Sam

New York, United States

The fog disappeared overnight, and the morning came with the sun shining into my bedroom. My alarm clock went off five minutes earlier, but I still had plenty of time to get to school. I sat on the edge of my mattress and stared at the floor, trying to wake up.

Last night's dreams were still playing vividly in my head, and I wanted nothing more than for them to be gone. It was the third night in a row that I had strange dreams, but they were only strange because they had an unnervingly real feeling about them.

My cell phone vibrated on my nightstand, and I reached over to see who it was. Nella, my best and basically only friend, from school had texted me. We used to be neighbors, but it was different now that there was more distance between us. In more ways than one.

I opened her text.

Meet me at the café after school? It's been forever.

I quickly texted her back and told her yes. I rarely did anything after school, not to mention outside of school, but Nella was the one person I never minded hanging out with. We were both similar in our introverted ways, and I was pretty sure that was the reason we were friends.

Since I was still good on time, I pulled my laptop from under the bed. It was Dad's old Apple laptop, so it took a little while for it to come to life. After checking my usual social media and glancing at gossip, I opened FaceTime and clicked on the only contact I ever called—my older brother, Logan.

He answered after just two rings, his face filling the screen. I hadn't seen him in person since the summer, but he hadn't changed much, though it seemed like he needed to shave.

"Hey, Sam." He smiled and ran his hand through his hair like he had just gotten up, which he probably had. The rest of his room was dimly lit behind him, and I saw his messy bed in the corner.

"Hey, sorry I missed your last call," I told him.

"That's what happens when you become a senior. It's even worse when you're in college, trust me." He grinned. "How's that going, by the way? School, I mean, is it as horrible as always?"

"Well, I wouldn't use the word horrible, but close enough. Will you be here for Thanksgiving?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to make it," he said, pulling on a T-shirt. "If not, it'll be Christmas for sure."

"Well, I think plane tickets are kinda cheap right now."

Logan smiled and shook his head. "Getting there isn't a problem, Sam, don't worry."

I narrowed my eyes. "What are you going to do, walk? You are off school that week, right?"

"Don't worry about it, I'll get there. It just depends if I get bombarded with homework the week before."

I sighed. "Okay."

Logan stared at me through the screen. "Are you doing all right?"

In that moment, I thought about being open and telling him about my weird dreams and images of a cliff that I couldn't get rid of. That I woke feeling unrested and had been experiencing weird flashes of places I'd never been to. That I saw a boy disappear on a sidewalk. But no, I couldn't tell him those things.

It was probably just school stress, or something.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied.

#

School dragged by. The air was still brisk and seemed to be getting colder by the hour. Once the school day was over, and my bag was full of schoolbooks and homework, I started walking the two blocks to the small café where I would meet Nella. There was a bite to the air, and I could almost make out the fog from my breath. It was the coldest day yet since the leaves had started to change colors, and the season was ending too soon.

I missed my hat. I was angry that I'd forgotten it on the train.

After I had walked another block, the small café finally came into view. It sat on the corner of a three-way intersection next to a park, and it always seemed to be overlooked, sitting between a popular Starbucks and a Panera Bread. I didn't know how the café stays open, but it was a nice getaway to those who, like me, appreciated silence.

Nella, already seated at the table near the front window, waved when she caught sight of me. A younger couple sat at the other table near the opposite wall. Otherwise, it was empty. I walked across the worn wooden floors and sat down across from Nella.

"We have to do something this weekend, Sam," she announced. "It's been forever since we've hung out."

"Since school started, which was only about a month ago." I smiled and finished with, "And hello to you, too."

She glared levelly at me. Her dark hair was pulled back into a simple ponytail, and she was wearing her glasses, as usual. She looked cute with them on, not to mention smart, but she hated to be reminded of them. Her poor eyesight was the bane of her existence.

"I need to do something besides school," she said. "Can't you agree just this once?"

"When has there been a chance for me to not agree? We both know we never do anything anyway."

She finally broke out a smile. "That's why we're friends—we're both boring people, and both perfectly fine with that."

"So why the sudden change in mood?" I asked, taking off my jacket.

She shrugged her shoulders and sat back in her chair. "I just feel like doing something. I need to get out once in a while."

The barista made her way over from the counter with our drinks and smiled brightly at us. "It's good to see you girls again. You haven't been here in a while."

Nella smiled back. "We've been super busy with school. You guys aren't going under because of us, are you? Because I really think I would die if I had to start going to Starbucks." Her eyes widened with fright, and I laughed.

She chuckled and shook her head. Her blonde hair was thrown up into a messy knot and it bobbed along with it. "No, we're doing just fine. Let me know if you need anything else."

Once she walked away, Nella shook her head at my cup. "I still don't understand how you can live without coffee."

I cupped my hands around the mug and smelled the delicious chocolate and whipped cream. "Because coffee is disgusting, and I'm not going to argue that point again."

"Fine," she answered tiredly. "But seriously, Sam, we're doing something this weekend. Is Friday night good for you?"

"Friday? But—" I tried quickly to think of an excuse, but I came up with nothing that would satisfy her. Homework couldn't be one, because I would have all weekend to do it. And because she asked three days in advance, Nella knew for a fact that I didn't have prior plans. The only image that came to mind was my unfinished puzzle and multiple episodes of an anime to watch, and that wouldn't be a good enough excuse for Nella to back down.

She smiled at me over her mug. "I thought so. I'll pick you up at nine, and you better be ready."

"Nine? Where are we going at nine o'clock at night?"

Who goes out at nine at night? Actually, a lot of people, but none of them being me. That was an hour before I was usually in bed.

I could just imagine it now: Nella and I getting lost somewhere in East Harlem with no way home. It would be raining and cold, and our phones would be dead.

But she was right—going out could be fun, once in a while.

I smirked. "Fine. Nine it is."

#

By the time Nella and I parted ways from the café, it was nearly rush hour. The crowds were already thick as I made my way down the steps into the subway. I hated crowds, but sometimes there was no way around it in the city. I was tempted to shove my earbuds in to drown out the noise with actual music, but the train was already slowing down and I was short on time. People jostled their way in and out of the doors, and I just barely got through before they slid shut.

I glanced around for an empty seat, but they all seemed to be taken. Some people were already standing, hanging on to the handrails above and the bars in the middle of the car, but I didn't really feel like standing.

I started down the aisle, desperately searching for an empty place I could cram into. My eyes trailed toward the back, where I spotted two empty seats along the wall. I made my way back, watching my feet so I wouldn't trip over anything and being especially mindful that my backpack didn't hit anyone, but when I looked up again, only one seat was left.

The guy from yesterday sat in the other.

I stopped moving and just stared at him, my heart giving me a little kick. He was wearing the same jacket and hoodie, but today his hood was down, showing his dark hair, messy like the day was too windy for it. Should I sit next to him? Our encounter from yesterday had been on my mind throughout the day, but I had been almost certain I would never see him again. The chances of that happening were close to none, and yet here he was.

I tried to make myself breathe and then continued toward the empty seat casually. He glanced at me as I sat down but said nothing, looking away before I knew it. He looked awkward sitting there; he was stiff as a board and just stared straight ahead. I stared straight ahead, too. My heart beat too fast and I felt heat rise to my face.

Why does it always have to be so hot on the train?

I glanced at him from my periphery, tracing over him without making my head move an inch. His nose, his mouth, and then I looked at his eyes . . . his eyelashes.

I looked away, wondering if I should say something. I wanted to say something, but what?

Hey, I think you're . . . cool-looking? Yeah, right.

The subway suddenly felt unbearably hot and crowded, but I didn't want to leave. If my subway ride had lasted forever, I wouldn't have minded. The only thing I wanted was for him to notice me, or maybe he had and he was just avoiding me. Which was worse? Did he even remember me from yesterday?

Then he finally tilted his head toward me, and I bravely looked up in return.

"So . . ." he paused for a moment, and out of the corner of my eye I could see his chest rising and falling. "Is this going to become a regular thing?" His voice was nice—had the smallest rasp to it on the back end.

A regular thing? I had no idea what he was talking about, but then it dawned on me.

"Oh, here?" He actually remembers me. I smiled shortly and looked over at him again. I had a hard time breathing when I did. His eyes were a soft brown, like velvet. They stared straight into mine. "I think the odds are against us," I said, distracted.

"Maybe, or maybe we can see what happens tomorrow." A smile crept into his lips.

I could barely breathe.

"I guess we'll see then."

"I guess so," he answered. There was something about him, something that . . . my parents wouldn't approve of. Ugh, I hated even thinking the words. But it was there. Something unknown that made my heart race.

Then my stop came, and I had to get off. I stood reluctantly and was about to leave when he said, "Wait."

I looked back and he was holding out my hat.

"You forgot it yesterday," he offered.

I went to take it, and we both held onto it for a moment too long, the hat suspended between us like an offering.

He finally let it go and I said thanks.

"You're welcome."

I left just before the doors closed.

We looked at each other through the window again as the train pulled away, and I secretly and stupidly couldn't wait until the next day.