JESS
My doorbell rings and after only a second rings 2 more times, whoever it is is extremely impatient.
"I'm coming," I yell. "Jeez".
I wonder who in the hell would be ringing my bell like this at 11:00 at night on a weekday when it's dark out and raining and of course cold. I had honestly already gone to bed, the last few years living a very quite life of work, writing and home even though I'm only in my late 20's. I'd never been much the social scene anyways.
The door bell rings again like someone is just laying on it.
"Push that one more time and I'll take that finger and..." I start to say as I jerk the door open.
It's been years but I would know her anywhere. It will probably always feel like I met her yesterday and have known her my entire life all at the same time. Our eyes lock. Those blue eyes that will take your breath away. We both just stand there staring.
There's a phenomenon called Spatial disorientation, in aviation it's when a pilot's perception of direction does not agree with reality. The pilot can't tell where he is in relation to the earth, he doesn't know up from down. It's said that when flying in clouds over the ocean and the pilot can't see the horizon that he can get so confused he could be upside down and not know it and crash into the ocean. She does that to me. I don't know up from down, right from left. My world is spinning and all of a sudden I don't know my place in it. Her eyes are the sky and the ocean and I'm lost.
I don't say anything, I'm just so surprised. I haven't seen her in years. Of course I've thought about her, even if I try to keep her out she creeps back in. She's always just kind of been there.
"Rory" I whisper, I don't mean to whisper but I can't seem to find my voice.
And then she turns and walks away.
Rory
I had been standing there in front of that door for long enough that if a neighbor had seen they probably would have called the cops. I didn't even really notice the cold or rain anymore. I was scared, confused, and alone. I hadn't known where I was going when I got in my car but then as I drove and drove it became more clear. As much as I was running away from something I was also running to something. Why him? Why now?
He was familiar, he was safe, which is funny because everyone always thought he was the bad boy, he was dangerous, but I knew better, I saw him for who he was.
I finally worked up the courage to ring the bell. I hear him on the other side of the door and my heartbeat quickens. Maybe I made a mistake, what if he's not happy to see me, what if after all this time he's changed, or what if he's not alone in there.
And then he jerks the door open and there he is. That same dark hair, his voice even after all this time has that tough New York street kid accent. It's obvious he'd been asleep, his hair is messed up, he has on a pair of jeans that he must have picked up off the floor, no shirt, no shoes. Every smart and witty greeting I had rehearsed was gone as soon as our eyes met. We just look at each other for the longest time, and he doesn't say anything, he doesn't smile, he just stares. It's clear I made a mistake coming here, I don't know why I'm here. I feel awkward and panic and decide to just walk away.