Echoes Of The Heart

Chapter One

The breeze softly caresses the white curtain with it's cream daisy print, making it dance and sway. The sunlight stole it self into the room and rested beautifully on a beautiful clear face.

Stephlon slept soundly and calmly having no care in the world. She turned herself quickly to shield her face from the harsh rays of the sun. Her long brown hair was a tangled mess, strewn across the bed and onto the floor.

The room was quiet, with no sound except for tiny snores that escaped from her small red lips. The peace and tranquility of the room would envelop anyone who walked into it.

Just as the whole room was calm and bright, a stormy wind tore the curtains apart, and the opened balcony doors invited the cold and wind inside. The sounds of singing trees and chasing waves filled the room like lullabies, calming Stephlon's racing heart.

After hours of oblivion, Stephlon began to stir. The room was bright with the ceiling lights on. The balcony door was shut, and the room was silent.

Groggily, she stood to her feet, her hands rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Her hair was a nest around her face adding to her disheveled beauty. As soon as she composed herself, she walked around to make her bed.

As her senses returned to her, she realized it was raining outside. Strong pit-pats filled the room, bringing a calming sense of tranquility. She sat on her bed, lost in thought, reminiscing her life, until she shook her head to snap herself out of her daydream.

Stephlon walked up to her dressing table and grabbed a scrunchie to wrap her long brown tresses, so it wouldn't get in her way as she got ready for the day. Growing her hair had become a form of therapy for her, a way to cope with the difficulties life had thrown her way.

"Wake up you fool!" Maltida barged into the room, her midnight black hair bouncing with each step. She looked around the room in dismay and her voice was filled with exasperation.

Her eyes moved round the room in fast sessions with her upper body still half way into the room. Maltida's eyes quickly met the eyes of her best friend's saucer shaped eyes.

Maltida's eyes narrowed as she took in Stephlon's expression of shock. Her voice softened as she said, "Are you okay Steph? You look like you've seen a ghost"

Stephlon blinked several times, trying to process what was happening. She hadn't expected anyone to barge into her room like that, let alone Maltida. She took a deep breath and sat up straight on the bed, her hair falling loose from the bun.

"Of course I'm not! You just startled the life out of me," Stephlon whispered, rolling her eyes before standing up and walking toward the door. Maltida ranted as she followed Stephlon down the stairs.

"What are you doing here?" Stephlon asked as she walked around the kitchen counter to pour herself a cup of coffee. She'd been trying to break her obsessive coffee ritual, but it wasn't easy.

"Oh come on, don't I have the right to come over?" Maltida gasped, her hand clutching her heart. She promptly plopped herself down on the kitchen floor, letting out a dramatic sigh.

"Oh, stop it with the drama. You know you live here," Stephlon said, rolling her eyes as she sipped on her coffee. She was starting to feel like her eyes might roll right out of their sockets, thanks to Maltida's antics.

"Why aren't you at your boyfriend's?" Stephlon asked sitting comfortably on the floor next to her friend as she sipped her coffee. She patiently waited for an answer.

"He said he had something to do at his office, so I waited for him back at his apartment. But he called me two hours later, saying he had to travel to New York for two weeks" Maltida wriggled her fingers and had a mysterious expression on her face.

"Then why do you have that pitiful look on your face?" Stephlon asked, her eyes widening as she watched Maltida's every move. She couldn't help but notice the pain and despair that Maltida thought she'd hidden so well.

"Steph, I don't know!" Maltida sighed, her voice weak and tired. She clenched her dark, curly hair in her hands, as though she could pull the problems right out along with it.

""One minute he's caring and the next minute he's cold and doesn't even care. You know, two weeks back I found a ring in his closet. I was estatic, happy that he was going to propose, I acted like I had no idea and wait for his proposal, but nothing!" Maltida removed her hands from her head and reached out to grab Stephlon's outstretched hand. Stephlon's eyes were wide with concern , her lips pressed into a tight line. The rain continued to fall outside, the drops hitting the roof and throwing itself against the closed windows like tiny drumbeats.

"Maybe you are just overthinking it, or maybe he is just too scared to propose and is having second thoughts?" Stephlon said soothingly gently squeezing Maltida's hand.

"But what if he's not scared, what if he just changed his mind? What if I'm just reading into it too much?" Maltida said, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Hey, don't worry about that now. I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation. We can try to figure it out, but first, let's get you some water."

"We need to get a floor cushion" Maltida laughed as they both rubbed their tensed butts.

Hi everyone! I'm really excited to share my first chapter with you. Thank you so much for reading, I really appreciate it. This story is about two best friends who are facing a challenge situation. It's a story of friendship, love, and finding the strength to face life's challenges. I hope you enjoy it☺️.