The World Gives Us A Chance (Chapter 2) (Patreon)

 Chapter 2
Head in the Stars

As was said in the beginning of this story, the world itself has many stories. Everyone knows their own story, but don’t nearly understand others as much as their own. The story we will tell here is definitely about Liz, but it isn’t only about Liz…

In another part of the city that morning, someone else was getting ready to go to work. His name was Peyton. Peyton was a strong, very handsome young man at the age of 26. Peyton had soft brown curly hair and gorgeous matching brown eyes. His brown eyes could be seen through the cool dark rims of his glasses. Peyton was an averaged sized young man at 5’8” and 140 lbs. Despite this, Peyton was quite muscular. His darker skin complimented his gruff physique.

When Peyton woke up that morning it was in his beautiful studio apartment overlooking the lake. This studio apartment in the city had been a birthday present from his parents when he was getting ready to move out. His parents weren’t rich, but they were definitely well off. To be honest, it was much fancier than Peyton needed but he wasn’t going to turn down a free apartment; especially when he knew that his overbearing parents meant well when they came off too strong.

Peyton yawned as he got out of bed, he had only slept in his light grey underwear. He made some quick coffee and went out on his small balcony from his bedroom. He looked over at his bedside clock as he went out. It read, ‘5:08’ a.m.

Peyton loved this point in the morning. Everything was always so calm and over the lake only the distant sounds of city hustle and bustle could be heard. Peyton let out a soft sigh as he sat down in a chair on the balcony and sipped at his warm coffee. The sky was gorgeous at this time. Light was just starting to show, but it wasn’t showing enough yet that the stars were gone from the horizon. Peyton loved looking at the stars…

*****

After finishing his coffee and having a quick shower, Peyton was reading the news on his IPAD while he ate some bacon and eggs. He glanced over at the clock and saw that it was now 8:25. He had lost track of time while he was looking at the stars; he always did…

Peyton enjoyed his job as a Programmer Analyst. It was a job that had a lot to do with numbers. Numbers were one thing that Peyton loved. People were often a mystery to Peyton but things like numbers were what he lived for. Peyton loved being a programmer where he could work all day and not have to think about anything else but the numbers that clouded his mind when he was working.

Peyton was one of those people who constantly learned new things and never wanted to stop gaining new knowledge. Whether that knowledge was about current events, stars, numbers, or anything else, Peyton loved it all.

The young man got dressed up in one of his nicest suits and with a small bite from an apple, was out the door.

As he reached the bottom of his building Peyton glanced at his watch once again and saw that it was now 8:47. He wasn’t too far from his office building and he didn’t start until 9:30. Peyton always planned ahead and liked it when he had a plan for the day.

Peyton greeted his doorman as he left. People often confused Peyton, but he still did his best to go about the usual rigmarole of “normal social pleasantries”. He checked a mirror one more time just to make sure that he looked clean and proper and then began his walk.

Peyton loved the city. He had done so much research on how his city, New York, had taken so many years and so many people to become the amazing spectacle that it was today. How many years had it taken? How many architects had it taken? How many people inhabited this beautiful place? All these things were just numbers. Numbers made the world go round.

Part of Peyton wanted to change about him that didn’t get people though. He saw how happy his parents were together, and even though for a while he thought a relationship would never work for someone like him, he realized now that he really wanted one.

Peyton knew one thing for sure. Even though he struggled to connect with most people, he liked to be protective. He had a little sister that he had grown up protecting. She was his whole world when they were little and he would have done anything for her. Would have…

The girl had passed away some years ago…

This loss had left a hole in Peyton for a long time. But he knew that finding someone to fill that hole was what would make him a whole person once again. As Peyton took his walk down the road to work, he was secretly keeping an eye out for that person. Boy or girl, younger or older, he didn’t much care. But he wanted to find love.

Peyton took the same route to work every day. As in all things, he was a very logical guy and had a particular way that he liked to do things. Taking the exact same route to work was one of those things.

He looked down at his watch once more while he walked. It was now 8:55. ‘Funny’ He thought to himself. He was usually outside of his office building by 9:00. Today he was a little off.

Peyton picked up the pace of his walking, which is something he very rarely did. He wasn’t too far away now. Only one more block. He just had to circle around this coffee shop and…

WHAM! He bumped into something small. He stumbled and fell backwards a little but caught himself before falling down all the way. Peyton stood himself back up and looked down at the ground. There on the ground, recovering from her fall on her butt, was a girl. A beautiful girl. He was stunned for a moment and her beauty and then shook it off when he realized what he’d just done. “H-Hey… are you okay?”