Treat You Better - Day 59 // s.m.

II

Day 2

As my songwriting career was taking up most of my life currently, engineering class is becoming more and more of a snooze fest. It's almost as if, now that I know all of that knowledge isn't even vital, my brain has chosen not to listen.

I finished the tune yesterday that I've been working on for the past few weeks. I sent it in to the label around midnight, and my boss loved it. I've been itching to procrastinate through class and get home, curl up on my twin bed with my laptop and chinese food, and check to see if there's been any grabbers get.

I saw her again today.

Early this morning, when I was making my way to the staircase to get to my a.m. class, clad in my usual grey t-shirt and charcoal sweatpants, hair casually ignored-- there she was. She was standing over the thin railing of the balcony, gazing down at all of the passing cars and breathing in the nauseating, revolting scent of our segment of the city.

She spun around the second my door opened, taking a quick glance at me and shooting me a small, friendly smile, her eyes droopy and tired.

I give her a slight nod and mumble, "morning."

She tucked a lock of her soft ginger hair behind her ear, returning my smile and greeting me vocally.

I continue passed her and hold my breath all the way from the stairs to my car, feeling a wave of relief wash over me the second I firmly closed the door of my silver Honda.

Still not totally sure why I get so nervous around her. It's not like we knew each other or anything. She was just really, really pretty, and pretty girls are always the most intimidating.

***

Day 3

Saw her again today.

Same time, same place, hovering over the balcony railing. I didn't get why she was looking out. It's not like it was a scenic view or anything.

In fact, I'm almost certain that this was the worst part of the city-- with the homeless drunks loitering out in the alley, the dull, neon signs of the nearby drug stores barely lit up but still shining on. The smell was the worst, I'm serious. It's not like her excuse would ever be "stepping out for fresh air."

If she really wanted a breathtaking view, she'd be better off heading up the hill a little ways to the top, a vacant parking lot of a long-time shut down building that overlooked the whole area. I wanted to tell her that, but instead, I choked up.

I managed, "good morning."

She softly replied through a sigh, "it's a beautiful day, isn't it?"

I nodded in agreement, muttering under my breath, "yeah," before stepping down the hallway, feeling holes burn on my cheeks as I scaled the outdoor staircase.

It was not a beautiful day, trust me. Dark clouds curled over the edge of the sky like the deep end of a pool, threatening to swallow us whole. Small droplets of rain came down one by one on the crown of my head as I walked to my car.

Even though the weather didn't look very nice this morning, seeming so terribly mundane and bleak, she was quite the opposite.

***

Day 4

I saw her again.

Only this time, she wasn't alone.

When I arrived home that evening, climbing out of my car and retrieving my backpack from the passenger side-- she was getting out of a car just a few rows down from me.