An annoying chime buzzing in my ear woke me up from deep sleep but I swiped my index finger across my phone in reflex and made it stop. After that constant beeping noise in my head, what was bugging me now? Could I not have one moment of peace?

I opened my eyes, blinking at the unexpected light, to find the deadline sound gone. Before I could breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy the silence in my mind now, the phone buzzed again. Groaning in pain, I rubbed my heavy eyelids and pulled out my phone from the pocket. The way it vibrated infuriatingly made me want to throw it into the sea like the ring I-

Wait- Where was I?

Did I actually fall asleep right here?

Without a second thought, I picked up the phone and spoke into it, my voice still hoarse and dry from the sleep. "Hello?" I quickly ran my fingers through my hair as I tried to recollect why and how I had woken up in front of the sea and why no one had tried to find me yet — not that anyone would care if I'd go missing randomly.

"Hello? Seriously?! Where the hell are you, D? I have been waiting for you for so long and you aren't even here to pick me up yet." The voice kept ranting without a pause. "Do you freaking realise how late I'm going to be because of you today? You were supposed to wake me up, you idiot. What the hell do you think-"

The rest of her voice drowned down into the static and I couldn't stop grinning. I wasn't fully sure why or how my mouth was twitching into a smile after what just happened or where I woke up but I guess the action was quite involuntary. Because how could I not smile after hearing the sweet voice of the caller?

"D? What?! You're going to ignore me now, huh?"

I didn't know what to say. Worried that if I replied, the voice would fade away into nothingness again, I kept quiet and pressed the phone closer to my ear to listen.

Closing my eyes, I tried to picture her angry face. The way she always pursed her lips when she was angry, the way she would have a hand on her hip right now as she held her phone with another, the way she would burst into tears anytime now due to the frustration. Wait, no. Hell no, I was not going to let her cry again. Ever.

"Diego?" She whispered, her voice unsure this time. "Can you hear me? I'm talking to you. Why the hell did you not call me to wake me up? You know how important today is-" I heard a loud, shaky exhale on the other side. "-unless- Did you forget? Or- or are you with someone-"

I couldn't fathom what to say.

"I'm sorry. Maybe I should call you later-" Her voice trailed off.

"Keep talking, sweetheart." I smiled but my eyes told a completely different story as they started tearing up again. After the overwhelming turn of events, I was certain I was losing my mind. This was enough proof.

"You think this is a fucking joke?" She screamed into the phone this time and I could picture the way her nose would have turned red by now. "Come pick me up right now. I am getting nervous. An- And I need you here." If I closed my eyes, I could literally picture her shaking her leg anxiously right now, seated on the bench where she usually waited for me.

"Don't be. Never doubt it. No one dances better than you."

"Yeah right. Your flattery won't help today." She covered her phone and talked to someone else. "Okay, listen. I am leaving with Cindy now; she's here to pick me up. Meet me in the auditorium. And hey, I will be waiting for you, don't you dare be late again or-"

"Uh." I hesitated. Looking down, I found myself in my school uniform. Wait, I couldn't digest a bit of what was happening right now. Whatever it was, I sure liked it better than my harsh reality though. "I guess it'll take me some time. But I'm going to try and reach as soon as possible. After all, I can't miss my sweetheart's performance, can I?" I chuckled when I heard it echo on the other side too and hung up. She was laughing. Oh what I'd do to see it once again.

Not going to lie, I was still super confused by the turn of events — it was all too fast to process. But it was as if I had the slightest clue of what was happening. Maybe it was just me being stupid, maybe it was just me being hopeful or maybe it was just me dreaming. But even if it was just false hope, I wanted to hold onto it.

I stared at my phone dreamily, glancing at my lockscreen. Not sure if my reactions were that of shock as if I was horrified or if they were those of surprise because what in the world was this?

[Alt Text: Image of a lockscreen with a young couple's silhouette. Text reflected is — Good Morning. 7:45 a.m. Monday, 09 March 2015. Unlock prompt — Swipe up to do great things today.]

It was already 7:45 a.m. Just 15 minutes for school to start already.

Hurriedly, I packed up my things and ran towards the exit to call for a cab and leave — not before a quick glance at the rising sun. I stood there for a moment and smiled at it because today was a new day. Gone was the darkness and the sun stood proudly in the sky, gleaming with the light of hope and possibilities. Thanking it for giving me the best gift of hope — because after every sunset came a new morning — I rushed out of the beach. I couldn't be late; I didn't want to. There was no way I was missing this performance. No doubt about it, I had to reach there on time anyhow. I kept repeating to myself, not sure why.

"Damn, this woman must be mad at me." I cursed under my breath when I glanced at my watch which showed the time as 8:05 a.m. I was 5 minutes late and on any other day, I would have to stand outside the gate until the next lecture would begin, but not today.

The performance must have started already so finding a seat in the first few rows was out of option. To be honest, I didn't like watching ballet — especially from afar — but there was just one person who could make me. To be fair, she could make me do literally anything. I would willingly give her my life if that ensured a smile on her face.

Quickly making my way through the school crowd, I spotted the 'Books & Bites' banners and confirmed to myself that I was in the right place. Though neither of the sponsors could be spotted in the crowd, I could bet they were either backstage or somewhere in the front row.

The moment I stepped inside, the scene before my eyes left me stunned. Fully adapting the Victorian theme, the auditorium looked like it was taken out of a Shakespearean novel. A white chandelier stood magnificently in the centre and the stage was lit with multiple candles instead of the usual spotlights. A grand spiral staircase led to a small tower with the prettiest Juliet-balcony.

But what caught my attention most was the way the mirrors were placed around the stage to refract the minimal light in the room, instantly illuminating the entire stage with an incandescent glow. I didn't need to guess twice to know this was definitely Cindy's idea. She loved fusing concepts like these and there was no one else who would put so much effort into a simple ballet performance.

The idea was quite simple at the core — a Romeo and Juliet tale represented entirely through a ballet performance. But the execution was way too complex — that's the thing I disliked about Cindy. Though she was the one who came up with such unique ideas, my girl would have to be the one to execute them.

There were hazards everywhere — the burning candles, the broken mirrors, the frail stairs. And though I had no right to, I was pissed at Cinderella freaking Ambrose for leaving my sweetheart alone on the stage — literally amidst danger. Doesn't she know that her performer has stage fear?

The story they were trying to present, as I had heard, was about Romeo and Juliet — the two lovers who could not be together because death took them apart.

There were no boys on the stage to show Romeo's side of the story, just one girl to showcase Juliet's journey — by exploring the thrill of firsts, the pain of unrequited love and the drama that came along with a forbidden relationship. The whole spectrum from happiness to love. Only to end with the news of her loved one's death — all through the dance performance. I knew Cinderella enough to know she was obsessed with tropes like these.

A flash of lightning appeared over the makeshift stage, drawing everyone's attention to the performer below it. She took a deep breath and looked at Cindy once — for confidence — before standing there in a turnout. Shifting her weight on one leg, she took a spin as the music began. The tune was merry at first as she kept on using pointe technique to spin and move around the stage, as if seeking love in a random stranger. I always wondered how she perfected that dance move.

A moment later, she lifted her leg and began hitting her toes on the floor. Admittedly, that is a silly way to describe it but this dance never made any sense to me — no matter how pretty and alluring it looked. Didn't this step hurt her toes? I shook my head lightly at the confusion and kept watching as the performer kept spinning on her toes.

Soon enough, the music shifted into a more melodious rhythm and she made a move that felt a lot like she was flying in the air, perfectly describing how first love felt. Trust me, I would know. I was already in love with her by this time.

Throughout the performance, her eyes kept wandering, as if she was searching for someone in the crowd of students and dignitaries. Balancing herself on one leg, she did a pirouette, as she had explained to me once. This was supposed to be the time Juliet first met Romeo and fell in love with him. Cindy had told us — well, Cindy told her and she told me — how this would perfectly wrap up into explaining Juliet's unexplored emotions in that era, thus turning a famous piece of literature into a dance format.

As the music kept playing, she spun gracefully around the stage, forgetting all her uneasiness though she was way too close to the candles and glass shards now. I caught her smile once when she danced to the music where Juliet expressed her love and out of nowhere, I could feel my body tense up. Believe it or not, I could feel it in my gut that something was about to go wrong. Horribly wrong.

She did a double turn and kept looking towards the crowd, more obviously and frantically this time. Not just once or twice but again and again after every spin. The despair of not being able to be with your loved one was clear on her face and though the audience wouldn't figure it out, I knew none of this was a part of the actual choreography.

What was she doing?

She was never a good actor but today her skills were extraordinary as she added her own interpretation to the scene. Was it just that or was she really distracted and upset about something in the middle of her performance?

Letting go of all restraint, she lifted her gaze from the stage and looked into the crowd that was now cheering her name. But her eyes never landed on one spot; they kept trying to find a certain someone. I realised a moment too late that she was searching for me but there was no way for me to stand out in this swarm of people. After all, we were all in the same maroon uniform. How could she notice me standing here?

"I want to see you before I perform, okay?" Her little voice rang in my head, reminding me of our conversation from earlier.

Shit. None of this was about her performance. She was not expressing Juliet's yearning for Romeo.

This idiot was searching for me because she might have assumed I didn't show up. I was lost in the crowd and there was no way for me to push through and let her know I was right here. Even shouting her name would do no good because a number of people were doing it already to cheer for her. I tried to wave my hand above my head and as if on cue, the audience swayed their hands to the melody as well.

Please don't give up. I am right here.

"I know." The words left my lips before I could process them. It all made sense now — the deja vu, the feeling of having lived through this before. Because I was watching the exact same scene unfold for the second time. "Shit. I know what's going to happen ahead!"

But before I could manage to warn her or react, the dancer lost her balance and slipped, falling on the stage with a loud thud. Her painful cry echoed throughout the auditorium when her palm hit a broken mirror shard, leaving blood flowing out of a huge cut. I could remember this scar on her hand.

It never healed.

Among the collective gasps, a single word left my mouth, echoing through the auditorium. "Lyra!"

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Random Question - Which is your favourite dance style?

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Author's Note - Heya, people! What do you think of this chapter? Did you like it?

What do you think is happening here? Who is the dancer? Why did he smile listening to her voice? Did he forget about the incident? Why did he say Lyra in the end? Was it because of the resemblance of the play and his life or is the story deeper?

Do you think she was related to Lyra in some way? Before you theorize, remember, I support science before fiction. Think once more. Be patient and comment even the weirdest of assumptions. Don't worry, you won't be killed for that like my book characters, I promise xD

Where do you think this story is going to go ahead? *_*

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Love,