The Stranger on the Train

Chapter 19: Saturday night

TW: Alcohol, mentions of death and grief

Pov y/n

The sun blinds me a little as I walk through the park.
Today is Saturday and I don't have any further plans for today, maybe stroll around the park or going to the swimming pool but nothing more.

I'd love do something with someone but I don't really know people in New York. Well, except Scarlett. But wouldn't it be weird if I asked her to hang out?
I mean, we are friends and friends hang out occasionally.

Maybe I should just give it a try without expecting anything because if I expect something, I could get disappointed.

I take my phone out and ask her if she wants to hang out today. Before I can overthink it, I send it and put my phone away again, not wanting to stare at it while I wait for her reply.

My legs carry me to the lake I've been at so many times before and I watch the goldfish swim around. It reminds me of the aquarium and I sink into memories of my last diving trip where I removed a few plants to prevent other animals from getting hurt.
Being underwater is just so peaceful and quiet.

The vibrations of my phone pull me out of my thoughts and I pull it out. My heart starts to beat a little faster when I see Scarlett answered.

Scarlett: Yes, I'd love to. How about a movie night with snacks and maybe some wine?

Y/n: Sounds great!

Scarlett: At my place around 7 pm? I'll take care of snacks and everything, you can decide on a movie. How does that sound?

Y/n: Sounds amazing, I'll be there. :D

I smile at my phone and put it away again, happy with the outcome.
It wasn't as hard as I thought and maybe I worried a little too much about it. Scarlett seems pretty chill about it and likes to hang out with me, so it's all good.

After a quick glance at the time, I see that I have around six hours before Scarlett expects me at her place.
I need around 45 minutes to her place when I take the train, so I will go out of my apartment at 6 pm, makes five hours.

I continue my walk and when I arrive at the end of the park, I make my way to a store. It's a little full but eventually I get everything I need and head home. When everything is where it goes, I flop down onto the couch and look at the clock. I have around three and a half hours before I need to go.

With the help of my phone, I pick out a movie we can watch tonight and grab my book to read a bit.

At around 5 pm, I get up and put my book down. Two hours until I'm at Scarlett's and one hour until I have to go. That gives me enough time to get ready.
I take a quick shower and choose some clothes to wear. We're having a movie night, so I don't need to dress up but I still wanna look good for Scarlett.

I go through my clothes until I decide on jeans and a simple light-blue t-shirt.
My hair is a little disaster and I look at myself in the mirror in the bathroom. First I will blow dry it and hopefully it'll look better then.
It takes me a bit until my y/h/c (your hair color) hair is dry and I comb through it, getting rid of every knot.

I take my lip between my teeth while I think about if I like it this way. It looks natural and makes me seem relaxed, not showing any of the nervosity I feel inside.
Maybe this is the best way to wear it. I still pull a hair tie over my wrist, just in case I'm annoyed by my hair at some point.

My eyes check my outfit and hair one last time, before I leave the bathroom and pack my things.
At pretty much exact 6 pm, I leave the building. It may seem a little unnecessary to be nervous and wanting to be at Scarlett's in time but I don't care. And if I'm being honest, I don't even know why I'm nervous. We hung out quite a few times before, it's nothing new. But maybe it's because this is the first time, we will spend time alone and in private after our moment last week in the kitchen.