Royale Gold tissue

This is a short story, based on what I saw a few days ago at the train station.

[RAINING + THUNDERS + LIGHTNING]- 5.30pm

She had a really bad day… getting ignored by her friends and got bad news about her work.

She was waiting for her mum to pick her up. She found an empty bench,  plugged in her earphones, turned up the volume and shut the world out, completely.

She closed her eyes and drifted into space. She imagined that she was out somewhere fun with her friends and was enjoying their time laughing together.

The pictures in her head was beautiful, with shady trees above them, they had a picnic with the cool air caressing their faces. Everyone was smiling when a cloud came marching towards them, sprinkling them with cold tears.

She expected her friends to run away from the rain, but instead, they were running towards the rain, jumping with joy, embracing the rain as if they haven’t felt the rain in such a long time.

She joined them, dancing and laughing to the beat of the raindrops…

…

Her playlist came to a stop. She opened her eyes to find a frowning guy towering over her.

There was nothing left to do than gasp. Before she had the chance to push him away, he held up her phone and gave it to her, but now, with a smile plastered on his face.

He couldn’t possibly be stealing her phone by that, she thought. She noticed that it had been half an hour since she started to listen to her long 276 list of songs.

She also noticed that that guy was still there, standing in front of her, trying to pull something out of his sling bag. It was a packet of tissues. Royale Gold tissues, in fact.

She made a questioning look, which made him smile. He calmly pointed to her cheeks and said,

            “It’s enough that the sky is crying. Smile. I bet it looks pretty on you.”

She was so shocked that her lips trembled. She herself didn’t notice that she was crying because of what she had been through today. How could someone notice that?  Let alone offered her tissues. Royale Gold tissues.

She took the packet of tissues, wiped away her tears and looked up. He was gone.

She looked around and saw him already in a cab, wearing his safety belt. The cab had to make a u-turn to get out of the station so she had another glimpse of that guy before he left.

She waited. The cab turned and she saw him. He was looking at her too which caused their eyes to lock for just a mere second, and it broke. The cab was driving away.

She blinked and knew there were still a few drops of tears left at the corner of her eyes.

For some reason, she walked straight into the rain and found her way to Wangsa Walk. Those ‘few’ tears she saw earlier was a false alarm. There were still buckets and buckets of them.

In the rain, she cried her heart out…

The sadness that came from the whole day and the calmness that came with the Royale Gold tissues mushed up together. It all came out with the buckets and buckets of tears. Like they always say,

            “There is no better place to cry than in the rain”

Who knew the clash between hot tears and cold rain would feel great…

She texted her mum to pick her up a bit later so she walked on, finally catching a glimpse of the cab stand of Wangsa Walk.

Her tear glands were almost empty when her feet hit the cab stand, but her whole body was soaking wet. 

She wiped the remaining of her tears as she remembered that mysterious guy she met earlier. So she mid-shouted a satisfying sigh to the rain. As in,

“Ahhhhhhh…!!!”

She looked over at her watch. 10 minutes to 7pm and a black Ford Fiesta pulled up a few feet away. Her mum was just in time.

She started to walk away when she heard someone sneezed and sniffed. She thought she was alone when she mid-shouted earlier. Oh my God, it’d be embarrassing to have someone watch that without me noticing it!!! she thought.

She turned around just slightly… and saw the same guy from earlier.

The Royale Gold tissue guy.

She gasped just by mere breath and he looked up. He smiled and waved.

By heart, she knew she had to go there. Mum could wait for a few minutes, she thought.

She stopped just a feet away from him. She took out the packet of tissues he gave her earlier and gave it to him. She smiled and said,

“Even though I’m totally wet, you need this more than I do. I only used one, because one is all I need, just as I only needed one person to offer me tissues. And for that, thank you.”

He smiled, took just one tissue and said,

            “Like you said, I too, need only one as I only needed one person to offer me a tissue.”

She smiled, kept the rest of the tissues and walked to the car. As she closed the door, she looked back, just once more and smiled as she saw him looking at her as well.

Her mum glanced at her and asked,

            “So how was your day, wet and all?”

She closed her eyes, holding the packet of tissues, now only 8 of the tissues remain, and said,

            “It was great, mum. My day was just, great.”

She smiled warmly to herself.

Up until now, that packet of tissue remained the same.

8 of them, untouched.

mr Nice

SHE KEPT QUIET. SHE KEPT VERY, QUIET…

BECAUSE SHE WAS ALL ALONE.

…ALL ALONE IN THAT SILENT BUSH...

I could hear it.

I could hear his voice from here. Usually, I would smile, listening to it with that annoying little flutter In my heart. Somehow tonight, all I could do was listen, no smile, no flutter. Why did it sound so sad?, I thought.

            “I don’t know where I went wrong, but if this is what you want… okay,” he said.

            “I know. You would do everything I tell you to, right? I know, Zach. I know. That’s why. I don’t know how you could be so obeying. That’s why I don’t like you. It makes me sick to think that you could have done things other girls tell you to do too. Who knows?,” she said.

That was Lindsay. She’s Zach’s girlfriend. Screw that. He WAS his girlfriend. They just broke up. They BROKE UP in front of my eyes! Well, screw that too. In front of my eyes which was covered by the leaves of this cold bush.

            “How could you say that? You know I don’t do that! I only do it when YOU say it. Or when my mum and sister say it. I won’t force you to stay, but please… rethink this over… just take your time… okay?,” he said with extreme care.

            “Yeah, whatever. I have to go. See you later…,” and she twitched out of the park.

            “Sheesh, how could she be so cold towards a boyfriend like you?,” I said as I made my way out of the bush, brushing myself off.

His face clearly showed he was shocked. I mean like shock, shock. Maybe it was because I materialized from the bush… or was it my enormous sweater?

            “What the…? Where’d you…? How’d…?,” he mumbled in shock.

Stupid Zach. It’s not like he met me yesterday to be this shock. We’ve been growing up together since we were toddlers. And he’s still that same ol’ stupid Zach.

            “I know what you’re thinking… I’m not stupid, Angela. I’m just…,” he tried.

            “You are. You’re still that stupid boy who gets bullied while picking his nose during kindergarten. But only in love matters, though. In other things, you’re just a bit stupider than me,” I winked and sat down on a bench nearby.

XXX

10 MINUTES BEFORE

My heart felt the uneasiness.

I didn’t know why but I just had to get out and take a walk in the park for some fresh air and a mocha ice cream.

I walked to the park with the wind blowing happily around me, already cheering me up. I hopped to the beat of my iPod’s music. It was the song of the rain. My dad made it for me when I was little… right before… right before he died…

He had a liver cancer, which was hard to cure, almost impossible. When he was still healthy, I would dance in the rain with him because both of us love the rain. So every time he was too weak to play with me, I would cry. And he would sing this song he made up.

‘Rain… Rain… don’t go away…

Or I would miss you soon today…

Rain… Rain… don’t go away…

So I can play with you today…’

Even now, when the rain pours, I would play this song loudly and dance in the rain, pretending he was there. My sweet, nice, loving, always smiling hero. My dad.

A tear almost escaped its prison when the song played by my iPod ended. I shrugged it off and walked to the clearing where people always have their picnics. I sat on the bench where I always sit with Zach when we came together. I was almost about to lay down when I saw him coming my way.

All of a sudden, I felt that I shouldn’t meet him, so I ducked under the nearest bush and waited.

5 minutes. Then a click-clacking sound came, nearing Zach’s standing spot. I smelt her perfume. 

Channel no.5. Lindsay!

Oh, so they were meeting up, eh?, I thought. But why was the atmosphere so unfriendly and distant? 

So, I tried peeking from the small spaces between the leaves and listened hard.

            “I want us to break up. Now,” said Lindsay.

I stifled a gasp. How did this happen? Oh my God, did Zach suspect it?

            “What…?! Why? I…,” clearly, Zach was as surprised as I was.

            “I can’t take it anymore. I hate this,” Lindsay said, sighing hard.

            “I… don’t understand, how did this suddenly come to mind? I mean…,” he tried.

He really did try. I could almost see his trembling hands that he hides in his hair, pretending to scratch it, not even itchy to scratch, just confused.

Just hang in there! Hold on a bit and say the right things. I’ll be supporting from this stupid bush, I thought. More like prayed.

XXX

PRESENT

He just looked at me. Looked at me with those brown eyes. He does that, stares at me when he’s thinking ‘what the hell is she made of?’… stupid Zach.

He started to say something but I put my hand up and said,

            “Yes, I spied on you. But it was just to make sure you didn’t cry when she rejected you. And no… I don’t read minds,”

He sat beside me, sighing in defeat. He turned to look at me again and smiled.

            “You just know when to cheer me up, huh? How did you know that calling me stupid would make me feel sooo much better?,” he teased, sarcasm filled his words.

I smiled. 

I stood up and he followed me. I sat back down again and he did the same. I stood up and he did so too, laughing. I ran to the next bench, sat on it and he followed my every move. I did it to another three benches. I got up again and ran through a flock of pigeons being fed.

They flew away, and I stopped. I turned around saw Zach lying on the grass not far from the last bench we ran to.

My heart stopped beating. I saw crystals rolling down from my stupid Zach’s eyes. I couldn’t help but feel the pain.

I hate watching him being sad. I just hate it. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. Thinking back, even seeing him happy breaks my heart. Because he was happy with Lindsay, not me.

With Lindsay, not Angela.

Zach and Lindsay had been together since we were 15 years-old. We’re 23 years-old now. 8 years and she left him. Their love story was extra sweet, I couldn’t deny. But these few months, Lindsay’s been coming to me, asking how to handle a guy like him.   

A NICE GUY like him.

XXX

I’ve been noticing that. He was extra nice to her and she couldn’t take it. So she started to act snobby and selfish so Zach would leave her. She made me sick to ever treat someone as nice as Zach in such a way.

She was from a rich family with loving parents who pay attention to him, unlike the dramas on tv. Whatever she asks for, she’d get it.

            “I just don’t want things to go the same way like at home. Yeah, I always get what I want, I know. But nobody knows how it turned that way… they started to pay attention to me when I ran away from home when I was being ignored that time. I was 10 years-old. They found me and promised me they would never ignore me again, so that I wouldn’t run away again. So I developed some kind of trauma. If they ignore me, I get anxious, scared,” she said, her voice trembled, her hands shaking.

            “And you’re traumatized again… when Zach’s treated you too nice these days because… you think he does that so you wouldn’t leave him… like you did to your parents,” I looked at her, and something inside of me just popped in realization.

XXX

PRESENT

I… I was speechless back then. I thought she was just another rich and snobby girl showing her tantrums like she was supposed to be the queen of the world who didn’t get the things she wanted.

But I was wrong… I was wrong!

She… she was just as insecure as me and Zach. Both of us have traumas that developed from past memories. But I couldn’t tell Zach that… he would be crushed, feeling more and more sorry towards her, treating her better then… maybe even ask her to…

I frowned at the thought. So I shut out my anxious mental babbling and walked to where he was laying. For some reason, the aching of sadness in my heart turned into fluttering. It even made a few stupid somersaults.

I sat beside him.

            “Ahhh… is the grass too soft for you until you wanted to lay on it? or is the sky too blue it made you weep? Stupid Zach…,” I said, ruining his hair.

He smiled. He covered his eyes with his arms, to cover the tears, I guess. But he smiled, and that was good enough for me.

            “I know, right? Maybe it’s your perfume that made my eyes water. Ha-ha… haaa… so how long have you known? That Lindsay wanted to break up?,”

I didn’t know which one was it, his statement ‘bout my perfume or his question that slapped me.

            “3 months ago. You were too stupid to realize…,” I said casually.

He sat up quickly, which startled me. He wiped away the tears and gaped at me.

            “3 MONTHS AGO? I really must be stupid. Why didn’t you tell me? It was really embarrassing for me when I got to know you heard it all from that bush but already knowing ‘bout it,” he said, or asked, or stating…?

            “I didn’t want to hurt your pride. What guy wouldn’t feel dejected if his best friend was the one telling him that his girlfriend wants to break up with him because he’s too nice? Use your head, will you?,” I spat his head, which made him lie down again.

            “I’m not crying because I’m sad, you know? I’m crying because the sky is so bright and beautiful it made me tear up… wait, what? Because I’m too nice?,” he said.

He tried to get up but I quickly made a gesture indicating I was about to lie down, too. There was a sudden nervousness that dawned on me.

            “Yeah, you’re too nice. She doesn’t like it because she thought you were only nice to her because you didn’t want her to leave. She has a trauma of being ignored so bad. That’s why she has too much attention at home. With you giving more, I don’t think it’s helping,”

I didn’t know what it was, the feeling when I said all that, but I lay down beside him, blinking at the sky. It turned out, it really was bright and beautiful. You just have to look at it hard and you can see the beauty.

Just in time, speaking my very mind, Zach said,

            “You know, some things in this world, you need to look at hard to really see the beauty of it. Like the sky, for an instance. It may seem just vast and blue, but when you look at it, why do you feel so at peace? It’s the beauty, I tell you,”

I was shocked that what he said was the exact thought I had a few seconds ago.

            “Oh, yeah? Hmm, I was just thinking ‘bout it. But you said it first. Brrr, you’re creepy. Are you Edward all of a sudden? Reading Bella’s mind? So, what else?,”

            “Well, it’s not just a thing, but can also be a someone. Like… you? And, well, if you insist, I will be Edward,” he said as if it was okay to say so.

How could he think of that? I almost blew a fuse when he said ‘like… you?’. Oh, man… but like my usual personality, I added in the ego and said,

            “Ohoo? And all of a sudden, I’m Bella? Well if you insist. Me? I’m like that explanation ‘bout the sky being all beautiful when you just focus on it a bit longer? Me? World’s most un-feminine yet pretty girl? Muahaha you can be hilarious sometimes…,”

In a heartbeat, he got into a sitting position, his head hovered above me, he looked into my eyes. 

The stare in his eyes made its way right into my very soul. I felt like my heart sank to the earth, and my breath taken away by the wind. But I didn’t waver.

            “Do you know that the name ‘Angela’ stands for : Angel class A? You may be hideous on the outside, but inside, I just got to realize that it was really pretty,” he said.

I got up, pushing him away. I thought my heart was about to explode.

            “What are you? It sounded really pervy and crazy. Stupid,” I stuck my tongue out.

Surprisingly, he suddenly hugged me. HUGGED ME. I think my heart really did explode.

            “Just this once, you can’t outsmart me. I can feel your heartbeat. Have you always been this nervous around me? If only I knew earlier…,” he said, tightening his hug.

            “I’m not outsmarting you. I’m running away. I’m scared, Zach, I’m scared. I’m scared to ever feel like I belong somewhere or to someone just to leave me. It hurts. Just being your friend is enough,” I said, sniffling, hoping that these crying symptoms would go away.

            “Don’t, say, that… I know you don’t like just being my friend. I can feel it,” he said.

A tear betrayed me.

            “When? All of a sudden?,” I asked, my voice all shaken. I hate it when I have to cry.

            “No. No… since 3 years-ago, when Lindsay was sulking for so long. My patience was running dry, but you gave me hope, Angela, you gave me hope with just 1 sentence.

‘…A man should know how to wait…’

It felt like you just slapped me with those words. I felt the sincerity in your voice… that’s when I started to notice the real you. I mean, the real, girl in you…,” he said.

I couldn’t help it. I giggled.

            “Ha-ha. You stupid human being… why did it take so long? Just 3 years ago? I noticed the ‘not stupid’ you since we went to prom together, forced to go even we had no dates. 15 years-old,” I said, still smiling.

            “15 years-old? You mean that night when I met Lindsay? Oh my gosh, you must’ve been so hurt by me…… now I know why you call me stupid,” he laughed, letting me go.

But I wasn’t done crying. So the second he let me go, I shot up and ran away.

1….. 2….. 3….. 4….. 5…..

I heard footsteps following me, fast. So I ran faster, letting myself weep through the wind. I didn’t want him to catch me… I’d be more and more sad…

It’ll make me realize that… all this time… I really was holding on to him because I had nowhere to go, no one to come to…

So lonely…

I ran to the nearest playground in the neighbourhood and hid myself in the full covered slides... 

but I tripped…

I tripped and landed butt first into a drain… 

“Owww… huuuu… Where is he? He’s not coming….is he? Huuuuuu….,” I sat down and started crying all over again…

I thought it was just my tears… but I knew that wasn’t it. It’s… it’s raining…! Oh, oh n-no. 

No! It can’t rain with me in a drain… No!!!

            “Zach…!!!! Zach help me!!! Zach…. N-no…!!!,”

XXX

10 YEARS AGO

Where is he?

I told him not to turn his phone off. He is so getting a beating. Ouch! What did I…? Zach’s phone? Why is it lying on the ground?

            

            “Zach? ZACH??? Where are you? Don’t joke around, you stupid jerk!!! It’s almost 7pm now, we should go home. Zach? ZACH!!!,”

My heart was beating so loud, I thought I couldn’t hear the loud thunders. Urrrghhhh… where is he? Its about to rain and he’s still not here.

There was a movement by that tree.

            “Ahhh… there you are…! Don’t go climbing the tree again if you don’t know how to get down, okay? I’ll be going now. Bye…!,” he waved to a kitten.

Ahhhh… I mentally sighed. I was waving my hands, signalling him I was there, just across the playground when I slipped. My feet slipped, and I went plunging into the drain.

A gigantic drain.

It’s height was the same as mine. It width has just enough room for me to move about. I tried to get out by climbing but I couldn’t.

…plop, plop, plop, plop, plop…

It’s raining… its raining!

For the first time in my life, I was hating the rain for pouring down so heavily now. Because its filling up the drains very quickly. I was soaked and no other options.

            “ZACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ZACH, HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!,” I shouted through my lungs.

Raindrops. All I could hear was raindrops.

Then it was footsteps. Running. Stopped.

            “ANGELA!!! Give me your hand!!! Hurry, the currents picking up fast…!!!,” Zach said.

I stretched out my hand… but he couldn’t reach it. I knew he was as afraid as I was. I grabbed a broken branch nearby and made me hold onto it. He pulled. But the currents kept tugging on me. 

He was really worried now.

            “HOLD ON!!!,” he shouted.

I tried to but as the current kept pulling me, my hands slipped from the upper-bank of the drain and I was drifted away. My other hand lost contact with Zach’s hand.

I was so scared…

He chased after me and jumped in, much to my surprise. Unfortunately, I hit my head on the wall of the drains while being pulled away by the current.

Everything went black…

XXX

“…Angela….!!! Angela, get up!!!,” someone was struggling to hold my head on his lap…which kept slipping.

A crowd has gathered, towering above me with worried faces… but the only person that I could feel the worrying feeling vibrating from was Zach.

“Uhhh….Zach…? Zach! Are you alright? Are…a-are you hurt?,” I checked his face and his all the down.. he hurt his hands… it was bleeding…!!!

“Zach! Oh my gosh, we need to get you to the hospital. You’re hurt! You’re hand’s hurt!,” I tried to get up but slipped.

“You idiot…! I’m not hurt, you are… I was holding onto your head because it was bleeding… let’s go, we need to get you to the hospital! EVERYBODY MOVE!!!,” he roared.

He picked me up and carried me away with those unrecognizably strong hands… he ran to his car and got me in, in a flash, he drove off to the hospital.

My head was pounding so hard I blacked out again…

XXX

THE NEXT DAY

I felt cool air floating around me…

My head was abnormally light and I felt as if I was floating in mid air. Without realizing it, a really famous question escaped my mouth,

            ‘Am I dead?’

I heard a movement. Somewhere around me, something was moving. I knew my eyes were still shut, but somehow, all I could see was… white.

            “…..Angela? Angela, are you awake?,” it was Zach. His voice was… sleepy?

My eyes started to open slowly. The warm lights around me came rushing to greet my eyes… and the first thing I saw was Zach’s hair.

Surprisingly, my hands automatically reached for it… and slightly pulled it.

            “Owww! Angela! Angela, you’re awake… you’re awake!!!,” clearly he was excited.

But from the look of it, he looked like he hasn’t showered… for days!!! His hair was ruffled, his t-shirt was crumpled, he even put on his glasses. I’m guessing he was too lazy to put on his contacts. Wait a minute...

            “Hey… how long was I out?,” I croaked. Ugh, my voice was… horrible.

            “A few couple days. 4 days, if I’m not mistaken… your head was really damaged. The doctor said you were really lucky to have survived without major injuries,” he said.

            “Wait a minute, major injuries? So that means I have minor injuries?,” I

I was starting to panic so I tried to sit, but my head pounded hard.

            “Owww!!! My head!,” my hand flung to my bandaged head.

            “Wo wo wo! Don’t move too much. You’re still not okay to sit on your own… sorry… I was just making a joke to make you panic… but I guess it wasn’t funny… sorry,”

Zach helped me lay down again. Funny, huh?

            “Zach? Zach?!! Zach, I can’t see! Why can’t I see all of a sudden? ZACH!!!,” I shouted.

            “What? You can’t.. what??? Oh God, wait I’ll call the doctor. Hang on!!!,” he said.

He started to jog to the door… and I laughed. I laughed really hard, too.

            “Oh, what…??? Angie you can’t do that. Its not funny. I was really scared, you know? Ugh,” he sat down again and buried his face in his hands.

            “Are you crying? Zach, are you crying? Come on, stop fooling around,”

            “I’m not. I really was scared. I kept remembering the day you fell into that drain. When I got you out, your head was bleeding and you were unconscious…. How could I NOT be scared?,” he said.

It was cute, really. Him being all worried about me and pretty much was scared half to death. I can’t imagine him being in my position an me in his.

It would have been awful.

I could have gotten snot all over me AND him for the whole 4 days.

He was really sweet.

So while he was burying his head into the depths of his hands, I stretched my hand to his head, and ruffled his hair. He looked up at me. I saw tears at the edge of his eyes.

            “Zach, it was really sweet of you to have stayed here with me for 4 days. Thank you. And for the hero part where you saved my butt and everything, I can’t thank you enough…,” somehow I managed to bring tears to my OWN eyes. How sad…

            “Nah… it was the least I could do, compared to your ‘undying love’ for me after all these years… with heartaches and whatnot…… I’m really sorry Angela… for being so blind…,”

            “Nah… it was the best you could do, being stupid and all… ha ha,” I teased him.

            “By the way, how did you know I stayed here all along?,” he asked.

            “Zach, you look like crap. Anyone could tell. Unless if I had your stupidity, maybe I couldn’t have guessed,” I smiled at him.

He smiled back at me.

Aaaannndddd… here comes another really famous line…

Time sorta stopped.

You know, like in the movies where the hero stares into the heroin’s eyes… and they were thinking of kissing each other…

Nope. That’s NOT gonna happen. Zach doesn’t have the guts to do so… and so do I.

            “Angela… will you marry me?,”

            “You said, what..?!!!,” I almost shouted.

Who wouldn’t? After years and years of keeping this stupid lovey-dovey feeling for someone, and that someone finally asks you to marry him, no one could ever say, “of course” in a heartbeat.

            “I’m not playing jokes on you, this time, Angela. I’m serious,” he said, eyes shining.

            “I know you’re not. I was just… shocked. What? You… what? Um… sure!,” i said.

Zach looked at me. 

Surprised, but he smiled. I smiled back at him, totally smiling my face off. I couldn’t believe it.

He was about to be own official Mr Nice (and stupid).

And me, Mrs Nice. 

Pffttt.

What a stupid name.

:D HAHA :D

thank you for reading !!! 

tune in to the next story :D