chapter ten – bea

LeniPreuß

by LeniPreuß

Story

I roll in front of Emery’s house and shoot her a text that I am there. Last time Emery told me that she hates nights. For her, it’s the time when she’s even more alone than she already is during the day because everybody is sleeping. It’s the time when she can overthink things. It’s the time when the fears and doubts come alive in her head. Nights are what she struggles with the most.
For me though, nights are the time I love more than anything. It’s when I am most at peace. I love opening my window at night, listening to the world, that, for a few hours isn’t buzzing with busyness. So today, I am trying to show Emery the loveliness of the dark and night. That’s why I am standing in front of her door at 1.00 am, waiting for her to come outside.
The big wooden door opens and Emery steps outside in a light pink hoodie and her black sports leggings. It’s something I see her in regularly because it’s the outfit she always wears after training.
“Hey,” she greets me as she slips into the car. Normally her blonde hair is up in a ponytail. Right now though, it’s falling around her shoulders in loose strands.
“Hi,” I say back while driving off the curb. Luckily we caught a clear night, so we can see the night sky full of stars if we stick our heads out of the windows. I roll the windows down at that thought. In the meantime, Emery connects her phone to my car’s Bluetooth speaker. The first song from our playlist starts playing on a low volume. I turn the volume up and start singing. I am very aware that I am a pretty terrible singer, but that won’t keep me from singing whenever I hear a song somewhere.
Emery, who hasn’t said anything else so far besides the “hi” she greeted me with, starts to laugh. Her dimples appear and make her look even more charming. Then she also joins in and sings the lyrics to the song.
We drive through the lone streets only dimly lit by some street lanterns, without a destination in mind.
I can feel the smile appearing on my face and just take the moment in. This feeling that I can’t even put into words, it’s something I want to cherish.
I look over to my left where Emery is sitting on the passenger seat. She seems to enjoy this late-night drive just as much as I do, maybe even more.
“How do you feel?” I shout over the music.
“I feel alive!” Emery shouts back her hair twirling around her face from the wind coming in through the windows.
I think Emery might’ve just put my feelings into perfect words. I feel alive, and it’s something I want to remember forever.

© LeniPreuß 2023-08-08

Genres
Novels & Stories