So Many Thousands of Feet Off the Ground

The rain seemed to fall by the gallon. It was quite likely that the water touched every inch of the city, cascading down every windowpane and every car door. The white sheets of clear liquid turned the Phoenix Metropolitan Area into a blur of umbrellas, hoods and clouds.

Savanya had managed to yank a sweatshirt out of her duffel, sliding it over her head with ease. It felt to be two sizes too big, but two sizes too small, enveloping and suffocating her in a mess of cotton and polyester. Her hair had managed to find its way up and into a messy bun, the matted strands hidden beneath her hood. The sleeves were easily stretched over her palms creating a pair of pseudo-mittens.

She managed to find a diner a few blocks east of the phone booth. The bell above the door dinged as she slipped into the air-conditioned hole-in-the-wall. A smile formed as she admired the simplicity of it all. The diner was small, dingy and painted in colors that reminded her more of 1975 than anything else. The walls were tinted in a mauve color, the linoleum colored harvest gold. Metal tables with faux marble tops and brown benches lined the walls.

It took her a moment of observation before she gained the motivation to walk to a table. A good cup of coffee was really all she was in the market for. Perhaps a slice or two of toast as well.

The menu felt like lead in her hands as she spread it open in front of her. The laminate finish was old and yellow-tinted, something that would have once forced her out the door in a matter of seconds. With her index finger gliding across the plastic she observed the options. Home-fries, pancakes, waffles, a bagel, toast, etc. The thought of food and her lips twisted into a grimace. She was so disgusted with herself that she couldn’t stomach anything.

A waitress finally strode over to her table, observing the girl carefully, almost as if she recognized her. Savanya smiled politely, handing her menu over to the older woman, asking for just a cup of coffee and some skim milk. The idea of being recognized haunted her. No one could know her, for it had been forever since she’d been in Phoenix. And besides that, she had only made a name for herself in Flagstaff in the small amount of time she’d spent there. She doubted that she would even be recognized there.

She didn’t know when, as she was so deep in her thoughts and fears, but the coffee had been placed in front of her, the murky brown liquid eying her mysteriously. She sighed, squinting into the beverage and then up at the bulletin board across from her.

The light brown cork-board was littered with fliers—white papers with block font of various shapes and sizes. Many of the papers had the bottoms cut into tabs to take as you passed. Most read ‘Lost Dog,’ or ‘Now Hiring at…,’ but one caught her eye. An electric blue flier was pinned in the center of the board. It was a recent addition to the mess, as the edges hadn’t even begun to fade from the sun.

Savanya placed her hands on the table, lifting herself carefully from the seat she’d taken. It took a few small steps to reach the board and a few small maneuvers to stand on her tip-toes and retrieve the blue paper. She swallowed hard, bringing it closer to her face to decipher the smaller bits of typeface. With the sheet firmly in her grasp, she returned to her seat, sitting on the edge of the bench and slowly sliding her feet under the table. She let her fingers trace across the black ink slowly.

Seeking Roommate was printed in large print across the top. She smiled slightly, folding the paper into quarters and shoving it in her pocket. Turning to look out the window she lifted the small coffee mug to her lips, downing the beverage in mere seconds.

Snapping back into reality she stood, placing the cup back on its saucer, and threw a five dollar bill on the table. She reached behind her back to pull her hood onto her head, but she’d never taken it off in the first place. Laughing to herself, she lifted her bags from the floor and walked out of the diner, ready to set off on her journey.

It had taken thirty minutes and three failed attempts at yielding a taxi for Savanya to reach her destination. She stood in front of a brick apartment building, admiring the flowers and shrubs lining the way to the door. The structure was far from shabby, radiating a nearly elegant vibe. Unsure that she was in the right place, she took her steps slowly and carefully, taking her time to enter the building.

Meandering through the poorly mapped out hallways, it took her several minutes and plenty of wrong turns to find the apartment she was looking for. When she finally reached the olive door holding the number 327 she stood for a moment, gathering the courage and nerve to knock. As she lifted her fist in preparation to knock, the door swung open, causing her to gasp loudly and jump backwards. She quickly lifted her jaw and dropped her fist to her side.

“Kenny, you’ve got company,” the boy yelled across the apartment, turning slightly to locate the boy known as Kenny. “Very, very wet company,” he added, turning back to her, making a face that looked almost like disgust. “Aren’t you cold or something?” She shook her head, dropping her bags and pulling her hood away from her head. “Do you speak?”

She nodded, stopping halfway through the action, “yes,” falling from her mouth. “I-I do speak…on occasion.” Her eyes were wide with something that wasn’t quite fear and wasn’t quite comfort.

“Well,” he bit his lip, scrunching his face up, “then who the fuck are you?” Savanya opened her mouth to reply as the boy apparently named Kenny appeared at the door. She smiled slightly, reaching into her pocket to retrieve the rain-soaked flier. The boy who answered the door seemed confused, turning to look at his friend, raising an eyebrow as he did so. “I don’t get it,” the boy replied.

“Of course you don’t, Garrett,” he huffed, rolling his eyes as if her were bored. “She’s here about the spare room, right?” She nodded, looking between the pair of blue eyes and the pair of green eyes focused on her. The boy, who she’d learned was named Garrett, made an ‘o’ with his mouth, nodding and stepping away from Kenny.

“Alright,” he started, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets, closing his top lip over the bottom lip to give him an almost comical appearance. “I’ll just leave you to that. See ya.” He stalked off, his walk fast paced with a slight hint of a bounce, nothing like what she’d known from New York.

Kenny raised his eyebrows, offering Savanya a smile. “So, you’re looking for an apartment?”

“And you’re looking for a roommate,” she nodded. “Any chance that I qualify? I can pay whatever the rent is upfront. I have the cash on me now, I just kind of need a place to stay ASAP.” She bit her lip, looking down at the water dripping from her clothes and pooling around her.

“Well, I’ve hardly spoken to you. I don’t exactly know you.” She widened her eyes, opening her mouth to speak again.

“I swear to you that I’m harmless,” he laughed, “I’m quiet and I take up hardly any space. I can assure you that I will spend ninety-five percent of my time locked in my bedroom reading. Please?” He didn’t know her, but there was something inviting about her. For all Kennedy knew she could secretly be a murderer, but she seemed too innocent. Though he should’ve probably thought better of it, he nodded, helping the stranger carry her drenched duffels into the apartment, showing her to her room.