Ch.1.

Mariah looked through her window at the large city standing before her. Sitting on the windowsill of her new apartment, she could not help but feel the rushing wind of life moving so fast like a train. A train she could not catch.

Mariah took a deep breath before deciding to leave the comfort of her windowsill and get something done with her life. She gazed upon the moving boxes laying around the apartment.

It was the day she decided to move into her apartment. Her family had not accompanied her, they were too busy with planning a congratulations ceremony for her perfect sister, Tara. So they let her go all by herself, to a new state, a new school, a new world, a new life with nothing as little as a hug. She had left before sunrise. Drove her 2017 model Honda twelve miles from her hometown.

She brought with her only a few boxes because even prior to this day, she had not a life. No souvenirs, no friends, no cherished family. The only things that came with her were her books, her clothes and a few of her artwork.

Those paintings were the only colour in her life.

Her days were painted black the night she kissed those lips that she should've bid farewell to.

Ding dong.

Her doorbell rang. She walked past the boxes, running a hand through her beautiful burgundy hair before she opened the door for her unknown guest.

It was a girl.

A rather beautiful girl with shoulder length brown hair, tanned skin and full lips. There was an agility in her bearing and an excitement in her eyes as she blinked them twice, staring at Mariah.

"Hi, I'm Thelma," she chirped, wearing a broad smile.

"I'm Mariah"

"You just moved in right?" Thelma asked as she invited herself into Mariah's apartment "I was looking forward to seeing the occupant of this apartment, solely to help with unpacking and becoming friends"

Mariah could only stand by the doorway, she left the door open as she joined Thelma who busied herself with going through some of the opened boxes laying around.

One contained several artworks of Mariah, the ones she deemed worthy enough to frame. Thelma fished one out of the box. It was a medium sized painting.

Thelma examined it for a moment. Mariah could tell she did not have the eyes to appreciate art as there was no, in any way, even the slightest form of glint or criticism in her eyes. She stared as if she was looking at a mere sheet of blank paper.

"You're into art?" Thelma asked, she returned her gaze to Mariah still holding the painting.

Mariah gave a nod then helped Thelma with getting the painting off her hands.

"I am".

Thelma slightly kicked the box containing the paintings. "So you're majoring in art?"

"No, minor."

"Why is that?" Thelma inquired.

Mariah shrugged "it's more of a hobby and not a passion"

Thelma pursed her lips, repeatedly nodding her head "I think it's cool though. I find artists very hard to relate to, not negatively though, it's just they search for a deeper sense, a more misinterpreted meaning of something. I think it's daring to lift your brush covered in paint and stroke it against a surface with or without a direction. The art may become a shitshow or it may become something glorious"

Mariah smiled. It had been a while her lips sincerely curved up without having to force it so as to appear normal.

That was the beauty of strangers.

"Thank you".

Thelma clapped her hands "well, enough chattering, it's time to unpack. I feel if I don't join you, you'd be unable to finish it all before sundown"

Mariah dropped the painting on the floor, leaning it against the white painted walls before joining Thelma to unpack.

"What's going on by sundown?"

Thelma smiled mischievously "it's a kind of get together for all the occupants of this hallway just so we could all get to know each other and become one big happy family"

The ghost of a smile playing on Mariah's lips disappeared. However, despite her contradicting thoughts, she nodded her head.

"I see"

The smile on Thelma's face dropped abruptly "Attendance is mandatory or else you'll be excommunicated by your neighbors"

"If I do get this done before sundown, then I'll be attending" Mariah said keeping the rest of the words to herself "if I don't, they could all go fuck themselves. Including you."

They spent the rest of the afternoon unpacking and putting things in order. Mariah made sure to inform Thelma that without her help she would never have been able to sort things out so quickly.

Thelma was precise, fast and agile even the times when Mariah felt drained and couldn't go on, Thelma did not falter. The only break she took was a burrito break, burritos that she had to go get herself as Mariah did not know her way around the city yet.

All in all, Mariah thanked Thelma, vividly expressing her gratitude before Thelma left and she closed the door behind her guest.

There was still time before the get-together, at least two hours. Mariah figured she'd use it to have her bath and get dressed for the occasion.

However, in less than two hours, she was already done.

She looked around the apartment for a while, appreciating the work she and Thelma had done. The walls of the apartment were painted a simple, plain white. She hung her paintings on the wall to give it some colour. Other than that art, there really was nothing spectacular about the place. It was not lively or homely.

It felt lonely.

Unfortunately, Mariah was already used to such loneliness. It wasn't really much of a surprise anymore.

The doorbell rang, successfully waking Mariah up from her short nap. She picked her phone that laid beside her to check the time.

7:30pm.

Thelma was right on time.