Private Joy.

Chp 29.

As I hopped off the train, I was met with instant pouring of rain. I hadn't thought of bringing warmer clothes with me. I was in a rush after all. I instantly scolded myself for being so stupid as tears threatened to leave my eyes. Granted, I had been crying all the way home with very little sleep but this was the icing on the cake.

Anything that could go wrong...was in fact going wrong.

I didn't know how much I longer I could take this. I just wanted to go home. But what was I going to tell my mother when she realised that I had come home early let alone without Prince standing next to me.

All these passing thoughts just brought on a heavier flow of tears as I rushed out of the train station and into the everlasting falling rain.

I was freezing to death as I immediately became drenched and so did my handbag. I tried my best to hide it underneath my shirt but it was no use. The rain was so consistent that it was creating a foggy mist in the distance, making it hard to pin point my surroundings.

I could only feel myself becoming more increasingly frustrated with every passing second.

That's when I threw my bag on the wet concrete and fell to the ground. I felt defeated in all aspects of life. This wasn't my day or month, nor was it my year. I sat on the sidewalk with my head facing down, just wallowing in my self pity as I cradled myself the best I could for warmth.

I had officially given up.

Fuck my life. Fuck Prince.

I was pretty sure that I had been sitting on the pavement for hours so when I heard a car pull up close nearby. I was curious enough to look up. I saw a figure of a girl who was just getting out of the car, she luckily had an umbrella with her but then I realised that she was running over to me.

"Alice ? is that you ?" She asked with slight worry.

I furrowed deeply as I glanced up at her. I don't know if it's because I was disoriented but I couldn't figure out who the hell she was or why she even knew my name. I think she could sense my trouble with placing her identity and with the rainfall not letting up in the slightest, she gave me the quickest explanation she could give me.

"It's Jasmyn, we met months ago when Prince used to record at Sound 80 !" She yelled over the noisy rain. It took me less than a second for her words to connect to my inner archive of memories.

Jasmyn.
The assistant at the studio.
The girl I met when Prince first introduced me to the place.

I wanted to hopelessly cry at the nostalgia playing before me but I had no time and I didn't want to creep her out either.

"C'mon I'll give you a ride, you must be freezing girl !" She exclaimed, helping me up with her free hand. Not being one to decline a strangers help, I grabbed my bag and we both raced over to the car as fast as we could without getting touched by the rain.

As I sat down in the passenger seat, it only dawned on me then on how soaking wet I was and therefore her car seat was getting wet as well.

"I'm so sorry, you really didn't have to do this" I exhaled. "Well I couldn't just ignore you ! you looked so distraught..but that's besides the point, I need to get you to my place quick, you're shivering..oh my god" She panicked to herself.