"I need space." Those were the words Jacky said to Ryan the night before they both left for separate colleges. Now, each of them will try to learn who they are without the other. Will their paths lead them back together?
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Jacky
Jacky couldn't be sure if he'd done well on his Statistics midterm. All that mattered at the moment was getting upstairs to take a nap. His shoes felt like they weighed twenty pounds each. When he entered the dorm, he looked at the stairs he would have normally taken, then at the elevator. It was an easy decision until –
"Hold the door!"
Jacky recognized that voice. He paused for a moment, his finger hovering over the CLOSE DOORS button, then sighed and stuck his arm out to keep the elevator door open.
Braedyn slammed into the elevator, breathless, carrying a massive piece foamboard and three bags full of what looked like art supplies. He turned and froze at the sight of Jacky there. "Oh. It's you."
The doors slid closed.
"I think what you meant to say," Jacky's tone was pure ice, "was thank you."
"Yeah, sure. Thanks," Braedyn muttered, not looking at him.
Clenching his jaw, Jacky said, "You're welcome."
The elevator lurched with a loud clank and started rattling upwards. "Uh, what was that?" Braedyn asked.
"What was what?" Jacky pulled out his phone. Now seemed like a good time to text Ryan.
"That clanking sound—" The elevator lurched again, lights flickering, and Braedyn shrieked, dropping his foamboard and bags. Jacky dropped his phone and gripped the handrail. The lights steadied on, but the motion stopped. As in no lurching, and also no upward.
"This isn't happening. This can't be happening." Braedyn had pressed himself into the corner and gripped his hair in his fingers.
"Oh, it's happening," Jacky huffed. "Of course it is. I don't have three hours of reading and a paper to write or anything. And why wouldn't I want to be in a stalled elevator with the guy I hooked up with last week who hasn't spoken to me since?" He jabbed at the elevator buttons. Every button. Nothing happened.
"This isn't happening," Braedyn moaned.
"It is happening. But it's fine. Look." Jacky opened the little door under the panel of buttons. "I'll just call for help on the emergency phone..." He held the receiver to his ear. "Why is there no dial tone?"
"This can't be happening..."
He slammed the phone down. "Okay, I'll try my phone. I can look up the number for security or something...." He picked up his phone and unlocked it. After staring at his phone's screen for a moment, he asked Braedyn, "Uh, do you have a signal?"
"This isn't happening..."
Finally Jacky looked at Braedyn, who was hinged at his waist and gasping for air. "Hey, snap out of it!" he shouted. Braedyn flinched and looked up with wide eyes. Jacky enunciated, "Do. You. Have. A signal?"
