Knocking At Fate's Door

Her laugh was melodic.

When she actually laughed. Not one of her many forced chuckles. But when she actually laughed, and I could hear it from my apartment, I’d laugh along with her. Like I knew what she was talking about, or what was so funny on TV and I would laugh.

But as the days; the weeks; the months went on, she kind of stopped. Laughing, I mean. And I felt crazy for almost needing to hear this girl’s laugh - this girl whose name I don’t even know. Not only did I feel crazy, I felt like a stalker.

But in the back of my mind, I had a feeling that she wouldn’t care.

-.-

Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!

For the past ten minutes, I had been hearing loud, insistent knocking. At first, it didn’t bother me. But as nine minutes passed, my patience was beginning to wear thin. I turned up the volume on the TV, hoping that would cover the sound of the knocking.

Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!

Sadly, it didn’t work.

I angrily got off the couch I was sitting on and threw my front door open, looking for the person who doesn’t know how to leave when someone doesn’t answer their fucking door. My eyes landed on a girl. That girl.

She was sitting on the ground, her back against the door and she was sobbing. She was using one hand to constantly knock on her apartment door and the other to wipe away her ever flowing tears. All the anger I once had, disappeared immediately and I walked over to her and kneeled down beside her.

“Hey,” I said in a soft whisper. “What’s wrong?”

She hiccupped. “I’m locked out,” she answered. “My roommate said she’d be back at seven and I don’t know what time it is because my phone is-is in my apartment - which I’m locked out of!” she blubbered, hiccupping some more.

I chuckled lightly and told her, “You can hang out in my apartment if you want. You can call your roommate on my phone.” She inhaled shakily, but nodded her head. I helped her up and handed her my iPhone.

I shut the door to my apartment as we stepped inside and pointed my finger to the bathroom. “The bathroom is right there,” I said. “If you need to… do whatever.” She nodded, a smile playing on her lips, and she walked to the bathroom. Suddenly, I got a nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach. Not butterflies necessarily, just nervousness. I cleared my throat and took a swig of my beer. Everything is going to be okay, I promised myself. Even though I didn’t know why I was so nervous.

The girl walked out of the bathroom, her face red and puffy from crying, and handed me my phone. “I’ll need to stay here another three hours.” Her voice was hoarse. “I-is that okay?”

I smiled. “Yeah!” I replied to over enthusiastically. “Yeah, sure. That’s okay, yeah.” I chuckled pathetically. “Brendon,” I introduced myself, sticking my hand out.

“Oh, um, Fate.” She shook my hand and smiled.

My mind was swimming,

Fate.