22. Intention

Moonshine really bright that autumn night. The nights get very cold, the party's over. Everyone leaves over midnight, James still on his alcohol mind and he can even walk straight. He lights up his cigarette hopes it'll reduce the intoxication.

Alice stood while stared at James who tried to find the lighter. She's very happy that night, she can make someone felt the happiness that he doesn't felt for the past few months.

"You okay?" Alice asked with faint smiles on her face.

"Most likely, yes." James finally can light up his cigar, "I probably should get going."

"Are you sure? It's far enough from here to your place,"

"Nah, I'm fine."

When James wants to stand up, there's a flash of lightning in the sky. The coldness came alongside the big wind. They both looked into the sky, they knew what'll come next. The universe wants to drop the tears. It exhausted act so strong every time human being always hurt and pollute every inch of the univers, it was sad and tired. It wanted to drop the sadness.

"Just stayover this night," Alice looked at him worried.

"I'll make it on time, maybe" James answered uncertainly.

"Look! Even you didn't know it. Come, just listened to my word, stop being such a stubborn person."

Again, James listened to what she said. He feels like there's an energy that drew him. Alice's cloudless, even in the very dark night she still shines bright and warms his soul. They walked down from the rooftop to her place.

Her place's totally different from James' apartment, it's very neat and clean. He can smell Alice's here, her perfume's still stuck in the air. Just a minute till the rain poured down. The smell of the perfume switched into smells of wet grass and asphalt.

"Just sits there," Alice pointed at the living room. "I'll make you some tea or coffee to make you better."

"Thanks, I really appreciate it."

He looked around, it's a normal apartment. The paper and books all over the place, pictures of her friends on the wall. Laptop and phone in the charger port, just like every student in general. James sat down and wondered, 'She's just ordinary students, who lived away from her family. But why she's so kind to me? Is it her genuine feelings?'

"Here's your drink," Alice handed it and sits next to him.

"You live away for your family?"

"Yeah, my parents said I should stay with my sister but I wanted to felt free, so here we are." She smiled, "So how about you? You live alone?"

"Yeah, I feel more comfortable living on my own," He answered with his eyes glued to the picture on the wall.

"It's my friends when we are going to camp," Alice knows it, "I guess you didn't have a lot of friends,"

"Nope, and I don't know why. I'd a couple of friends but that's it,"

"You did it well to Arthur and others last night." Alice smirked, "So you didn't have someone at all? Girlfriend?"

This typical question came into his life again. When he met somebody new they always asked this kind of question, but time after time he can admit that he just broke up. Now his eyes can open and accept the reality.

"I recently broke up with my girlfriend, hahaha." James smiled faintly.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to,"

James sighed, "No, that's fine. I'd get used to it. Anyway, can I ask you some questions?"

"What's that?"

"Why are you very good at me? Why you helped me out? What's your intention?"

Alice's confused with that question, she didn't know he'll be asked that kind of question. She thought about it, and it makes the whole room fell still. Nobody talks for a minute, all they can hear is just rain and thunder.

Alice never thought about something like this, she did it because it's fun and wants to help her sincerely. Nothing else comes to her mind. James knows it might be rude asking that question, but he wants to know the actual reason.

"James, I don't know," Alice answered it shortly.

"What do you mean?"

"There's no way I can explain it, I wanted to help you and see your smiles that's it. That's what I've done to anyone else too. No reason here, everything in this world needs a reason behind it." Alice's giggled, she leaned back on the couch and close her eyes.

"That's odd, everything has its reason to exist. Even feelings, there's must be something. It could be your emphatic side, right?" James sits straight.

Alice opened her eyes, "Are you think so?"

"Absolutely, everything must have its purpose in this life. They should have a reason behind the purpose."

Alice smirked, "Everything has its purpose in this universe, but they don't need a reason to exist. For example, why you loved somebody? You can say she's pretty or whatever, but the true answer is because you loved her, that's it. No need for any other reason. I'd a purpose to make you smile but I don't have the reason, because if you see it through your heart you'll know what I meant."

James speechless, he doesn't know what she meant by "see through your heart". Rains become harder than before, all they do is look at each other face to face. James isn't satisfied with the answer, and he thinks it all night.

It's over midnight but he still has the energy to think something serious and deep. He never thought that Alice has this deep thought besides her annoying habits. He judges too fast, and he regrets it. 'She's unbelievable, I can't even reply to her opinion. Again, there's an invisible side that other people have. Behind her beautiful smiles and annoying personality, she can make me stunned.'

Alice just leans back at the couch while staring at his face, his confused face. She got comfort just looked at his face, and her eyes slowly close. In the dark cold night, the rains sounded like music at her ears. She just like a burst of sunshine that can touch every place even James' cold heart, she makes his smiles back to where it should be.

She fell asleep with smiles appeared on her face, she wanted to touch James's heart but she had drowned to his sides. Something has grown at her heart, just like what she said nobody knows why. Even she can't figure it out, at least not now. Today, she just wants to feel his cold heart that forgot how it feels to be loved like she wants to melt his frozen heart.