The last traces of sunlight slowly fading into the horizon.
At this time of day, people often head to the park to enjoy the fresh air... and Joshua and Jonathan were no exception.
They had made plans to meet right after school, just like they did every other week. But this time, they were all set for a bike ride. Joshua walked toward Jonathan's house, He had knocked on this door countless times before; it felt like a second home to him. Standing at the entrance, he raised his hand and knocked on the door three times.
Knock...knock...knock...
"Who's there?"
a voice came from the inside, one he recognized well.
A smile crept on Joshua's face as he recognized the voice. It was Rose, Jonathan's mom. He had spent so much time in this house growing up that he recognized everyone by they voice.
"It's Joshua," he called out.
He heard footsteps approaching, and the door creaked open to reveal Rose, a lovely middle-aged woman with a smile on her face.
Her face lit up as soon as she saw him. "Joshua, how are you?" she asked.
"Come in, Jonathan just finishing his lunch. He will be out in a minute."
Joshua stepped inside, feeling a wave of familiarity wash over him. Rose called out to Jonathan as she guided him to the living room.
"Jonathan! Joshua's here!"
Joshua settled onto the couch, trying to ignore the rumbling in his stomach. It had been a long day at school, but the excitement for the ride overshadowed his hunger. Moments later, Jonathan appeared, looking just as eager as Joshua.
"How many plates of food did you eat that took you so long to finish? Don't tell me you're now competing with fatty!" Joshua teased.
Hahaha...
Jonathan laughed.
The two exchanged a playful moments before heading outside.
The familiar sound of their bikes clicking into gear as they took off, the wind whipping through their hair and their laughter ringing out through the streets.
They rode their bikes around town, grinning from ear to ear as they navigated different streets, each trying to outpace the other. "Ready for a little competition?" Jonathan asked with a wink.
"You're going down today, my friend," Joshua declared confidently, giving his chest a playful thump.
Jonathan was usually the faster one, but Joshua was never one to back down easily. They zipped down the streets, weaving around pedestrians and racing past shops.
"Let's see who gets there first!" Joshua shouted, pushing harder on the pedals to close the gap between them.
Jonathan chuckled, glancing back over his shoulder. "You really never get tired of losing, do you?"
Joshua smiled. "This time, it's going to be different," he said.
Jonathan smirked. "Alright then, let's see what you have got."
With that, they both pushed forward as they raced toward the park, the familiar streets blurring past them.
Thirty minutes later, they finally reached the park. Joshua flopped onto one of the benches, breathless and gasping for air. The park was buzzing with people
, families enjoying the evening, kids playing, and couples strolling along the paths. It was the kind of serene scene that made the exhaustion from the ride feel totally worth it.
"I'm dead," Joshua said as he slumped against the bench.
Jonathan, though still catching his breath, wasn't far behind in fatigue. He fall next to his friend. "You almost beat me today," he said with a grin, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Good job!"
Joshua shook his head, a playful frown on his face. "What's the point? I still lost."
Jonathan laughed.
"Don't celebrate too soon. I'm not letting you win next time."
The two friends burst into laughter, letting the stress from their race go away as they sat in the cool evening breeze.
After a brief moment of silence, Joshua got up and stretched his arms. "I will run to the store and grab some snacks, he said and stood up from the bench.
Jonathan waved him off. "Nah, I have got it this time. You bought last time, remember?"
Joshua raised an eyebrow but couldn't help but smile. "Alright, it's your treat then," he replied, settling back onto the bench.
Jonathan made his way to the nearby store across the park. It was just a quick walk to the local convenience store, where they always picked up their favorite snacks and sodas after their ride. Jonathan stepped inside the store.
After grabbing their usual sodas from the fridge, he was about to head to the checkout when he bumped into someone.
Thud!!!...
The sound of bags crashing to the floor echoed in the small space. Jonathan looked up to see who he had collided with.
His gaze met another pair of stunning eyes. A young girl with fair skin and long, dark crimson hair. Honestly, she was beautiful.
They locked eyes for what felt like an eternity, and Jonathan swallowed hard, trying to regain his composure. Normally, Jonathan wasn't a fan of girls to begin with, he wasn't the type that is interested in appreciating beauties no praise girls.... but today he couldn't deny the fact that the girl in front of him was gorgeous.
Jonathan quickly snapped out of it....
"Oh...i'm sorry he said and quickly bent down to help her pick up the bags that had spilled onto the floor.
To his surprise, as he gathered her bags, he realized that their contents were identical, two sodas of the same brand and two red packets of snacks, just like the ones in his hands. It was as if they had both come to the store with the same idea in mind, to buy the same things. Jonathan handed the back back to her and apologized.
"It's okay," she replied with a smile.
Jonathan nodded, his words caught in his throat. He quickly turned away and walked off the place.
But just as she was about to head to the checkout counter, something on the floor caught the her eye. She bent down to pick it up, a well designed necklace with a letter "J" dangling from it. She gave the necklace closer look.
Her eyes widened for a moment, and she whispered to herself, "It must be his…"
She shot a quick glance in Jonathan's direction, but he was already out of sight, making his way toward the exit. She dashed after him, but by the time she stepped outside, he had vanished.
She took another look at the necklace before putting it into her pocket. "Maybe next time I see him, I will return it" she thought as she made her way back to the store.
Meanwhile, at the park, Jonathan arrived, still feeling the strange sensation from that encounter in the store. Joshua, completely unaware of his friend's inner conflict, eagerly grabbed the snacks and soda. The two friends settled down together, enjoying the evening as they always did, but Jonathan couldn't shake the image of the girl from his mind.
As the night goes on, Jonathan couldn't sleep. His mind was consumed with thoughts of the girl, her eyes, her smile. He couldn't just get her image out of his mind.
damn...it!!
"Am I really going crazy just like that"..he shouted at himself lightly...as he sits up on the bed....
the night grew darker, and finally the cold hands of sleep overpowered him.