*breathes heavily* d-did you see...the MyMusic season finale...if not, don't read this chapter, watch the episode now...i'm trying not to scream because shh...spoilers. but let me tell you...if you like this story...you will like the ending...*gasps in for air*
The next week flies past. Scene doesn't go near the spilled box of clothes in her living room. Doesn't matter. No one has visited her in over two years. On the next Thursday morning, despite going to bed at eight, she still finds it hard to get up in the morning, dreading looking at the empty coffee cup and the box of nightmares that both remain, not moved from where they were last Saturday afternoon after the incident with Intern 2.
"You alright?" A customer asks as Scene hands her a stack of business cards she ordered the week previous. Her eyes blackened underneath from restless sleep, her hair lazily pulled into a pony, it wouldn't be hard to tell something is wrong.
"Rough night." She lies. The customer nods, thanks her for her service, then walks away. And for the first time in nearly two weeks, Scene just wants to go home. She finishes the day, her uncaring coworkers not noticing that she's plunged even deeper into depression than before. She walks her bike, instead of riding it, and locks it up outside. After going inside, she walks over to the clothes pile, and starts sobbing. No matter how long it's been, it's impossible to forget that she once was happy. Even for only a few years, she was happy at MyMusic. And right now, there's only one thing left from that period of her life she can reach.
Worried about missing him, she races down to the old building, to find he's not there. Ready to burst into tears in public, she leans face-first against the wall, tears streaming silently down her face. She closes her eyes, willing that a runaway car will just hit her right now and everything will just be over.
"Scene?" His worried voice catches her attention, and she turns to see Intern 2 is right next to her. "Why are you crying?" Before answering, she just collapses into his chest, tears soaking his sweater vest, which now smells like tobacco. He holds her tight, until she backs away to look at him.
"I can't do this." She cries, then, seeing that this is the first time Intern 2 has seen her cry without mascara running down her face, she sobs harder. Change is hard. It's harder when you face it alone.
Intern 2, not being a forgetful man, walks her back to where he knows her apartment is, and by the time they reach it, she's calmed enough to unlock the door.
"Oh, Scene." Intern 2 sighs, seeing the clothes and CD's.
"It'll help." Intern 2 promises. Scene shakes her head. "It's the only thing that made you as happy as it did." The video is paused, and the moment the mouse is clicked, that familiar and loveable poptart cat will appear. But at this point, familiar is a reminder of pain. Pain from losing people. That's not loveable.
"It hurts." Sitting cross-legged on the couch next to Intern 2, who holds the laptop, she hugs a pillow close, wishing she could disappear.
"I know." He says softly. "There are things that hurt me, too, Scene, but if we forget our past we forget who we are. And that's what you're doing." Maybe I want to. She thinks.
"Let's do something easier." Scene says. She closes her eyes and thinks until she remembers the URL to her old college's website. "The English course. It's on here. Read it to me." Intern 2 reads to her, and she finds it's easier than she thought. No crying over thoughts of Jeff, no remembering the hours spent by the phone, waiting for a call. After he talks for ten minutes, Intern 2 stops.
"I'm going outside real quick." He says. Scene nods but, as he walks away, sees a small box poking out of his back pocket.
"You're going to smoke, aren't you?" She accuses.
"It's not a problem," Intern 2 defends, but his voice catches.
"It is." Scene walks over. "You started after your aunt died-"
"And she died after my mom did." He says. Scene tries to come up with another excuse, one that he hasn't heard a thousand times, but her vocal cords don't budge. She closes her mouth and nods. With a throat full of held back tears, he finishes; "Thanks for understanding, Scene."