The Extra Minute

Someone from home.

It was what he had thought as he dangled the key in front of the blonde neighbour, who had gratefully reached for it, a sigh of relief when the missing key wasn't missing anymore.

The lonely man was glad, don't get him wrong. But he wasn't as glad as he thought he would be, seeing someone from home. He figured it was because he had seen her a lot during the rebellion. She was a constant company of the bread boy when he was in rehabilitation.

Another smile was given his way and a sincere invitation to dinner she was preparing for friends. The lonely man thought about it, the invitation, but decided to decline. Something akin to disappointment heavy in his chest. Also, he was sure he wouldn't want to be an outsider in a group of strangers. He wasn't good at making friends.

In another attempt to repay the lonely man, the neighbour then offered coffee. It's the least she could do, she said. He was about to reject again when he noticed the look in her eyes. It just hit the lonely man that for her, he was someone from home, too.

So, he agreed.

A decision that if he hadn't came to, would have end the lonely man's night in his apartment with him going the way of Haymitch Abernathy. But he agreed, a cup of coffee and an awkward one sided conversation later, he was saying goodbye. The lonely man walked to his apartment without even looking back.

However, the night was still young and fate had decided that he had taken on the wrong search as he had, once again, discovered that a key was missing. Only this time, it was his.

The lonely man didn't know at what point he had lost it. He also didn't know that it was the drunken woman's fault. Earlier that evening, she had nicked the key for blackmailing purposes. But as the booze started pouring in, her devious plan had taken the backseat and subsequently forgotten.

His trek to the landlord's office was filled with alternating groaning and sighing. At one point, he had laughed out loud at the irony of his situation. And the sound of his laughing was what startled the occupants of the landlord's office.

He opened the door and was greeted with a stern look and a surprised one. The landlord told him that she had found his key.

His name on her lips. It took a second to register in his addled brain that she had said it and a couple second more to realise who she was. But what he didn't know is that the key wasn't found by her, she was given it.

Back in the bar while he was walking home, the drunken woman remembered the key she stole and got up on a table and announced the she had it. In her inebriated state, she asked if anyone in the crowd would like to sleep with the lonely man and told them she had the key to make it happen. There's quite a few as equally intoxicated women that volunteered to give it back to him.

The drunken woman looked at every hopeful candidates but her gaze fell at the quiet woman huddled in a corner as if she didn't know how she got there. The drunken woman sympathised with her as most probably tomorrow, the same sentiment would fill her hangover-mind. She jumped off the table and made way to the quiet woman in the corner.

She sat beside the quiet woman and presented her with the key [to the lonely man's pants, um, door. She meant door]. The drunken woman told her the address [it took several attempt] and slipped the key into her purse. She then skipped away to the next shot of tequila.

The quiet woman was at a lost. She was only there because her co-workers dragged her. She wasn't really enjoying herself but everytime they asked her to join she hadn't refused, not even once. She had nowhere to go anyways.

Maybe, she should find him and give him back his key.

But the quiet woman had really no intention of seeing the owner in person. She figured if the drunken woman was his friend then he, at least, must be as crazy.

The quiet woman arrived at the apartment building just as the owner of the key was saying his goodbye to his blonde neighbour. The landlord was rubbing his head from the problems with his tenants' keys. The one who found his neighbour's key, also lost his, most probably without him knowing.

A loud chuckle accompanied the opening of the door, a man entered, the landlord told him of the lost key and the quiet woman utter the first thought that came to her mind.

"Gale Hawthorne."

She could see a question mark in his face and then the he lonely man grinned, which she returned.

He remembered her.

Like his blonde neighbour, she's someone from home. But she's a someone who had actual history with him. She's a someone that he was actually glad to see.

Only he didn't know that it's not only history he shared with her. It's true that had he stayed in the bar the first time there's a chance that he'd meet her again, much sooner. But the corner she put herself into had made sure that it would not happen even if he stayed. She was there, not looking at anyone. And he was there, shutting out everyone.

He didn't know it yet, but he's going to be lonely man, no more.

So they stand there still smiling at each other, not realising the years the drunken woman would spend taking credit of the chance meeting, while really it was that extra minute he had spend staring at that festive tree that had given way to their future.

But actually, maybe it was what he said next that sealed the deal.

"Pretty dress."

What do you think?

Thanks for reading! :)