Imperfect Desires

The darkness had surrendered as the sun rose as a canopy of gold, blooming like a flower in the horizon. Every tinge of dark charcoal slowly changed its color to vibrancy. It was the break of dawn... Dawn of endless possibilities, new hopes and a desire to make those dreams come true which the previous night had left behind.

In the white linen sheets, a tall and slender body stretched before rolling out of the comfortable sheets to pull the thick curtains. A pair of light honey-brown eyes slowly opened to blink towards the sun. The sun of this very day which she wasn't once promised.

She let that moment to sink in, to soothe her very core with those nascent rays that softly caressed her skin. She was fascinated by the beauty of this tranquility that seemed to have filled her and the warmth that she felt, reminding her once again that... She was still alive.

Trudging towards the bathroom, she stopped in her track as her gaze fell on the reflection in the mirror that stood tall beside her closet door. She stepped closer and tucked those long brown hair behind her ear.

The girl in the mirror didn't look anything like her previous self. Those honey-brown orbs were a complete contrast to her raven ones. The rosy lips, smooth, clear, and delicate skin of her face wasn't like hers either which had to survive through thick make-ups for more than a decade.

They say, After every painful ending, a new beginning is promised. She never expected that she would get a chance to have a new beginning as well.

And she got her new beginning when she woke up in this body five years ago. But even after spending five years in this body, she couldn't bring herself to call it her own. However, she was on the pursuit of making this life hers.

Life was heavy for her once and she eventually lost the strength to carry its burden. One would think that a shattered heart would weigh lighter but who knew that each shattered piece would weigh down on her soul like a tremendous boulder. It weighed her down so much that she eventually let herself fall to her death.

Standing under the showerhead, she let the warm water comfort her broken self.

After a warm shower to start the day, she dressed up in a white colored high waist sailor bell bottoms with a beige colored full sleeve blouse. She wore a pair of elegant slip-on pumps and a golden watch on her wrist matching it with the golden buttons of her blouse.

With her long hair tied up in a professional bun, she picked up her purse and wore the thick-rimmed glasses before leaving her room with only one thought in mind, 'Let's pick up another piece of our heart today to start over. Fighting!'

It had become a routine of hers to remind herself that she needed to start over and for that she needed to free herself from her past life. And to free herself, she had to pick each little piece of her heart that was cast away. Because by only freeing herself, she could hope for a better future. With the painful experience of death once, she had learned what happy ending truly was; it was just moving on.

In the past five years, her only motive in life was to move on.

But as soon as she entered the living room, a strong stench of alcohol assaulted her senses making her cough. She looked around only to find the previously elegant looking hall to turn into a garbage den. Empty wine bottles littered the floor along with empty ice-cream boxes and plenty of other junk food packets.

She rubbed the space between her brows and sighed out while shaking her head. The look of the living room was enough to tell her the tale of what conspired here.

Placing her purse on the dining table, she trotted up to the couch and found that beautiful Latina sleeping in a very unladylike posture with her one leg dangling down.

She pulled the soft throw blanket which was half-tucked under that gorgeous woman's body making her fall with a 'thump' on the thick carpet.

"Xiu'er! Can't you wake me up like a normal person?" The elusive beauty on the floor was rubbing her buttock with a pitiful pout. Her dark chocolate brown eyes were blinking at Xiu like an abandoned kitten.

"This is how normal people help their best friends wake up," Xiu replied while pushing her glasses up. "So, my dear Nora, did you enjoy your trip to the heartbreak hotel last night?"

The half American and half Latin beauty was the original body owner's best friend. But in the past years, Xiu could consider her to be her own best friend. The Chen Xiu who never dared to make friends in her previous life because of the scheming entertainment industry which she was a part of, now had a best friend whom she considered to be a family.

Nora Cartwright was certainly not amused by her jeer as she huffed and said, "What kind of a best friend are you? Aren't you suppose to comfort me for going through a breakup? But here you are jeering at me. Heartless!"

Xiu was busy cleaning up the mess that Nora had created last night while she heard her complaints in amusement. "Nora darling, this was your third breakup this month. I don't think you need my moral support. The wine and ice-cream must have done you justice already."

Nora wasn't offended by her best friend's comment as she said, "My darling Xiu'er, no wine, and ice-cream can replace your single hug." She even opened her arms wide blinking her big eyes earnestly.

Xiu had to give in to the antics of this best friend. She hugged her pleasantly before scrunching up her nose. "EW!" She pushed Nora away while waving her hand before her nose. "Please go and take a shower. You smell like urgh!"

"That was mean of you!" Nora crossed her arms before her chest making her already well-stacked bosom to seem more prominent.

Xiu ruffled her thick curly hair making them a mess as she said, "Who told you to take relationships so casually?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Nora asked in disbelief. "I haven't met the one who can make me seriously rethink about our relationship. Anyway, let's not talk about it." She waved her hands impatiently as always. Whenever it came to the point of serious relationships, Nora Cartwright would easily chicken out. "My baby Xiu'er, why are you looking so gorgeous early in the morning?"

"I have to leave early today. I won't be doing breakfast with you as well." Xiu replied while looking at her wristwatch.

"No, no, My baby Xiu'er, don't abandon me. You know I don't like eating alone." Nora tugged at her arm like a child.

"Nora darling, today is the first day for interns. I have to be on time." Xiu placated this big child and picked up her purse to leave.

"At least, drop those glasses and let your beautiful hair down," Nora suggested while looking at the uptight Xiu who looked cold at first sight. She remembered her best friend as the kind-hearted and warm person but since she had the amnesia, Nora could tell that her Xiu had changed. As if into a completely different person.

"I don't want people to faint seeing my beauty," Xiu played along with Nora in a haughty manner making Nora laugh out loud at her.

"Have a good day, Baby Xiu!"

"You too, my feisty Latina!"