Daybreak

"Hervy, you have to do something more worthwhile and rewarding than just sitting by your table and scribbling words that will eventually end up in the trash bin." That's his mom complaining.

"Don't you think it's time for you to go out and see the world?" Her statement was met by a raised eyebrow.

"What do you mean GO OUT AND SEE THE WORLD?" 

Hervy's trying to hide his irritation, but he's not a good actor and certainly not the best liar.

"You can't barge into my house and tell me to do what you think is right for me. You know too damn well what is best for me, and that's writing. END OF DISCUSSION".

"Just because you live alone doesn't mean you can talk to me that way, Hervy. You've been doing nothing but waste your time every day. You sleep all day, and you're up all night," his mom exclaimed.

"This conversation is over, Mom. Come visit me again some other time. Or maybe never," Hervy said dryly, eyes to the door as if telling her mom to leave.

His Mom didn't have a choice but to leave. She knows their conversation is REALLY over. "Okay then. I'll call you when I get home."

"Tell Dad I said hi." 

His Mom looked back at him and waved goodbye before opening the door and leaving. 

***

And he's alone again, and... it’s getting late – 9PM. 

He didn't always have a visitor. Actually, he never had any visitors within the past months.

Earlier, he woke up to the sound of the doorbell ringing and her mom calling by the door. While it's true that he has turned days into nights and his life is messy – LITERALLY MESSY, he's not wasting his time. 

He loves writing. He lives and breathes for it. It's just he's been having some real issues coming up with good material lately. And the frustration is eating him up alive.

"Well, it's not that late to go out and hit a bar and get a drink." When he feels he can't take the frustration anymore, any place with good booze is an excellent place to hang out. Just like that, and he disappeared into the night.

***

12 Midnight.

He's feeling a little dizzy as he trailed down the sidewalk, trying to find his way home. He might have drunk too much. Or maybe his alcohol tolerance is still low.

He decided to rest at one of the benches on one of the parks he passed by. He smelled something vaguely familiar.

A spray-paint.

He swore he could also hear a faint hissing sound.

It's got to be spray paint.

He turned around and saw someone spray-painting on the park's concrete fence. 

And yes, since he's drunk, he decided to sneak up on him. He planned on surprising him from behind.

"What do you think are you doing, mister!" he tried to lower his voice, so he could sound like a big man.

Startled, the man turned around. And almost reflexively, he pressed the nozzle of the can and sprayed it all over his face.

"WHAAAAA? What are you doing?"

Obviously, his plan backfired on him. Not only did his plan fail, now there's paint all over his face and shirt.

"Oh no, man, I'm so sorry. Don't sneak up on people like that – you almost gave me a heart attack!". 

Well, the guy indeed looked like he saw a ghost. 

"I thought you're a police officer or something."

"Something? You're lucky I'm not a police officer, or I would have handcuffed you already and brought your ass down the station."

"Whoa, we got a smart-ass over here. Right, why don't you take my ass to the station then? I'm sure you don't need a handcuff to do that". 

'This man's got some sass in him!' Hervy thought.

 "Oh no, I'm scared! Mommy, Mommy help!" the guy added sarcastically.

Hervy was about to throw a punch, but he missed since he was still intoxicated.

He got out of balance and fell to the concrete ground.

"Hey, are you okay?" The man asked, suspecting something was not right. 

He leaned in closer. "Man, you reek of booze, give me your hand, let me help you up."

He helped Hervy up and walked him to the nearest bench.

"This might be a little late for an introduction, but my name is Lewis."

"I, I-I'm Hervy." He answered softly.

"I can't say I'm pleased to meet you, Hervy," answered Lewis. "At this time, I didn't really expect anyone to be around this park."

"I don't blame you. Crazy idea actually – it's the alcohol talking." 

Hervy can feel his cheeks are getting red – they're already red anyway because he's drunk.

He thought he saw Lewis smile just a little.

"It's very convenient how we blame everything on alcohol, yeah?"

Now Hervy's sure Lewis smiled because he let out a big laugh this time.

"I didn't particularly expect someone drunk around here. I mean, it's Wednesday morning.

Normally, the drunks gather here on Fridays and weekends." Lewis said.

"I know. Even I didn't expect to be THIS DRUNK. I mean, hey, I know I'm drunk. This is the only escape I know when things get all fucked up." Hervy answered.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to say that to a stranger. It's the alcohol talking, AGAIN," he added.

Lewis's expression changed. "How about I walk you home? You don't look like you can walk another step." "Whatever you say..."

Then Hervy went blank.

That's the alcohol talking.

***

Hervy opened his eyes. It's dark, and it's cold.

His head hurts. The effect of the alcohol somehow wore off. He's no longer dizzy, but he can feel his head hurt.

Hangover.

He turned around, trying to make sense of the place.

He fell asleep on the bench in the park.

"So, you're awake already?"

Hervy flinched. Just a single glance to the right, and he remembered everything.

"Don't tell me you forgot my name?" Lewis asked, amused at Hervy's reaction.

"No, no, your name is Lewis. I'm just surprised you'd stick around. I didn't think you'd still be here."

"I can't just leave you here in the middle of the dark all wasted," Lewis answered.

"Besides, I don't have much to do later, so I figured I'll stick around a little longer."

"What time is it?" Hervy asked.

Lewis took his phone out of his pocket and checked the time.

"It's 3:41 AM" "And what time did I pass out?" Hervy asked again.

"Around 12:20 AM," Lewis answered obediently.

"You mean to say you've been keeping your eyes open for more than three hours because of ME?" Hervy still can't believe it.

"YES, and NO," answered Lewis. "YES, I've been awake for that long. NO, it's not because of you – don't flatter yourself too much."

Hervy would have believed what he said if only he didn't see Lewis wink at him.

There was an awkward silence between them. And the coldness of the night is not helping at all.

Hervy doesn't know what to say anymore.

Lewis broke the silence. 

"So you told me earlier, you drink when you have a problem. Don't you have people you can talk to?"

Hervy was stunned. This type of conversation doesn't really happen to him, especially not from someone he just met. Hervy is a nocturnal type of guy, and he doesn't get to see a lot of people during the day – he's asleep in the morning. He rarely goes out in the evening. He just spends his time in front of his laptop trying to develop a good story.

"No, I don't," Hervy answered.

"Why?" Lewis asked.

Hervy felt like Lewis was getting a little nosy. He's aware that his intentions were pure, but the thought of sharing such a sensitive side to him still doesn't sit well with him.

"Sorry, I don't really feel comfortable sharing such things with a stranger," answered Hervy.

"You already know my name, so I'm no longer a stranger to you," Lewis replied.

He can sense a slight change of tone in his voice.

It was only then that Hervy got the chance to fully appreciate Lewis's appearance. He has an adorable small face and a square jaw that looks perfect. His light brown hair is messy. Even under the dim light, he could see he had ocean-blue eyes. Lewis might not be smiling now, but he could tell that he would have the sweetest smile Hervy has ever seen once he did. He's currently wearing an oversized white tank top that shows his big biceps and part of his chest.

Lewis noticed that Hervy was just staring blankly at him.

"I'm Lewis Thorington. I live just around the corner. You can say I'm a visual artist. I was not vandalizing the fence earlier. I was just making it more beautiful. I'm turning 27 this December, and I love carrots."

"That was too much information," Hervy thought to himself.

Lewis was just looking at him as if expecting him to say something too.

"Well? I'm pretty sure those details were enough to cross me off the strangers' list of yours," he said, still looking at Hervy.

Hervy took a deep breath. 

"Okay. I don't have a lot of people to talk to just because I don't know a lot of people. I rarely get out of my house, and I'm asleep during the day," Hervy answered.

That's not much information to give away, but he already feels like he's naked.

"So..you're a vampire?" Lewis asked.

Hervy tried his best not to laugh. He couldn't tell if the guy was playing dumb or not.

"Of course not! Do you still even believe in those things?" He can't help but be amused at Lewis naïveté.

"You amuse me, Mr. Thorington," said Hervy, still smiling.

"I think I should be going now, Lewis. It's almost sunrise, and I have to be home before that happens. I don't want to be burnt to toast," he added.

"You know, it's a vampire thing." Hervy joked, showing his teeth as if imitating a vampire.

"Can you walk home alone?" Lewis asked with a concerned look. "I can walk with you if you want."

"Nope, I'm fine. I think I have bothered you enough, Mr. Thorington."

"I have to do something to make up with what I did to your clothes," Lewis answered, pointing at Hervy's shirt.

Hervy looked down and was a little surprised. He forgot he was covered in paint.

"Don't worry. This will serve as a reminder for me not to sneak up on people holding spray-paints." Hervy answered as he gestured the OK sign to Lewis.

"Will I see you again?" Lewis asked.

"I don't know. I'm just hoping next time I no longer smell of liquor", Hervy answered.

"I'll make sure my hands are free of any spray paints," Lewis answered jokingly.

Hervy turned his back and went on his way.

Lewis just stood there, following him with a gaze until Hervy's silhouette disappeared.

Will they see each other again? Probably.

When? We'll never know.

The only thing he's sure about is he can't wait for their next meeting.

"Mr. Thorington, huh? I could get used to that," Lewis thought as he tried imitating how Hervy called him. He then went in the opposite direction and made his way home.