Arrival

She arrived at LaGuardia with a simple mission, a note addressed to her from Libby, and about two thousand dollars to her name. This was Isabelle, a nervous mess of a med school student. The road to get here for her must have been very rough; her big poofy blonde hair frayed out in all directions and her outfit appeared to have been very quickly thrown on in a hurry. Her shirt might have accidentally been inside out.

Despite all that, Isabelle's demeanor was rather cheerful. Considering everything that had happened on her way to the city, she sang a rather happy song to herself. It was an old song, to be sure, but one that described her hopeful outlook perfectly:

“It's strange the way you say hello:

So very wistful, low,

With a rather charming flow.

It's odd the way you make me feel:

I know you feel the same way too.

But are these feelings even real?

It's good to see your face again.

How has your life been?

I'd like to spend some time with you.”

But first, with this being a brand new place and all, Isabelle had some other things to do. Getting flowers for a friend; only the best for her. A springtime stroll, taking in the sights and sounds of New York City. Trying (and failing) to hail a taxi. Getting chased by a flock of pigeons in a park. Dancing in the rain, only for the wind to upend her umbrella.

•

After a while, Isabelle finally made it to the address listed on the note. It was a nice little brownstone apartment building in Brooklyn, aged, weathered, but standing tall and proud.

Her friend, Libby, was busy filing through assorted piles of manuscripts when she heard a knock at her door.

“Who is it?” Libby shouted as she made her way to the door. Only a sigh was heard through the other side, leading Libby to look through the peephole. Isabelle was spotted nervously filing through her hair on the other side of the door. Libby opened the door to welcome her friend inside.

“Hey, Libby,” Isabelle said with a frustrated sigh. “I'm home.”

The two of them immediately threw themselves into a hug. Libby in particular had been waiting for this moment for a while. They had been best friends since kindergarten

“Isabelle? Where have you been?” Libby asked her.

“First day in New York was rough, let me tell you,” Isabelle explained. “I got stuck trying to find this place. And between you and me, I got lost in the vibes.”

“I'm just glad you made it,” Libby said as she invited Isabelle to come inside. She had not even noticed the flowers sticking out of Isabelle's bag.

“So am I…”

The two girls waste no time making themselves comfortable on Libby's couch.

“So relaxing…” Isabelle said as she sank herself into the calm and soothing fluff-filled cushions.

“So what brings you all the way out here?” Libby asked. “You called asking for a place to crash, but I never got an answer from you as to why. Don't tell me it's Mark again.”

“That is part of it,” Isabelle admitted, “but also no. I, uh… had a bit of a breakdown during class. One thing led to another, and now I'm here.”

“You didn't drop out, did you?” Libby asked.

“I'm not commenting on that.”

“Girl, you better not have,” Libby scolded her. “You've already threatened to do that three times this semester alone.”

“I'm sorry, alright?!” Isabelle cried. “I panicked! I realized I have no idea what the heck I'm doing with my life!”

Having noticed what she just did, Isabelle fell silent.

“You okay?” Libby broke the silence.

“I'm sorry,” Isabelle answered. “Boston was just too much for me to handle. Maybe the Big Apple will be different. I'm not sure.”

Libby silently agreed.

“But you know what? It'll be alright,” Isabelle continued. “A few bumps in the road never hurt anyone.”

“Amen to that, sister,” Libby said.

With Isabelle calmed down, she and Libby decided to just quietly relax. Catching up, they agreed, could happen later. Libby made coffee for both of them. The two of them were so close they even shared a taste in coffee: Cafe Primavera with a hint of floral flavor and sweet cream.

Their quiet time was short-lived. Loud crashing noises and a barrage of footsteps were heard through the walls.

“The heck was that?!” Isabelle asked.

“Neighbors,” Libby answered. This has happened many times before. “Some hotshot wannabe actor, his so-called agent, and his daughter.”

“Sounds like a handful,” Isabelle noted.

“Girl, she is a handful,” Libby agreed. “I tried babysitting her once. I don't recommend it unless you got a strong will.”

They made their way into the hallway to see what all the commotion was. The noises grew louder as the people inside the left-hand apartment got closer to the door. Isabelle thought a brawl might have been happening inside. Libby crossed her arms waiting for the reveal.

A man rushed out the door trying to get away from whatever else was inside. Ben was very tall, but otherwise perfectly average. Whatever was inside was far too much for him to handle. Other than his rather messy appearance, he seemed unharmed by what just happened.

“Morning, Libby,” Ben greeted her with a nervous smile.

“Danielle causing trouble again?” Libby asked.

“What?! No!” Ben lied. “What gave you that impression?”

Libby was amused, but not impressed. “So what was the game this time?”

Unbeknownst to any of them, Danielle, a six-year-old bundle of chaos, had somehow appeared behind Libby and Isabelle. Ben was the first one to notice. He knew.

“Look out!” Ben shouted. “It's an -”

“Ambush!” Danielle shouted as she ran past the women and pushed him all the way back to their apartment's door in a bear hug. “Gotcha!”

Ben had no idea how, but Danielle once again outsmarted him in order to win their game. “Danielle! How did you get past the door?”

Danielle responded by pulling her shirt collar over her nose and saying, “A true ninja never reveals her secrets, Uncle Benny!”

“Oh, you're an uncle, now?” Libby teased. “That's adorable!”

“Alright, Danielle,” Ben said with Danielle still attached to him, “you won. Now can we go back to doing your homework?”

Danielle thought about it for a bit. “Okay.”

The two of them slipped through the door as if nothing happened. Isabelle and Libby exchanged looks; Isabelle was concerned, Libby enjoyed the moment.

“Is this something that happens every day?” Isabelle asked Libby.

“You get used to it,” Libby answered. “Just a bit of advice, sister, you do not want to be in the way of a six year old when she plays Ambush.”

The door to the far side of them opened up slightly, revealing another man. This was Zane. He was big, tall, slightly older than either Libby or Isabelle, and built like a film heartthrob in his prime. Whether that was how he always looked or it was all just manufactured for his wannabe career nobody really knew.

“Is it safe to come out?” Zane asked the women.

Without even looking at Zane, Libby asked back, “Have you ever considered not letting a six year old girl bully you and Ben around like that?”

Isabelle glanced at the door. She was barely able to see Zane's face and his Brooklyn Knights shirt.

“It's the Daisy method,” Zane answered. “You gotta embrace the games your kids want to play… even if they do get a little rough…”

Libby gave Zane a nasty side glare. “Have you even watched the show or are you just listening to what your online therapist says?”

“Why would I watch a show for little kids?” Zane asked, slowly emerging from the other apartment.

“Called it,” Libby said. “Honestly, you should consider getting a better therapist.”

“I'll consider it once I get my finances sorted out from this stupid divorce,” Zane replied as he marched his way down the hallway, pretending to walk tall and proud. He and Isabelle make eye contact for just a moment, but it was just enough for both of them to make their judgment. “I'll at least consider it.” 

To Zane, Isabelle looked like an angel came down to Earth specifically to bless him with her presence.

To Isabelle, Zane walked straight off the red carpet and into her life.

As Zane entered his apartment, he was greeted by Ben. His eyes glanced back at the door; his thoughts were already being dominated by her.

“Your demeanor sure changed fast.” Ben noted the sudden change from Zane acting all noble to acting like his stomach was swarming with butterflies.

“She's cute,” Zane admitted.

“She is way out of your league,” Ben replied.

“Very funny, Ben.”