Dug. Dug. Dug.

 

It’s five in the morning in the middle of December. The sound of the apartment door being knocked on echoed across the small room located in a small and quiet town.

“Ugh.”

Rei stood up from her bed to check on who dared bother her daily before-I-sleep-routine of binge-watching Star Trek. Y’know, that one old campy television show from the 60s where the weekly episodes featured space people (or astronauts of some sort?) and they usually go to a planet “where no one had gone before”; all that stuff.

 

Dug. Dug. Dug.

“Stop knocking, I’m on my way!”

She went to close the open windows which were allowing the cold breeze of valley air in entering the room before answering the door.

“YOOOOOOOOO!”

Liz shouted as soon as Rei opened her door halfway causing the latter to slam it shut after hearing the loud greeting.

“Is that how you greet your world-famous photographer best friend?!”

Rei opened the door fully.

“Yes. What exactly are you doing here?”, Rei replied before her eyes go wide as Liz immediately barged in and laid down on the bed.

“I need a place to crash tonight.”

“Are you not supposed to be on an airplane to LA by now?”

“Are you not supposed to be on an airplane to LA by now?”, Liz repeated in a mocking manner before shrugging and smiling.

“You are seriously going to miss your own exhib–”

“Oh. My. God. Are you watching Star Trek again?”

“Yea–”

“How many times have you watched this?”, Liz said before bursting out into laughter.

 

Rei had known Liz for more than a decade now. From being seatmates which eventually turned into them becoming best friends.

 

“About a couple dozen times, maybe.”, Rei replied before sitting on the bed, in the same manner, she was in before standing up.

“Y’know, I was kinda wondering–”

“Hmm?"

“Are you busy tomorrow morning?”

“It is literally ‘tomorrow morning’ right now.”

Liz nodded in response before sending a frown toward Rei.

“Do you want to help me i–”

“Nope.”, Rei said before smiling, trying her best not to laugh.

The former blank stared at her for a minute or two before picking up a pillow and slamming it across Rei’s face.

“You didn’t even let me finish!”, she shouted as she was hitting the girl with the bangs.

“Okay– okay, I was joking–”

“Help me take some photos of the town.”

 

Liz had always been an amazing photographer. Since the pair were in high school, she had been using one of those old cameras where you have to roll a film before taking a photo of pretty much anything. You name it, Liz has got a photo of it… In a film… Somewhere.

 

“Okay but I have to DJ at Rad&Co’s station starting at 6:30 in the morning so you better not make me late again.”, she said in reply as she lets out a big sigh before pointing a finger toward the other girl in the room.

“I won’t be saying ‘no’ to you anyway, " Rei thought and whispered to herself, looking towards Liz, who was smiling at the TV screen.

 

She had always stood beside her. It was also probably where she started taking that radio club job in that small record store’s radio station, wishing that the records she plays would somehow reach Liz because it was her who said that Rei’s music taste is good. It was her that said she could be a resident DJ for the radio station even though Rei’s been pushing that she doesn't want to. It was her that inspired her to play songs that Rei knew she would like.

 

“Are you okay?”, Liz said which immediately woke Rei up from her gaze and stare.

“Uhm– yeah, I guess. I’ll go uh– pack my stuff”, She replied before turning off the TV Screen

“Hey! I was waiting for Captain Kirk’s line man!”

“I thought you hated Star Trek?”

“I never hate on what you like.”, Liz replied before smiling and flicking Rei’s nose.

“Whatever. Whoever leaves the room last has poo in their pants–”, The girl with the bangs shouted before storming to the door which Liz also did, causing them to fight over who gets to open the doorknob first.

“Hey! I touched the knob first!”

“No, I did!”

They went on for a minute or two before Liz tickled Rei which caused her hand to move away from the knob.

“Boohoo~”, Liz said as she was doing the action of wiping the dust from her shoulders.

“Whatever.”

 

Rei lives in a small mining town somewhere near the mountains. The wind gets cold in December, but it rarely snows. There were no beaches– just a lake and a small waterfall in the area which makes the place very quiet and unpopular. She loves the place however small it may seem.

The pair exited the apartment door which was located near the main center of the town. It was still dark, and the cold breeze of air greeted the two as soon as they stepped out. The town lights were all still on, and there is no one in the street. Liz took out her camera and started to take some photos.

 

“It’s so calm– and serene.”, The girl with the camera said before snapping a quick photo towards the Rad&Co’s Record Store.

Rei smiled as she looked at the girl– who was also smiling.

 

Ever since they were in high school, Rei knew that she had fallen for Liz. She just doesn’t have the courage to admit it. She had always been thinking of all the what-ifs even though she knows that it’s always been her.

 

“Do you want me to take your picture?”

“Sure– I guess.”, Rei said before sitting down at one of the empty park benches underneath a street lamp.

 

Ever since they were in high school, Liz knew that she had fallen for Rei. She was planning on telling her before she leaves for LA but she couldn’t bring herself to say it as they said their goodbyes 12 hours before. This was partly the reason why she chose to say “screw it” and decided to just go on the first flight in the morning instead.

 

She smiled as Rei smiled.

“You okay?”, the girl sitting on the cold bench said.

“Mhm—“, Liz replied, smiling.

“Why do you never want to move back into the city?”

“What, and miss all these? Hell no.”, Rei said in reply, pointing around everything in sight.

“Do you not want to see me everyday?”, Liz whispered.

“What’d you say? I couldn’t hear.”, She definitely heard it.

“Oh— uhm… T’was nothing.”

“Oh… okay then.”, Rei replied before looking at her watch.

“Seriously, though, what is your obsession with little towns?”

“Little towns help me have my peace of mind.”

Liz looked at her.

“-- that maybe you’re somewhere out there thinking about me.”

 

Rei wanted to say it out loud but she couldn’t. Like always. She’s always believe that Little Towns exists for people to be free. Free to feel love and be loved. Free to feel that one day, everything will just fall into place.

 

It’s 6AM.

 

“Come with me.”, She said before grabbing Liz’s hand and running towards the small lodge near the lake with the waterfall.

“What are we doing here?”, Liz said wiping the sweat from her forehead with her other hand.

Rei opened the door from the lodge, still holding Liz’s hands as they climbed through flights of stairs onto the rooftop before letting go.

“We're here to see the sunrise.”, Rei said as she walked towards the wooden chair near the rooftop’s balcony. Liz followed her and sat on the other chair.

The girl with the bangs let out a big sigh.

 

“What would you do in LA without me?”

“I— I don’t know. Does the sun rise in LA?”

“Yeah, but it won’t be as pretty as this.”

Rei stood up, taking Liz’s camera before walking behind her to take a picture of her looking away— and the sunrise… but mostly of her.

“Can I see what you took?”

Rei sat down and gave her the camera.

“Woah. It’s pretty!”

“You’re pretty.”

“Wha—“

 

Rei didn’t want to hold back anymore. She was leaving and more importantly, she didn’t want Liz to leave without telling her what she had been feeling from then until now. No more what-ifs and looking back.

 

“Liz— I…”

Liz was staring at her, eyes wide open.

“I think I’ve fallen for yo—“

Liz ran towards her and hugged her tight before she could even finish what she wanted to say.

The pair smiled at each other before Liz started tearing up.

“You have no idea, how long and how hard I have tried waiting for this—“

“I wasn’t going to—“

“But you did.”

“But I did.”

 

“I like you, Rei. I always have.”

 

Rei smiled and hugged her tight before kissing her on the forehead for a minute before letting go.

 

“Right, you’re gonna be late again.”, Liz said as she was wiping her tears.

“And you have a flight to catch.”

Liz nodded.

 

The pair went down and started walking on the street that’s noticeably becoming alive. The pet dogs were barking; the shop owners, cleaning their windows. They both greeted everyone with a smile as they passed the other people who were on the town street before stopping at the town bridge, near the welcome sign, which is noticeably works like the “gateway” of the town.

 

“Are you gonna be okay?”

Liz nodded.

“I’ll be fine. I promise, I’ll be here when you come back.”, Rei said.

Liz nodded once more before tearing up again.

“I’ll miss you.”, Liz said.

“Yeah, I’ll miss me too.”, Rei replied laughing before hugging her once more.

“It had always been you, Liz.”, she whispered before smiling.

 

The bus to the city arrived and Rei stayed until it departed, waving her hands goodbye to the person she fell in love with before messaging her a link to the playlist she had been holding on for the day she finally decides to confess.

 

It was 6:30 in the morning. The bus was playing the local radio station and Liz was staring out the window before hearing a familiar voice.

 

“Hello, everyone this is your DJ Rei, finally here for our first song of the day! This first song will be dedicated to you, Liz. It’s from that playlist I gave you and if you’re listening— I hope you are; please be safe in LA. I’ll always wait for your calls, and I can’t wait to see you soon!”

 

Liz smiled as Carry You by Nova Amor started playing in the radio as the sights of the town becomes farther and farther every second.

 

“It had always been you too, Rei.”

 

End.