A Touch From You

Jason

In your life, never pray to wake up with a banging headache. I woke up that morning feeling like I carried a 50 pound brick on my head. I felt groggy and worse, felt like puking.

I slowly rolled off my bed and headed to the bathroom to splash some cold water on my face when my alarm clock went off. I took small comfort in that knowing I woke up way before it went off.

After using the bathroom, I went into the kitchen to pop some pain killers before making a bowl of cereal. An hour later, I was feeling more like myself. It’s Saturday and I was totally free for the day. Sophia usually visits on Saturday but that wouldn’t be happening ever again. She was probably in the arms of her other boyfriend while I was here feeling sorry for myself.

At that point, I was determined to forget all about her and move on with my life. She was in the past and I sure as hell wasn’t going to visit that again. The loud ringtone from my phone startled me, shaking me from my thoughts.

That could only be one person and I knew exactly who it was.

Sure enough, it was who I suspected as my friend Dylan’s name popped up on the screen.

“Hey man, what’s good?”, he said in his baritone voice.

“Asides a raging headache which by the way is getting better, everything else is shitty”, I said.

“Sophia?”, he asked in a low voice.

Dylan knew all about Sophia and I and I wasn’t surprised when he asked because he knew from the onset that our relationship would not last. I hate to admit it but he was right all along, I was too blind to see it.

“She broke up with me yesterday, right after I got off the train.”

“I hate to say this man but I told you. That girl was bad news now look.”

Strangely, I felt relieved now. I felt somewhat happy she decided to end it now. What if we had gotten married and then she asks for a divorce? I don’t know what I’d do to myself if it had gotten to that.

“I know man, I’m just glad she ended it now at least I’ll have a lot of breathing space.”

“So what’s up for today”, he chuckled.

My plan was to stay at home today and probably finish my book I began writing a month ago but I just couldn’t stay cooped up in the house moping and pretending to write when I know quite well that I would still think about her.

“It’s a Saturday, let’s hit the gym”, i said.

“Hell yeah! That’s what I’m talking about”, Dylan laughed.

I was overdue at the gym and desperately wanted to get my muscles back in shape. I wouldn’t allow my sorry excuse of an ex-girlfriend get in my way. I’m a man and I needed to up my game and stop moping like a love starved teenager.

“I’ll pick you up by 9. Be ready”, I said, cutting the call.

It’s going to be a long day and I’m definitely going to make good use of it and the gym was a good place to begin.

********************

Sweating and heaving, I was just about to call it quits and drop the dumb bell when Dylan walked into the gym from his water break with a huge grin on his face.

The only time I had seen Dylan grin so widely was back in 5th grade when he won a spelling bee competition. Dylan and I grew up together and there was practically nothing I didn’t know about him, he’s like the brother I never had. Of course, growing up with two elder sisters didn’t count as there were somethings you just couldn’t tell them because they wouldn’t understand. And that was when Dylan moved in to our neighborhood. His house was just beside ours and I can’t count the number of times, I snuck in from the adjoining fence. Good days.

Back to the present, Dylan’s grin only grew wider and I was just about to ask him what’s up when he stopped me with a hand.

“Man, you wouldn’t believe what I saw.”

“Pffft Dylan, you’re always so dramatic. I thought you won a lottery or something”, I laughed.Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

“This is far more beautiful than a lottery. I just saw two beautiful chicks heading towards the gym and man when I say beautiful, they’re drop dead gorgeous.”

“You don’t even know them so I really don’t know why you’re so excited and secondly, you know what I just passed through and being in a relationship is so not on my mind right now so, forget it. You can go ahead though, I won’t stop you”, I said as I picked up the dumb bell once more.

Apparently, this was more pleasing than what Dylan said. Call me insensitive or what not but I wasn’t in the mood for anything called relationships. Sophia had successfully taken that away from me but I knew I’ll get it back maybe not now but soon, very soon.

“Oh boy, here they are”, Dylan whistled.

I turned to look at who just came in and I got the shock of my life. Standing at the doorway was Makayla in all her beauty, her midnight hair tied in a tight bun and beside her was a girl I didn’t know but from the looks of it, it could be her sister. They were both gorgeous but the sister looked a bit older probably a few years older.

The dumb bell i was holding fell on the floor with a loud clang, bringing the girl’s attention to where Dylan and I stood. Makayla’s eyes flew to mine and I immediately saw the look of recognition on her face. Her sister who was apparently oblivious to this looked around the gym before tapping on her phone.

“I told you”, Dylan chuckled.

I had a feeling that as from this moment henceforth, my life was about to change. In what way, I didn’t know but all I knew is that it would change and Makayla was going to be a major part of it.

I found myself moving towards her and I couldn’t stop. Dylan followed, not wanting to be left out from whatever was going on. I braced myself on what to say but Makayla beat me to it. With the softest voice I had ever heard, she said;

“Hello Jason.”