“On the count of three we will call the elevators down, go in and pick a random floor level. If we pick the same floor number, it’s because we are meant to be, and if not then. . .” His voice went from excitement to a soft sad melody. I placed my hands over my ears, I couldn’t bear to hear what his next words would be.

“Hey” his voice had softened, he pulled me in and I was pressed up against his chest. I inhaled in his heavenly scent as is his hazelnut eyes looked down at me so sweetly, “I know it’s a tough decision, but we both agreed” he sighed. In less than a week I would be off to Penn state and he would be staying. He didn’t believe in long distance relationships working out so if we ended up on different floors it would be a mutual break up. If it was mutual then why could I feel my heart ready to jump out and run.

I nodded shyly, I could feel tears puddling at my eyes and I quickly swiped them away with the sleeves of my rough coat. We were recreating a scene from our favorite movie, Serendipity, when Sara and Jonathan choose an elevator floor to see if they could exchange numbers. Instead we were deciding the fate of our relationship. The elevator up button felt icy cold on my fingertips, maybe it was a sign of bad luck but both elevators on opposite ends opened at the same time. I stepped inside and turned around to get one last look at him, he was wearing the navy-blue cashmere sweater I had gotten him last Christmas, but now I could only remember how soft it had felt in my hands. The doors started closing, I walked over towards the middle to get one last look at him as they closed.

I looked at the elevator floor buttons, thirty-six floors, and I had to pick one. My fingers quickly flew over all of them until they finally landed on a random number. Floor twenty-three lit up a bright yellow orange as the rest stayed a ghostly white. The smell of caramelized almonds filled my nostrils as I took a deep breath in. I guess someone with Nuts for Nuts had been inside before me. I could feel a huge smile creeping on my heart as I remembered how much he loves caramelize almonds. I took it as a good sign. I swore the elevator ride was going too slow and so I began to pace across the small elevator. What if he was already there, what if he picked a different floor. Could he be regretting this as much as I was? I looked up to see what floor we were on, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three…

*DING*

She’s sitting over there, four rows up to the right of me. Beautiful glowing skin, green eyes, and dimples the size of 10-carat diamonds. Ugh, I wish my crippling social anxiety would let me make my fantasy come true. But no. Her name is Maria Fernandez, and I’ve known her since we got lost together at orientation last year and had about a four-minute conversation. It wasn’t much, just how we didn’t know where we were going, and we were nervous about starting high school. It was an accomplishment for me for somebody who has a mini panic attack every time I speak to somebody. I still remember the last thing I said to her, “Good luck in big boy school.” Corny, yes, lame, defiantly, but that was the first thing that came to mind. One year later, that remains the last words I’ve ever said to her. We didn’t share any classes freshman year, and she would go on to be semi-popular while I kept to myself and got by. I was so afraid of eye contact I’d immediately look down if I knew she was around.
But that was last year. Today’s the first day of sophomore year, and there she is, first period, in my class. My therapist said to overcome my fears. I’m going to have to embrace discomfort if I want to evolve. So imma doing it. I’m going to talk to her.
As the class is about to end, the teacher is giving his last few remarks. The nervous energy that’s become all too familiar seeps through my body. Either I’m going to fiddle my thumbs and stay here until she walks out, or I’m going to do something I should have done months ago. It’s now or never. Almost instinctively, as the bell rings and she walks by, I slowly put my head in my bag as looking for something I knew I didn’t need. When I came up, she had walked out of the class, and I knew I blew my chance. Annoyed, but I was trying to stay optimistic, telling myself it was sophomore year and, unlike last year, I’d have more opportunity.

Yea.. I got scared. Enjoy this fiction scene I wrote.

It’s sunset in Brooklyn, New York. MIGUEL is smoking a 5 inch joint in the backyard of his apartment. The backyard is mostly cement with cracks on the wall where his apartment is, cracks on the ground and a little garden that has 6 foot trees covered in soil and cat feces. The area where MIGUEL is sitting is covered in corona glass bottles along with a cooler filled with alcoholic drinks next to him. There are lights, cheap Christmas lights, hanging from a fence that surrounds the little garden. As he smokes, he has headphones plugged into his phone with the song Billie Jean being played. MIGUEL is on a chair that allows him to lay down. His best friend JESUS storms in through the door outside which is unlocked. 

JESUS storms into the backyard where MIGUEL is singing and dancing all while laying down in his chair with a joint in his hand.

JESUS: I CALLED YOU 13 FUCKING TIMES!

MIGUEL has his eyes closed, singing along to Put in your head on my shoulder that is playing through his headphones. He is waving his hands side to side.

MIGUEL: Put your head on my shoulder. Hold me in your arms, baby.

JESUS yanks the headphones out of MIGUEL’S ears. Miguel jumps, opens his eyes and notices JESUS.

MIGUEL: WHAT THE FU… JESUS BRO!!! Bro, I fucking love you bro.

MIGUEL stands up to hug JESUS but JESUS denies him and pushes him hard enough to the ground.

MIGUEL: Fuck. I ain’t know it’s one of these parties.

MIGUEL continues to dance while on the floor.

JESUS: I called you 13 times.

MIGUEL: Did you?

MIGUEL checks his phone.

MIGUEL:  Dam. I thought that was part of the song.

JESUS: Do you have any idea what today is?

MIGUEL: No. Enlighten me.

JESUS: Today was the day our lives could’ve changed. But no, you fucked that. 

MIGUEL: I’m going to be honest with you, I have no clue what you are talking about and your vibe is really killing me. 

JESUS: Look at you. You don’t even care. 

MIGUEL: What should I even care about again?

JESUS: THE MILLER CUNNINGHAM DEAL!!!

MIGUEL looks confused.

MIGUEL: What the fuck is that?

JESUS: We had The Friday in our hands. The meeting was today and you didn’t show up.

MIGUEL: What the fuck does that got to do with me?

JESUS: YOU HAVE THE FUCKING DOCUMENTS! YOU HAVE THE ONLY SCRIPT! WE WOULD’VE HAD MORE BUT YOUR PARANOID ASS FUCKED THAT!

MIGUEL: That was today? Oh well. We’ll just do that Texas thing the studio was talking about.

MIGUEL picks up the headphones and puts them back in his ears. He continues to smoke his joint. JESUS sees this and smacks the joint out of his hand, reaches into MIGUEL’S pocket, grabs his phone and throws it into the wall to the left of him. MIGUEL looks in the center after this unfolds. MIGUEL then proceeds to look at JESUS.

MIGUEL: If The bros paid ryan about 25 mil for that lantern movie, then our studio can sure as hell give me 300 bucks for a NEW FUCKING PHONE!

JESUS shakes his head.

JESUS: Look at you. Look at where you are. You think the studio gives a fuck for you. They see you and they pity you. The only reason why you’re still a thing is because I vouched for you.

MIGUEL: Vouched for me?

JESUS: Yea.

MIGUEL: Vouched these nuts in your fucking face.

JESUS: See. Look at yourself. Do you think anyone takes you seriously?

MIGUEL: Hell fucking yea.

JESUS: NO ONE TAKES YOU SERIOUSLY! When everyone sees you it’s like they’re looking at a homeless man who stumbled across our set. When they see you, do you honestly believe they want to look at you? They look at you as a reminder. 

MIGUEL smirks.

MIGUEL: Oh yea? And what’s that?

JESUS: To remind themselves what a lost and forgotten man looks like.

Miguel stands up and grabs a beer from the cooler beside him.

MIGUEL: Lost? Forgotten? If I’m lost, then guide me.

JESUS: Are you kidding me?

MIGUEL: I wanna laugh but you killed the joy to laugh at this point so no, I’m not joking. Guide me. You say I’m lost and it seems you got the map to everything, so show me where to go. Point to it. 

JESUS: I’ve tried helping you. I did everything possible.

MIGUEL: Helping me? You tried helping me?

JESUS: YES! Who do you think paid for all your rehabs? Who vouched for you everytime you came to the studio drunk or high? Who do you think told your mom not to worry every time you went on social media and threaten suicide? ME!! IT WAS ALL ME!! 

JESUS begins to cry.

MIGUEL: You want a beer? Looks like you need it.

JESUS trips to wipe the tears off his face.

JESUS: Fuck you. I’m done with you. 

MIGUEL: You were done with me 10 years ago.

JESUS: You’re still going. Look me in the eye and tell me that?

MIGUEL walks towards JESUS with his drink in his hand. MIGUEL is now face to face with JESUS. MIGUEL looks at him for 10 seconds and takes a sip of his beer. 

MIGUEL: You were done with me 10 years ago.

JESUS looks at MIGUEL for 10 seconds. JESUS then looks at the bottom left of the floor and begins shaking his head.

JESUS: Okay.

JESUS pushes MIGUEL and proceeds to punch MIGUEL knocking him down to the floor. JESUS begins walking away towards the door outside. MIGUEL is on the floor and repositions himself to face JESUS who is walking away. MIGUEL is now positioned where he can see JESUS leaving. MIGUEL is crying. 

MIGUEL: WALK AWAY!!! YOU ALWAYS WALK AWAY!!!

JESUS stops. He is standing outside the gate with his back turned away from MIGUEL. Miguel is still crying.

MIGUEL: FUCK!!! Jesus please come back. I can fucking see you. Come back please. I’m sorry. I’ll do better. I’ll go to rehab. I’ll do anything, just please come back. 

JESUS is standing there still with back turned from MIGUEL. JESUS begins to cry. JESUS closes his eyes. He opens his eyes.  He begins walking away. JESUS walks towards the car he drove there with and gets in. MIGUEL stands up once he hears the car turn on and tries to follow JESUS but it’s too late. He drives off. 

MIGUEL: FUCK!!!

MIGUEL continues to cry. MIGUEL put his shirt over his face to wipe off the blood and tears off his face. He screams as loud as he can. He stands there looking in the center with tear drops coming down his face. He goes back to the backyard. He walks over to his cooler and picks up a new beer. He walks around the yard. 

MIGUEL: I’m lost. No one will care. No one will remember. 

MIGUEL takes a sip of his beer, throws it across the backyard and walks towards the garden. He hops over the fence. He is now in the garden. He uses a shovel that was already there and begins shoveling the dirt out of the ground.

MIGUEL: You’re doing the right thing for everyone. It’s okay. Don’t cry.

MIGUEL stops shoveling as the shovel bangs onto something. MIGUEL throws the shovel away. Miguel drops to his knees and begins to put his hand into the spot where he shoveled. He then picks up a beretta that was in the spot where he had shoveled. He then gets up from his knees and hops over the fence. He walks and stumbles to his chair. He picks up a new beer with one hand while the beretta is on the other one. He opens the beer and decides not to take a sip. He lays there with the beretta in his hand. He looks down at the beretta. He puts his shirt over his face to wipe the tears and blood off his face. He looks down at the beretta. 

MIGUEL: Guide me.

Lights go out. End of scene.

I can see you at the end of the screen. You’re reading this. Why? It’s close to Halloween. Watch Something. Watch Halloween Kills. That movie in my eyes…BANGER. You know what I’ve come to realize. Steve from Blues Clues came back. Why? Is he in debt? You’re reading this and you’re probably wondering, How the fuck is this a flash fiction story. I’m going to be honest with you…It’s currently 12:39 am and all those words that you just read are my thoughts at this time of the hour. Yea.. I fucked up bad. To anyone currently reading…I’m going to be honest, I’m currently writing this on the top of my brain while taking a shit. I missed two classes. That is not good. Not at all. I’ve read you’re story. It was really good. The attention to imagery is just amazing. You my friend, You are going places for sure. I should probably start actually writing now. Well, here is a preview to a piece of dialogue I did for a project that will never see the light of day. Enjoy.

HUNTER: You’ve always been stubborn. You’re blinded by love and oblivious to the hate I have for the world you fixated in your head. This world isn’t sunshine and love. This world deteriorates in front of us but you choose to look the other way in hopes that the flames stop and beautiful flowers grow through the cracks. Just let me die in peace Sophia.

SOPHIA: When I first met you, people told me to keep walking and don’t look back. They told me you were a man who killed anyone who looked at you or your brothers wrong. That he didn’t love anyone and that if you were to look into your eyes, you would be staring into the devil’s eyes. When I looked at you that night, was I looking at the devil?

HUNTER: It’s something you shouldn’t be asking me. Everyone has their own perception of life. So, that night, October 30th, 1978, did you lock eyes with the devil?

That’s enough. Speaking of the devil, this is also a sneak peek of another project that I hope to finish writing and direct by the year 2050. Enjoy.

The scratching stops. MICHAELA hears the scratching stop and comes from underneath the blanket. To her sight, she is now at her elementary school. She is in the middle of her classroom. In the daylight, this classroom is filled with smiles and tunes of laughter coming from the children who come to learn. Now, the classroom is gray and muddy.

This isn’t good at all but it was fun. Feel free to butcher it in the comments and in my blackboard. I gotta go to bed. Remember this though…..

I’M BATMAN.