The Consequence

Six months later.

It’s a true fact that Brian Dales never cleaned his apartment. His possessions were often coated in a thin sheen of dust, crumbs were trodden into the carpet and the kitchen counters were sticky. It wasn’t because he was disgustingly filthy. He was just lazy. His time was becoming more and more preoccupied. He had other things to do, tours to arrange, band practice, writing sessions and various other important outings.

So it was natural that it took him months to find the object Sophie had left him.

Unlocking the door to his apartment, Brian stepped inside, sniffing the fresh scent of lemon air freshener his mother sprayed whenever she visited. More often than not, she visited when he wasn’t in and cleaned up after him. Everything was dust free and the carpet was soft under his feet. Last night’s dirty dishes had been washed, dried and put away. Everything was in it’s place.

Except for one thing.

An immaculate cream envelope was waiting patiently on the coffee table, a neon post-it note was attached to the front of it. Brian kicked off his shoes and slumped down onto the sofa, picking up the envelope.

‘I think you were supposed to find this a long time ago.’

He ripped the post it note from the envelope, ignoring his mother’s instructions about cleaning the microwave. Instead, he tore into the envelope, two things falling into his lap. He scooped up a printed plane ticket and checked the destination.

Manchester. England.

He unfolded the note attached and let his eyes scan the page a few times, letting Sophie’s words sink into his brain.

I know you probably won’t find this for a while, because yes, you’re a filthy sod. But, in case you do find it as soon as I’ve gone, congratulations on cleaning your apartment and I left you some duster wipes in the cupboard where you keep the unopened bleach and soap and stuff. Anyway, so in case you haven’t found this that quickly, the ticket doesn’t expire for another year. So, we could say this is your year long challenge. I’m not going to mention this to you in any way. It’s up to you if you want to come, I get it if you can’t.

Love, Sophie.

It took Brian all of five seconds to decide what he was going to do.

On the opposite side of the Atlantic Ocean, Sophie Lonsdale was falling asleep at her desk. Her head was resting on her arms and the longer she stayed there, the heavier her eyelids became. She wanted nothing more than the clock on the wall to tick all the way up to five o clock so she could go home and crawl into bed. No doubt she’d be woken up at some ungodly hour when Brian finally called her. He’d emailed her that morning, promising that she’d hear his voice soon enough. Probably at four AM.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she looked at the computer screen. No new emails, nothing to do. The only thing she could do was stare at the photograph desktop background. Her and Brian six months ago. They were both a little drunk, plastic cups filled with sickly concoctions were clasped in their hands. She had pink cheeks and a silly grin, he was looking at her and smiling, his arm around her waist.

Sophie would give absolutely anything to be back in Arizona. The only thing she’d welcomed upon her return to Manchester was the bleak weather. Unlike most of the British population, Sophie loved the rain. Stepping off the plane and seeing that it was pouring was a comforting sight. It hadn’t rained all the time she’d been away.

She glanced out of the window to see storm clouds gathering overhead. The sky was all shades of grey, the sun hidden far behind fluffy clouds. The weather reflected her mood perfectly. Plus the rain meant that nobody would notice she was crying on her way home.

The clock screamed 4.45. That was good enough for her. She switched her computer off and gathered all her important papers together, stuffing them into folders to protect them from the downpour about to happen. Shrugging on her coat, she managed to creep out of the office without anyone noticing. The majority were still nursing hangovers from the weekend, and wanted nothing more than to go home and eat big, greasy fry ups.

The heaven’s opened as soon as Sophie left the building. She splashed through puddles, soaking her summery canvas shoes. Her jeans clung to her legs, slowly becoming a heavy second skin. She clutched her folders to her chest and soldiered on through the rain, allowing tears to run down her cheeks. She could only imagine what her once perfectly curled hair looked like now.

It wasn’t long until her apartment building loomed overhead and Sophie stepped inside. Her exposed skin was shocked by the warm. It stung. She sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She headed for the stairs, slowly climbing the four flights until she was on the right floor. She fumbled with her handbag, desperately trying to locate her keys. Walking home in icy rain hadn’t been her greatest idea, as she shivered, dropping her folders. Papers flew across the carpet. Sophie groaned and dropped to her knees to pick them up, managing to shove her key into the lock and twisting it open.

She rose to her feet and stepped inside her apartment. It was tiny in comparison to Brian’s. Everything felt so cramped and cluttered. It probably didn’t help that someone had left a pair of heavy, colourful shoes by the door, which Sophie almost tripped over. She dumped her folders on the kitchen counter and looked around. Her sketch book was still open on the sofa, coloured pencils astray on the floor.

The sound of the toilet flushing dragged Sophie out of her misery. She froze for a moment, pulling her senses together and quietly reaching into the drawer for a big kitchen knife. She grabbed the handle of one and held it behind her back, eyes on the bathroom door.

It flung open and Sophie let out an ear piercing scream, holding the knife above her head in what she hoped was a threatening manner.

She faltered when she saw who it was. Dropping the knife onto the counter, Sophie ran across the tiny apartment and threw herself into Brian’s arms, clinging onto him for dear life.

“Soph, why are you threatening me with a knife?” He asked. She could hear the smile in his voice.

“I thought you might have been a burglar or something.” She leaned back slightly to look at him. “You found the plane ticket then?”

“Mom did. Took me all of five seconds to decide that I was coming.”

“I’m glad you did. I’ve missed you.”

“I missed you too.” He wiped the tear streaks from her cheeks and kissed her sweetly.