Awakened
3
Love can do crazy things to a person. Aaron was in the process of learning this as his life progressed. He had learned a lot in his lifetime, but the effects love had on him was something he decided he would never fully understand. After all, love is a difficult subject. Not only can it be hard to portray, it can be easily construed and manipulated. He had had his heart manipulated many times, but had never taken caution. He never took heed to the many warnings placed before him. He knew what he was getting into, but continued to fall a victim to love's harsh ways. Why? He always wondered what would make him feel so useless, but at the same time fulfill his wishes and improve his spirit. Love is a very hard game to play.
He walked back to his apartment, silently arguing with himself among the confinements of his own brain. Wondering if this was what two years of agonizing loneliness was leading to, if this was what he was waiting for. He walked to his door and slowly unlocked and opened the door, he was in no hurry to get back to his apartment and face the horrifying fact that he was completely alone.
The next morning Harper woke up in the greatest mood she had ever been in. She had finally uncovered who the masked hero was that sat by her side and sang to her in her time of need. She had finally began to piece together what had happened that night. She was relieved. I wonder if he would think I was clingy if I texted him... She pondered this idea for hours, pacing from one side of her room to the other. She then built up the courage to send a text asking about his afternoon plans. He sent back a obviously well thought out answer.
Depends, what did you have planned? :)
She was giddy. She sent back a quick message that consisted of her address and the time in which she would be ready and she bolted to the shower. After showering, she began to contemplate her outfit for the day. Not wanting to be too dressed up, she settled on a outfit consisting of a pair of high waisted shorts and and button up shirt covered in anchors. She braided the back side of her hair up and wrapped the rest into a very clean bun and applied minimal makeup. She then started to run around her house, cleaning up after Christie mostly. After she was pleased with the tidiness of the space, she heard a knock on the door. Christie was most likely still in bed, so Harper quietly went to the door and welcomed a smiling Aaron, who had come bearing a gift of beautiful flowers. Harper smiled and welcomed him.
"This is our lovely home, sorry if there is any mess. It's hard sharing a place with Christie, as it seems as something is always in the wrong place," She said, adjusting the centerpiece on the table as it was knocked askew the night before. Harper's OCD kicked in. Not now. Not with him here.
She walked to the sink to retrieve a vase for the flowers and filled it halfway with water. She skillfully placed the flowers in such a becoming arrangement that Aaron could not help but smile. Everything Harper touched turned beautiful, he could hardly believe that she was human. A mere mortal with a fine gift.
"I can give you a tour of the apartment, although it isn't large at all," Harper said, snapping Aaron out of his thoughts.
"Sure," Aaron said, following the girl through the house. She led the way, vase in hand, as she showed him the apartment. She showed him where the bathroom was, merely pointed in the direction of Christie's room, then made her way into her room.
Aaron couldn't believe his eyes. Never had he seen a room that completely embodies a personality the way Harper's embodied her. The large room had little furniture, he could tell Harper liked open spaces. She walked to her desk and placed the vase over scattered pieces of paper, her desk being the only messy area of her room. He looked to a corner and saw a small table with multiple pieces of art sitting on them and an easel propped in the corner.
"You seem like quite the artist...Can I take a look?" He said as she adjusted her comforter on her bed, as it seemed slightly off center.
"Go ahead. You won't be that impressed. It's just something I started doing after the accident to keep my mind busy," She said, walking behind him.
He looked at the array of paints and chalks in front of him and saw the canvases in the corner. He began to flip through them and was amazed. So much talent for a girl her age, and to be developed so quickly... He couldn't believe that the girl who stood to his side had so much hidden beauty about her.
"They're magnificent, Harper," He said, looking at the many photographs hung on her wall of her and various friends. He smiled as he saw Harper's baby pictures and assorted Halloween pictures.
"I got into developing my own photos, and my mom had a bunch of cameras that were never taken to be developed. Before I left I wanted to give them to her..."
Harper drifted off. Aaron took note that it was time to change the conversation. He looked further around the room and noticed the giant window with thin curtains billowing in the breeze. A small seat was formed in the windowsill where one could sit and look directly towards the heart of New York City. She smiled.
"When Christie and I picked rooms, Christie picked the room with the larger closet. For me, I would rather buy a dresser than give up a view like this. It didn't seem worth it. But it worked out," She said, smiling off towards the theater where she was reunited with Aaron.
"So what do you plan on doing out here in New York?" Aaron asked, sitting on the windowsill. Harper sat down beside him and twiddled her thumbs.
"I wanted to get away from where I grew up. It's very different from New York, actually a polar opposite. No neighbors for miles around, plenty of field to plow, living on the countryside. It was a really nice experience, but something happened and I wanted to go somewhere that was completely different. I wanted to help people, Aaron. I wanted to come somewhere where I knew there were people in need and help them. I've been studying at Columbia University. My plan is to become a teacher and hopefully help children and guide them towards loving one another. I sound like a hippie when I explain it all, but I grew up not too sure about what love really was, and now that I know I want everyone to know that they are loved. What about you?"
Aaron smiled, but looked away. He felt so selfish for his response to her question, but he looked back into her eyes and saw the intrigue in her eyes. He had to answer.
"I moved to New York City in the hopes of becoming a star. I didn't want to be famous, but what I really wanted more than anything was to perform in front of mass amounts of people and inspire others. It's more than a job to me and it's more than being 'half-way famous'. The thrill of being onstage... It's hard to explain. I know I sound really selfish and I completely understand if this upsets you... I just want to use my voice to connect with an audience."
She smiled, and after a long pause she said something that would change Aaron's outlook on everything.
"You know... we're very similar when you really think about it... We're chasing our dreams, and sharing the beauty and passion with others around us. There is nothing selfish about portraying your passion to others. It's noble."
He walked back to his apartment, silently arguing with himself among the confinements of his own brain. Wondering if this was what two years of agonizing loneliness was leading to, if this was what he was waiting for. He walked to his door and slowly unlocked and opened the door, he was in no hurry to get back to his apartment and face the horrifying fact that he was completely alone.
The next morning Harper woke up in the greatest mood she had ever been in. She had finally uncovered who the masked hero was that sat by her side and sang to her in her time of need. She had finally began to piece together what had happened that night. She was relieved. I wonder if he would think I was clingy if I texted him... She pondered this idea for hours, pacing from one side of her room to the other. She then built up the courage to send a text asking about his afternoon plans. He sent back a obviously well thought out answer.
Depends, what did you have planned? :)
She was giddy. She sent back a quick message that consisted of her address and the time in which she would be ready and she bolted to the shower. After showering, she began to contemplate her outfit for the day. Not wanting to be too dressed up, she settled on a outfit consisting of a pair of high waisted shorts and and button up shirt covered in anchors. She braided the back side of her hair up and wrapped the rest into a very clean bun and applied minimal makeup. She then started to run around her house, cleaning up after Christie mostly. After she was pleased with the tidiness of the space, she heard a knock on the door. Christie was most likely still in bed, so Harper quietly went to the door and welcomed a smiling Aaron, who had come bearing a gift of beautiful flowers. Harper smiled and welcomed him.
"This is our lovely home, sorry if there is any mess. It's hard sharing a place with Christie, as it seems as something is always in the wrong place," She said, adjusting the centerpiece on the table as it was knocked askew the night before. Harper's OCD kicked in. Not now. Not with him here.
She walked to the sink to retrieve a vase for the flowers and filled it halfway with water. She skillfully placed the flowers in such a becoming arrangement that Aaron could not help but smile. Everything Harper touched turned beautiful, he could hardly believe that she was human. A mere mortal with a fine gift.
"I can give you a tour of the apartment, although it isn't large at all," Harper said, snapping Aaron out of his thoughts.
"Sure," Aaron said, following the girl through the house. She led the way, vase in hand, as she showed him the apartment. She showed him where the bathroom was, merely pointed in the direction of Christie's room, then made her way into her room.
Aaron couldn't believe his eyes. Never had he seen a room that completely embodies a personality the way Harper's embodied her. The large room had little furniture, he could tell Harper liked open spaces. She walked to her desk and placed the vase over scattered pieces of paper, her desk being the only messy area of her room. He looked to a corner and saw a small table with multiple pieces of art sitting on them and an easel propped in the corner.
"You seem like quite the artist...Can I take a look?" He said as she adjusted her comforter on her bed, as it seemed slightly off center.
"Go ahead. You won't be that impressed. It's just something I started doing after the accident to keep my mind busy," She said, walking behind him.
He looked at the array of paints and chalks in front of him and saw the canvases in the corner. He began to flip through them and was amazed. So much talent for a girl her age, and to be developed so quickly... He couldn't believe that the girl who stood to his side had so much hidden beauty about her.
"They're magnificent, Harper," He said, looking at the many photographs hung on her wall of her and various friends. He smiled as he saw Harper's baby pictures and assorted Halloween pictures.
"I got into developing my own photos, and my mom had a bunch of cameras that were never taken to be developed. Before I left I wanted to give them to her..."
Harper drifted off. Aaron took note that it was time to change the conversation. He looked further around the room and noticed the giant window with thin curtains billowing in the breeze. A small seat was formed in the windowsill where one could sit and look directly towards the heart of New York City. She smiled.
"When Christie and I picked rooms, Christie picked the room with the larger closet. For me, I would rather buy a dresser than give up a view like this. It didn't seem worth it. But it worked out," She said, smiling off towards the theater where she was reunited with Aaron.
"So what do you plan on doing out here in New York?" Aaron asked, sitting on the windowsill. Harper sat down beside him and twiddled her thumbs.
"I wanted to get away from where I grew up. It's very different from New York, actually a polar opposite. No neighbors for miles around, plenty of field to plow, living on the countryside. It was a really nice experience, but something happened and I wanted to go somewhere that was completely different. I wanted to help people, Aaron. I wanted to come somewhere where I knew there were people in need and help them. I've been studying at Columbia University. My plan is to become a teacher and hopefully help children and guide them towards loving one another. I sound like a hippie when I explain it all, but I grew up not too sure about what love really was, and now that I know I want everyone to know that they are loved. What about you?"
Aaron smiled, but looked away. He felt so selfish for his response to her question, but he looked back into her eyes and saw the intrigue in her eyes. He had to answer.
"I moved to New York City in the hopes of becoming a star. I didn't want to be famous, but what I really wanted more than anything was to perform in front of mass amounts of people and inspire others. It's more than a job to me and it's more than being 'half-way famous'. The thrill of being onstage... It's hard to explain. I know I sound really selfish and I completely understand if this upsets you... I just want to use my voice to connect with an audience."
She smiled, and after a long pause she said something that would change Aaron's outlook on everything.
"You know... we're very similar when you really think about it... We're chasing our dreams, and sharing the beauty and passion with others around us. There is nothing selfish about portraying your passion to others. It's noble."