The Broken Clock - modernized

<The Broken Clock>

The chandelier was hanging in the ceiling. It provided yellow light all over the hotel lobby, where no one seemed to be present. Even the front desk had its lights all turned off.

Two people appeared in the hallway: a boy and a girl.

Without any conversation going on, they silently arrived in the lobby. Only the incessant sound of clock was heard.

Sitting on the sofa right under the chandelier, they knew that they were the only people in the lobby. Though this made them feel awkward, they did not want any others to come either.

The boy was in an auburn hair, with some waxing from the morning. A plain white polo shirt and a pair of green shorts represented a normal teenage look. His feet were shivering unintentionally in a pair of black flip-flops. His blue eyes with blonde eyelashes were gazing in the air. His mouth attempted to blurt out some words, but failed.

Right next to the boy, the girl was stiffened in a relatively stable posture. Her shiny blonde hair was incongruous with her oriental outlook, but was still attractive with the pink flowery dress. Though her hands moved a little bit towards her blushed cheeks, it was only a flinching. All the muscles and nerves seemed to be frozen.

“Ugh. This place is quite cold, I guess?” said the girl.

She stared at her hands.

“Oh. It is? Yes.. quite,” murmured the boy.

“I think it’s cold. Maybe it’s not. I don’t know. I mean, it’s not cold, but I’m cold. No. That’s not what I mean. It’s just,” muttered the girl, looking confused.

Suddenly, the boy’s left hand, with a rosary ring illuminating on his fourth finger, was brought on the top of the girl’s right hand. Her hand was cold; his hand was warm enough. The two hands paused for a few minutes. Then, the girl leaned her head on the boy’s shoulder. Smell of flagrance spread all over the lobby.

“Are you still cold?” asked the male.

“No,” answered the female. She tried to continue, but it took her a few more seconds.

After pausing for a while, she opened her mouth, saying “I feel like dreaming now.”

“I think… I… kind of….like you, a bit more than a best friend,” continued the female, with her dark eyes still staring nowhere.

It was when the male’s face turned all red. He pretended to stay bland, but could not resist replying.

“I hope the time stop at this moment,” whispered the male.

Her face flushed once again.

He stared at the clock for a moment, and punched it. The clock stopped. With their hands still holding one another, the couple looked at each other and smiled.

Even at that moment, the colossal chandelier was still hanging in the ceiling.