Midnight Rituals with Odd Company
September 29th
"Okay, okay! I got this essay done before the deadline, woohoo!" Scarlett cheered to herself in the quiet apartment, her feet launching her up and down in a victory dance that didn't last too long. She grinned as she hit the submit button, the green arrow signaling that it was sent successfully.
"Fuck yeah, let's go celebrate with--" She quickly glanced at her clock, "--with a nice cup of coffee!" She exclaimed, wondering what the cafe downstairs would be offering at this time of day. It was about fivein the evening and Scarlett was going to live off of caffeine until she despised it. The young girl of twenty-twoscurried across her wooden floors to fetch a pair of socks in the bedroom, her long braided hair streaming behind her as she grabbed the nearest article of clothingnear her. It happened to be her dark flannel that she wore quite frequently, having been spotted for wearing it in the most iconic sense that everyone knew her as the quiet girl wearing plaid all the time.
Scarlett slid the roughened flannel onto her petite body, the long material hanging down mid thigh to meet her jeans that she wore for the day. Once the socks were on her feet, she sat down to pull on her old mossy green high-tops that she's had for two years. It was one of her favorite colors, so much so that her entire apartment's pretty much a Van Gogh palette. She's gotten compliments for her taste of interior decoration and color palette in her home, but that wasn't the point here! She's going down to the cafe right below her apartment to have some victory caffeine for her hardwork. It was a record timing for finishing an essay so soon the day of.
The girl tightened the laces of her shoes in a smooth fashion, now standing up straight with her bag and opened the door of her apartment to see a whole pile of boxes in front of her door. They weren't directly in front of her threshold, but there was a wall right beside where her new neighbor is residing for however long his rental agreement is. She refused to ponder about it any longer and walked right by his opened door, Vash being seen bringing in boxes and attempting to unpack in the mess he's made.
"Oh, hey! How's it going?" Vash called out to her while carryingthree boxes in his arms. The height of all three boxes combined only revealed his nose upand legs down, the lower half of him dashing forward to meet her again. Scarlett made a noise of surprise and escaped down the steps, the elevator too slow to save her from the obnoxious new neighbor. She dare not look back to see if he began the chase for real but heard his loud complaints and voice retreating as she went down to the main floor. The lobby islarge and welcoming with various rooms open for the use of the residents, the front desk lady waving at her and the doorman nodding in acknowledgment as she ran past the swinging doors to the outside world. She narrowly dodged a few pedestrians who paid no mind to her, continuing their walk since the citizens have places to be and not argue.
The location of the cafe, if staring directly at the apartment complex, is to the right of the building. It was modeled to be a hole-in-the-wall type of cafe in the large city. The front welcomed customers with its yellow door and sculpted white walls, the large window placed to the left of the door displaying the cozy cafe to the outside world. It was just so conveniently placed outside of her home, meaning she wouldn't have to travel far for a sweet pastry and cup of joe. Scarlett walked into the cafe with a neutral expression but she was clearly excited to be here. The wait wasn't long since the day was ending and most people were coming out of work now, the perfect equilibrium for no traffic in the cafe. Not until six.
"Hey, Scarlett! The usual?" The girl behind the register asked. She was a few years younger than her and worked in the evenings after school. Scarlett offered a small smile, now at the counter with her wallet open to receive the goods. She always thought Kallie was a good, diligent kid who worked hard for her cash.
"Yep, you got it." She replied back, handing the teenager the five dollar bill. Kallie accepted the cash and turned away to procure the frosted scone and latte. Scarlett pocketed her wallet back into its original place and scanned the sitting area for a spot to sit- which happened to be the corner with the large window in the front of the building. It was the best option in her opinion since it provided a nice view of the city and a quiet corner to sip her latte. The business wasn't crowded today so the seating area was practically empty, save for a few customers in the corners of the room. The young woman sat in her usual placeand propped her head up with an arm, watching as the sun began to transform the city into a euphoria of colors called the sunset. It was her favorite thing-- watching the sun begin or end the day with a splash of pastel hues that permeated the sky in effortless creativity. If she was better at painting, she'd grab a canvas and take it to the roof to capture the wonders of the world.
"Here we go, Scarlett." Kallie's kindvoice echoed in her ear, prompting her to look up and thank the young staff member in a soft whisper. She accepted the pastry and latte and bit into the sweet treat, savoring the light taste of Earl Grey from the crumbs of the scone. If she couldn't have coffee anymore, she'd take Earl Grey any day. She savored her little moment dearly, eyes centered on the changing sky with a solemn expression. Today is a present, tomorrow is a surprise, she reminded herself inwardly as the scene slowly switched tothe darkness of night. The sounds of customers talking and chairs scraping the floor kept her quiet and observant of the people around her. It was an ambiance that matched the quietness of her apartment in how the sounds drowned out everydetail like white noise. It was something she addressed to be the parallels of how things work by nature of the ear: the calm familiarity in the raging storm she called chatter and silence.
'I just think too much.' She concluded with irony. Scarlett sipped her warm hazelnut latte and pulled her phone out from her pocket. She glanced at the social mediaof her collegemates posting whatever they did today and scrolled to her mom's message, reading the solid text with a wary sigh. Her mother was always so nosy and asked what she's accomplished today. It encouraged her to not reply back and turn her screen off to ignore the message, but glimpsed at the time. It was almost eight in the evening and the cafe would close soon. She hastily grabbed her trash and placed it in the bin, retreating out of the building to meet the nippywinds of future fall with a tickle on the nose.
"Getting cold already?" She muttered to herself, walking the short parameter that connected to her complex. She passed by the stairs, opting for the elevator and pressed for her level. Shortly after, the doors opened and she made her way down the hall, passing by the closed door of her new neighbor with hurried steps. The sounds of music echoed from the complex and it was hard to tell if it was him or the guy below. She took the moment to actually stop and wonder what he was doing in this city. Scarlett pressed her lips together, eyes targeting the door with piqued interest-- then, none at all. She shrugged her shoulders and pulled her keys out to let herself in. It wasn't any of her business, not that she had any from the start.
Later that night close to midnight, Scarlett was still awake. She had turned the TV off since the shows weren't interesting anymore and the city lights were dancing busily on her ceiling to the sounds of late partygoers and vehicles roaming the streets. In total honesty, some nights she couldn't sleep until five in the morning since insomnia isa close friend. Lucky for her, she doesn't have classes on Fridays so she could suffer without the consequences of waking up early for a seven o'clock class.
Due to the common predicament, she began her nightly ritual of choosing a blanket and book to bring to the rooftop. Yes, she relished in the warmth of her home, but the roof held the highlights of the night down below her to keep company with none around. Scarlett tucked her blanket and book in her bag, preparing snacks and drinks to bring along if she got hungry. The weather reported for no rain tonight, so up the fire escape she went! The dark haired woman pulled her flannel close as the winds tried to hug her in their cold clutches along the way. It didn't scare her one bit since she's done this often times before. She remembered the first time she sat out on her fire escape to watch the sunrise only to see that it fully connected to the roof. It caused her sleepless nights to become more exciting to her, witnessing the city from the top like a bird would do.
"Here we are!" She said to no one at all, now standing up on the roof with her bag of stuff. She scurried to the usual spot under a slanted roof to protect her from any rain or falling objects. There, she laid her blanket down and pulled her book out along with the mini lantern she bought to see her limited surroundings. A little safe haven on top and below her complex? What a steal! She switched the lantern on and opened her book, reading a mysteryto keep her mind occupied in the dead of her restless night. It was safe up here since no one ever came up before to her knowledge. There was nothing but cement and the odd company of the bustling streets inKingsville to associate with her.
Well... until she heard a noise where the fire escape was. The creaking of metal caught her attention, making her turn deathly silent and still at the possibility of company. She held her breath, praying that no one was there or coming up to the roof. However, luck doesn't preside wherever her new neighbor goes. The shadow of a person reached the top of the roof and looked around before spotting her little lantern that shined brightly enough for Vash to see her startled appearance. He waved his arm, jogging over to reveal him in jeans and a long sleeved black shirt. Scarlett wanted to groan at her spot being revealed so easily and the fact that she now has to deal with this guy alone.
"Hey, neighbor! I saw you climb the fire escape from my window and followed you! Sorry, I kinda got curious and well, here I am!" The blonde exclaimed, his tall stature placing a shadow over her small form. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything you were doing." He said, sitting in front of her now in a criss-crossed fashion.
Scarlett let out a sighand swiftly shut her book, tucking it under her arm as she observed the odd company that happened to join her by worst chance. "Er, no, not at all. I happen to come up here when I can't sleep at night." She explained to him in a basic manner. She thought being slightly rude would put a social boundary between them, but he wasn't deterred.
Vash nodded, seeming to listen to her short excuse to be up here. He rested his large hands covered in black gloves in his lap, relaxing in the hard cement with her. "I can't sleep at night sometimes too. Just depends what happens to stir my mind into a thinking hurricane." He told Scarlett in a less cheery, more normal and calm tone.
She found it coincidental that they were the same in that aspect. Most can't sleep due to indulging in social media late at night or take the third shift to avoid the hassle. Her tense body began to calm down, realizing he couldn't be too much of an idiot. "Funny, it's the same for me too. Ever since I moved here, I just crawl up to this spotto listen to the city." She said simply, knowing it wouldn't hurt to have a decent conversation for once. She lifted her book for emphasis, "I usually read or write to get the night to go faster. I tend to think too much nowadays, but I guess I can blame college for that."
His brows went up in interest, "You're a student too? Do you go to Kingsville University?I've heard a lot of good things about that school."
Scarlett's eyes widened the tiniest bit, "Yeah, I'm a junior at the moment. I'm majoring in Biology and just going with the flow to get my degree. Areyoua student?"
Vash shook his head, his spiked blonde hair rustling in the wind as his long leg propped his knee into the air. "No, I just moved here for different scenery. I've never been to this part of the country and thought change would be good."
"Oh, where are you from then?"
The corner of his mouth curled into a lopsided grin and his arm laidontop of his knee, "Somewhere far away from here... How about you, Miss Scarlett? Were you born in the city?"
"Actually, I'm from the country. I lived in a small town with my mother before moving here to attend college. I'm late in the sense that I didn't come straight from high school, but I still got in! My mother on the other hand wasquite insistent that I go to this university." She explained, tucking her book into her bag and quipped with,"And you don't have to say my name with Miss."
Vash tilted his head curiously, eyes glinting in wonder at her words."Sure, Scarlett! However, I don't get why parents are rushing their kids to college. I've heard that most students don't know what to do with their lives and get a useless degree they have to pay off." He pointed out the obvious on how the world drowned others in debt.
Scarlett shrugged her shoulders, pulling out a water bottle and twisted it open to take a small swig. "Debt is what keeps the world at bay for money! Pay, pay, pay until you're in your seventies. I purposely didn'twantto attend until I knew what I wanted in life. Plus, the money goes towards something I won't be using in my life."
"Doyouknow what you want?" He asked quietly as Scarlett placed her bottle away and hugged her knees close to her chest, head bobbing ontop to view him properly. Vash appeared quite serious now, his blue green eyes waiting for an answer.
"...No, not really." She replied with a short clearing of her throat.
"Then why'd you come to the city to go to college? We just spoke of how college debt ruins lives."
She sighed deeply and shook her head, "The family situation is complicated and my mom forced me to come. I'm just doing it because I should."
That perplexed him and pushedforward on the subject. "Is that what they teach in schools nowadays? To know what you want in life when you turn of age?"
"Unfortunately, you're very correct. We are conditioned to believe that going to college is always the right choice!" She said, her index finger pointed to the sky to emphasize her disapproval. "I've heard so many success stories of how many didn't go to college and made their own living from scratch. Pure luck? Who knows, that was back in the day and the current present isn't very kind... unless you're a genius."
Vash nodded and desired to talk more about the pressing subject. From the tone she's giving, it sounds like she's here just because of her mother. He wanted to confirm a few things— but it was just too soon to ask. He opened his mouth to talk, but his stomach had other plans and created a loud noise akin to a whale.
Scarlett was startled, now looking at his stomach with an equally surprised expression. "...Did you not eat dinner?" She asked, her lips curving into a small amused smile. Vash hadn't seen her smile yet and that caused him to mirror her.
"I did! I just happen to have a very quick metabolism!" He said in a sheepish tone, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.
Scarlett chuckled at his shyness and smiled a tad bit more, reaching into her bag and brought out a bag of chips and a bottle of water. She offered it to him, "Here, take it. I usually don't greet or bake cookies for a new neighbor, but this should do since you're hungry."
The young man was quick to grab it and thanked her, eating the chips happily as if he never ate a meal. "Wow, how kind of you! Thanks, Scarlett!"
The young woman nodded, watching in deep amusement as her new neighbor ate his chips voraciously. "Mhm. Speaking of your moving in, how far along are you?" She asked, quite surprised with how the conversation continued with no help at all. She always struggled with small talk but this guy was constantly surprising her. He listens and spoke as if they've known each other for years. The change confused her, but this would be a good change.
He wiped his mouth with his sleeve, stuffing the folded chip bag into his pant pocket and answered her. "I'm almost done! I got my furniture in there and it's the small things to place in the house that I have to do for last."
She will never know what compelled her to ask, but she did it anyway. Maybe it was because of his good intention to talk and listen to her college debt woes, or the fact she thought he was kinda cute. Scarlett was on the edge about him being attractive, not wanting to admit that she saw him in that way. Boys were never in the picture, so this is fresh. "Well how about this? I didn't apologize for being rude today and I think it's only fair if I treat you to coffee tomorrow? There's a small Cafe under us that sells decent pastries and strong coffee. How about it?"
"Heh, for a girl who slams a door in my face to welcome a neighbor, I believe that's an amazing proposal!" Vash said happily, cheeks tinging red from the frosty winds of the dark night. He stood up, hands on his narrow hips as he proclaimed, "It's a date!"
Yeah, he's a surprise to her alright. Her face contorted into slight annoyance but she was low-key having fun with her odd neighbor. "Hey, it's not a date! Just a nice breakfast at my favorite cafe." She defended as she gathered her items together. "It's getting chilly, I'm going back down."
The blonde just grinned and waited for her, bouncing on his feet like he didn't have a care in the world. Scarlett huffed, letting him follow her down the fire escape. The winds tangled her loose hair into her braid and she held tightly to the cold metal escape. The wind was getting strong now, her grip loosening enough that her fingers slipped from the rail, feet stumbling back towards the street.
"Ahh!" She cried out in shock, reaching up to regrab the rail. Scarlett shouldn't have been too careless since the weather report stated the winds could increase tonight, but that's not what she was concerned about. She's gonna—
"Careful! You could fall!"
In a single motion, Vash grabbed her by the waist, his strong hand gripping the rail as he brought her back onto the metal platform. It looked so easy as he pulled her away from the edge and placed her near the building, his hand never letting go of the rail or her waist.
"Are you okay??" He asked, standing between the fall to the street and her. Scarlett breathed heavily, holding onto his shirttightly as she realized how fatal that could be. She joked about death all the time but that truly scared her.
"I-I'm okay. Let's go down before the wind picks up again!" She yelled.
The young man nodded and held her as they slowly made their way down to her window which was next to his from the fire escape. She fumbled to open her window and felt the warmth of the building kissher face. She sighed in relief and moved to get inside, but turned to see Vash first. "Thanks for saving my ass back there. I would've been a pancake if it wasn't for you." She said sincerely, her baby hairs tickling her face as she spoke.
Vash nodded, his face showing off a neutral smile as he slowly let go of her petite body. "Don't worry about it! It's only right for a man to save a damsel in distress!" He said in a silly tone and salute, making Scarlett laugh at his attitude. His salute faltered at her cute laugh and smile, caught off guard from how the winds made her loose hair seem so fluffy and light next to her pink stained cheeks courtesy of the weather.
Her hand covered her mouth as she giggled at his charade and climbed in, letting go of his shirt. Once inside, she looked at him through the window and set her arms on the windowsill to face him again. "Thanks again... I'll see you in the morning?" She asked, her tone hopeful and sweet towards him. It contrasted to the mood this morning and he was absolutely fine with that.
"You got it! I'll see you at nine?" He asked, holding onto the top of window with both hands. He lowered himself onto his knees since her window reached low, eyes leveled with hers to witness her kind face. Scarlett responded with a nod, having to remember his off putting nickname to address him, "That sounds great!... Goodnight now, Vash. Get back safely, okay?"
"I will! Goodnight, Scarlett! Sweet dreams!" He chirped, smiling widely at her before moving over to his window with agile movement.
He slid into his apartment, Scarlett smilingas the cute neighbor waved one last time. "I guess I have a 'date' tomorrow." She joked aloud to herself again, referencing it in the words byVash. She placed a hand where her heart was beating and noticed how fast it was bouncing in her ribcage. "...the adrenaline really does a good job, doesn't it?"
Over on his side, Vash shut the window and smoothed down his clothes with his hands, now spotting the area where her small hands clutched tightly to his shirt. He forgot how large he is compared to a petite woman like her, recalling how the winds picked her up like leaves in a pile. His fingers grazed over the crinkled section and smiled to himself at the thought of her.
"Not a bad idea choosing this town huh?"