I wish we hadn't ended.

Chapter 1: Unwanted sights

On the first of December, following a night of snowfall, Jersey City was blanketed in snow the next morning. Despite the very low temperatures, the people were very joyful, especially the kids reveling in the snow, building snowmen early in the morning, while others eagerly waited for their friends by their house doors to walk to school together. Take Aria, for instance...

She stood in front of Zaid's house door, waiting for her best friend as they planned to walk to school together. As always, Zaid was running late, leaving Aria shivering in the freezing cold. Undeterred, she had already picked up his favorite drink from Dunkin and patiently waited. The thought of being with him soon warmed her up internally. She adored being around him, as if he possessed a unique quality that set him apart from other boys.

Taking out her phone from her pocket to check her appearance and makeup, Aria couldn't help but smile at herself. The sight of the white beanie on her head, a gift from Zaid, brought a smile to her face. It was a special gift, and she made a point to wear it on every cold day, a constant reminder of Zaid and the day she got this beanie.

Exiting the camera app with the intention to text Zaid, the door swung open, revealing Zaid zipping up his jacket. He wasn't wearing a beanie or a shawl because beanies always messed up his hair, and shawls made his neck itch.

Looking up, he casually asked, "Did I keep you waiting for too long?"

"Considering your hot coffee is cold now, yes! You made me wait too long, Zaid. Honestly, you guys don't do much besides throwing on some clothes," Aria complained, handing him his coffee and swiftly tucking her hand into her jacket's pocket.

"Oh, is that so, Aria? I just love my sleep and want to catch as much as I can, you feel me? You girls have your makeup, lashes, and skincare routines, while us guys keep it simple with a splash of cold water on our faces." Zaid replied, taking a sip of his still warm coffee, though the cup felt cold.
"Also, the coffee isn't even that cold, so that means I didn't keep you waiting that long."

"Whatever you say, king, but in my book, you did keep me waiting. And, I mean, at least I look put together, right? You look like you got hit by a truck or something, don't you?" she said, chuckling and rolling her eyes.
She knew he didn't really look like he'd been hit by a truck, he looked good—very good. But admitting that? Never.

"Anyway, let's go now, I don't want to be late to Mrs. Miller's lesson. She likes me, like I'm sure I'm her favorite student!"

"Hit by a truck? Come on, Ar—" he began, but his words were cut off as Aria clung onto his arm, walking to the bus station with him.

Luckily, their bus had just arrived and was about to leave. Hastily, they boarded, but the bus was already full, leaving them with no choice but to stand. Zaid secured himself by holding onto the pole, and Aria did the same.

"This sucks." Aria mumbled, sighing.

"Yeah, but it's not that bad, you know? "Sure beats the alternative of running to school in this weather, don't you think?" Zaid replied.

"Right, but look at us—" As the bus started, it caught Aria off guard,causing her to bump into Zaid. She wasn't READY yet.

Her hands instinctively clung to his arm, an unintentional reflex.

After steadying her, he fixed her slightly disheveled beanie and said "You good?"

"Find it funny? This is embarrassing. I'd rather run to school at this point." She muttered, taking a step back and gripping the pole tightly.

"Come on, Aria— this could've happened to anyone, and I bet no one even noticed. Everyone's sleeping and listening to music, like who'd care, right?"

"Mhm, right— right. How can you not give a shit about life, Zaid? Your "I don't give a fuck" mindset is gettin' a bit too much lately, mate." She exclaimed, patting his shoulder.