Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴇᴇ ʏᴏᴜ"
Diana strolled into her apartment, taking off her shoes and putting her bag on her kitchen table. She looked around her place, feeling alone. She sighed and walked to her bedroom to unpack and prepare for bed. Diana changed into her pajamas, brushed her teeth, and washed her face. As she got comfortable, she crawled into her bed and pulled her blanket up to her chin. She took a deep breath as she got comfortable. She closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of the blankets surrounding her, and drifted off to sleep.
The sun peeked over the horizon as Diana opened her eyes. She groaned and rolled over, wanting to sleep longer. Her mind raced with the events of the previous night. She was thankful to free herself from her past and start over. With a deep sigh, she glanced up at the ceiling before rising and getting ready for the day. She donned a white tank top, distressed jeans, and a cardigan. Grabbing a pair of shoes and her bag, she opened her door and walked to work.
She opened the door to The Washington Post before heading to her office. She waved to Daniel as he finished his conversation with a fellow employee. He smiled as Diana opened her office door. She sauntered in and he followed.
"So you and Sydney, aren't you guys just friendly with each other?" he asked sarcastically, gaining an equally sarcastic laugh from Diana. She shook her head before sitting at her desk. " I don't even know why he was so unfriendly around me, unlike Verano who was as friendly as a dog," Diana stated as she read the reports left on her desk. Diana could not understand why he was so cold towards her. She thought she had not done anything wrong and was kind to him. She sighed and returned to the reports.
"Anything about this? Any updates?" Daniel asked, pointing to the reports. She shook her head before looking over the reports one last time before running her hands through her hair. "We've looked at this at least a dozen times," she said. "I think it's as good as it's going to get. Let's just submit it and see what happens." Daniel nodded in agreement and they both stepped away from the desk. Diana left the office and walked to the submissions room. She placed the finished report on the desk to be published. "You ready for the next article?" Daniel asked as he held the latest reports and news in his hand. Diana sighed and extended her hand. She accepted Daniel's documents and reviewed them, ready to dive into the next article. Looking over the reports, she took notes. In the meantime, Daniel left her to review the reports on her own.
Diana finished reading the documents and began writing the article. She was grateful for the quiet atmosphere, which allowed her to focus on her work without distractions. Daniel returned and offered her a cup of coffee, which she gratefully accepted. She thanked Daniel and returned to writing, feeling refreshed and motivated to finish the article quickly.
Hours later, she and Daniel left in Daniel’s car to pick up Paul to go out for dinner. After a satisfying meal at an Italian restaurant, they discussed their plans for the weekend at the table and talked about what lay ahead. The conversation eventually shifted to a more relaxed, lighthearted tone as the friends shared stories and laughs. After finishing their meals, they said their goodbyes and parted ways, each looking forward to their plans for the weekend.
Diana walked home as she smoked a cigarette. When she arrived at her apartment, she heard her phone ringing off the hook. She rushed over to the phone and answered in a rush, her heart racing as she wondered who could be calling her so late at night. “Hello?” “Is this, uh, Diana?” She heard a distinct voice on the other line. “Yes this is she, who is this?” A long pause came before the voice spoke. “This is Sydney. I’m sorry for calling you so late. I needed to talk to someone and Verano wasn’t picking up the phone," he said softly with a slight whine in his voice. He was struggling to keep his voice steady. Tears started to well up in his eyes as he tried to make sense of what was happening. He was desperate for someone to understand and help him. Diana could tell from the tone in his voice. Diana tried to stay calm and reminded Sydney that it was alright to talk to her. She told him that she was there to listen and help him in whatever way she could. She spoke to him in a soothing voice, gently assuring him that he was not alone and that she was there for him.
They spoke for hours, with Sydney venting and ranting to Diana. She soon discovered Sydney wasn’t as pessimistic and gloomy as she thought he was. “I want to see you,” Sydney sniffled as Diana thought about it. “Alright, want me to come to get you and we’ll walk back to my apartment?” she asked as she put her shoes on. "Yeah," he responded as Diana heard him shuffling around. "Okay, I'll be there soon," she said before hanging up.
