart swelled, and soon, romantic music was blaring on her stereo.

"I'm glad you came here, senior, she murmured as he twirled her."

He smiled.

"I wish I can keep us this way, dancing forever," she whispered. Right then, she realized, she can never live without him, not again.

***

The blaring of music had a man with spectacles in a white uniform running toward a hallway. He skidded to a stop in front of a brown door and pounded his knuckles on it. "Caroline, stop it! Jesus Christ, give us a break!"

A young man in a white uniform trudging behind his senior asked, "Who's that?"

"That's Caroline Vazquez, our biggest problem at night."

"What's her case?"

The man looked at his junior and answered, "Well, according to our head psychiatrist, she insists that the ghost of her lover comes to her at night, trapping her in that vicious event that led her here."

Curious, the young man questioned, "I'm new, what exactly had she done?"

"The story goes, a puppy love of hers back in high school came to her apartment one night. She hadn't seen him in years. Caroline was still in love with him. But he came there only to ask her to attend his wedding. She was already taking antidepressants back then. I guess the news made her snap. She carved his heart out with a pair of scissors as he taught her how to dance, thus, the music." The man answered as he tilted his head towards the door. "Vicious ain't it."

The other nurse raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, glad she was caught."

"Took about three years though. Her crime was never found out, up until a group of teenagers saw her by her living room window, dancing with a skeleton."