Sunflower.
Sunflower patterns are the first thing Yara sees when the elevator slides open
She has been sketching this new watch design for aproximately 352 days, promoting it on every platform her low budget allows and yet it keeps on free-falling on the popularity contest, not even reaching top 1000. They told her it was too basic, but she believes some result manipulation is occuring. It's barely 11 in the morning but Yara can't wait for this day to be over.
Stepping inside, a deep exhale escapes unknownigly, laced with the bitterness of being a female designer with a degree of a local university in a third world country and a huge, profound tiresome after an 8 hour flight to Switzerland. All in the name of getting justice, she hopes selling her necklace was worth it.
As she roams her eyes at the pretty layout for a few seconds, the door shutting behind her, Yara isn't aware of the subtle movements her body creates. Jaw unclenching, muscles relaxing, lips coming together to draw a small smile. A weird sense of serenity gradually fills her, at the same pace of the ride. Her shoulders slump, but it's not one of defeat, more of relief.
She blinks at the foreign feeling, feeling both in and out of element inside the booth, but soon later chuckles to herself when she figues out the reason.
The sunflower wallpaper.
If one was to ask her for the basis behind the bizzare attachement to one of the most common flowers in the world, our protagonist would lower her head sheepishly, fiddle with her hads and mutter in a small voice : sunflowers are the epitome of romance, how can I not fall in love with them? but that would not be entirely true.
Yara Ihsan has always been an artisitic person, seeing beauty everywhere she goes, so it's only natural she sees beauty in sunflowers. She sees something else in them.
Dedication.
If her high school memory isn't failling her, all plants need sunshine to some extent for survival, but sunflowers take their dedication to a whole other level, restlessly turning around every single day and season for the sole purpose of looking at the sun, being at the same direction, basking in its warmth. Even if the latter shines equally for everyone and everything, paying them no special attention. And to her, that's the utmost level of commitement, and love.
Yara too is a dedicated person, to her work, to her sister who's growing up away from her, in their small city, to her parents who believed in her enough to pay for the train ticket when she decided to move to the capital after graduating university, a one way ticket since she never came back home.
Her grandma used to tell her sincere feelings always pay off, in different, sometimes unexpected ways. No wonder sunflowers are so exquisite despite being shaped in a rather basic form, tainted by rather plain colors. Sincere feelings are always worth it.
In the midset of it, Yara's knuckles tap the space seperating her collarbones, right where the necklace should have been. A pout makes its way on her features when she doesn't hear the usual click, expressing the disappointement replacing the tranquility previously filling her heart, she wonders if someone is wearing it now, if the jeweler stacked it somewhere with second hand items, or dissolved it to make a new model using the metal. If the necklace is only a ghost now, accompaying her grandmother.
Will my hard work ever bloom? Yara inquires, to no one.
Her depressing trail of thoughts is cut short when a ringing sound emits and the lift's doors stretch, revealing a man on the other side, he bows lightly and Yara does the same.
A bow is defined as a short gesture of respect, meaning that the man is soon lifting his head, a faint, polite smile plastered on his non-masked face and oh, that's Zac Bjorklund.
Zac Bjorklund, the master-mind behind the newest viral BROLLER model and one of the company's biggest shareholders, despite being relatively new at work.
Oh.
Realisation dawns on Yara like the bus that hit Regina George in the mean girls movie, or Willy Wonka's great glass elevator piercing through the roof, Yara feels light headed either ways.
Zac Bjorklund of BROLLER is actually going inside the same elevator as her
Zac Bjorklund. as in Zac Bjorklund her long-time crush, her sun, her role model, the apple of her eyes, the strap to her watch.
A sound that is eerily simlair to the first 15 seconds of Careless Whisper by George Micheal plays somewhere in Yara mind. She tries to keep her giddiness in check as the strong indepedant woman she is. But it appears to be a rather diffucult task to ignore the voices repeating "It's destiny, Yara ihsen, you know it's destiny, you and Zac, it's destiny"
Yara inwardly ( or maybe outwardly) rolls her eyes at her nervous system antics and is so thankful she had a flu that forced her to wear a mask today. The width of her smile must be abnormal, looking like an absolute lovesick fool in front of a man who has never heard of her exsitence (before today!). let alone the blush that's currently making this already packed space warmer.
But Zac won't witness this embarassement, Yara grins even more as she adjusts the mask higher.
Zac enters the cab, presses the seventh floor button, and then scootes a bit closer to Yara who wants to scream into the void.
2.5 seconds later, It goes silent like it would between 2 strangers on a very short ride. However, the voices in her mind seem to be getting louder, bent on starting a conversation :
Small talk, Yara, small talk. Tell him how big of a fan you are, how you fantazise about converting him to islam and starting a family with him, wait that's too much information. Just blurt something like 'You're even handsomer in real life' or something
If you don't say anything, you're going to regret it for the rest of your pathetic life. I've been inside your tiny body for 26 years and I know you too well, just say hi like a normal person.
Yara deeply inhales, exhales, inhales once again and decides to stop acting like a side character in a cringey rome-com cheap remake and tries her shot. She clears her throat, preparing her vocal chords to sound the perfect, alluring pitch (no plans of seducing Zac, she swears) and opens her mouth to-
Well to nothing, because guess what?
The beep resonates once again, signalling the arrival to the 7th floor, and Yara can see Zac fixing his posture, taking a step forward as if he's exiting.
No actually, He IS exiting the elevator, moving forward. Yara is one second away from shouting into the void, for different reasons now.
Well fucking done, you just lost the opportunity of your life, go cry about it. Strong indepedant woman, what a joke. Her mind replays. Yara can feel herself sulking as Zac gets closer to the exit.
The story could end here, Yara getting a 6 seconds glimpse of the one-sided love and calling it a day, but it doesn't.
In a moment of abrupt clarity, or panic, and as an attempt of closing the doors and preventing the love of her life from going out, her fingers mess with the control panel, accidently clicking on the 27th floor button. And god, she wishes she didn't.
Now, now, one of the primordial rules you learn in the process of entering the fashion industry, be it in a small business or a multinational corporation, is that, if you ever happen to become succeful enough that you enter BROLLER headquartes, you must NOT press the button of the 27th floor. It had been broken since the dawn of time, even before Sandy Misha decided to leave the company.
And as you've probably guessed right, Yara Ihsen has just pressed the button of the 27th floor. She's almost proud of himself, except she is not.
Zac snaps his head at the speed of light and stares at Yara like a kicked puppy and a deranged tiger at the same time. Damn, that's one intense stare, Yara thinks
"Am I hallucinating or did you actually press the 27th floor button?!" He yells, disbelief flowing in his tone. Yara feels the blow coming directly at her, the voice not echoing through the sound proof walls.
No, no, no. This isn't going well.
"I'm so sorry. It... it was an accident!! I swear!"
"You're telling me that you didn't know that the 27th floor button is broken??? that's too severe, even for a clear amateur, Dina torkia wannabe. Bet you're some village girl and this is your first time at an elevator. If we don't die, make sure to learn some ettiquettes" he grits his teeth loudly, holding himself from saying more.
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As if on cue, she's reminded of where and who she really is. Switzerland, alone, her design in her hand, some "proof" of the votes rigging and a couple of euros in her navy jeans pockets because she couldn't find a device converter who had Swedish krona in their deposit.
She considers if this whole thing is her grandma's way of being upset over the necklace, or maybe her ex best friend's 'karma' as she used to say before Yara started to ignore her calls. She's always been bad at handling relationships.
Fighting the tears pooling, she gulps and fixes her hijab.
"I'm fully aware that we shouldn't press the 27th floor number, I apologize deeply for causing the incovenience" She barely register herself talking.
The sulkiness turns into a frown, and the frown is soon followed by a sigh, and a second frown. Zac spares her another look before going back to his place, watching the door close again, his demeanor sinking.
Way to go, Yara, way to fucking go.
Quietness fills the space, leaving less place to breath, as the elevator slowly goes up along with her heartbeats, she tries to distract the dread making a room in her chest by crouching down, tying the already tied shoelaces (The shoes were a gift from her paternal aunt, six years ago. Turned out the sole is of high quality) and swiping imaginary dust of them.
At some point, however, it becomes clear that the whole atmosphere is making her suffocated and frankly speaking, sick. She's about to utter anything when Zac beats her to it:
"I... only said that because I had been rushing to go to the bathroom earlier, that was so mean of me to say, I'm sorry... you know, I took a sneak peak of that paper, and if it's your drawing, I just wanted to say thar I like the idea behind the buckle. I'm sorry again" Zac casts his russet pupils down while her own's dilate out of suprise. that stupid smile is etching on her features again.
"Oh, it's okay, I apologize too, I didn't mean to press the 27th floor button. It was stupid of me, I acknowledge that. Wait, I'll call 911" Yara goes through her bag before swallowing "... or maybe not"
"What do you mean, maybe not? No, no, no, please no, don't tell me you forgot your phone" he begs.
"I forgot my phone."
"I literally told you not to tell me that" Zac stares incredulously, and then whines "What are the odds we both forgot them?!"
Odds, more like destiny, Yara's mind unhelpfully supplies
"What are we going to do now?"
"What? you mean besides potentially dying" The elevator stops at the 27th floor and sways "Scratch potentially, we are definitely dying" Fright is evident in Zac's face when he latches on Yara, voice lowering to a shaky whisper. A sick, twisted happiness settles inside her when she looks at the way their arms are intertwined, she then gets a grip on herself and brushes him away.
It's kind of comical. She's probably going to die but the sole focus is her crush, strong independent woman behaviour at its finest.
Come to think of it, it will take about 5 minutes for someone to notice that the elevator is not working, that a stupid person (aka, her) pressed the broken button. 19 minutes for a mechanical engineer to arrive, but to actually fix the problem? It's not even certain the staff will manage to save them, there had been only one case akin to their situation around three years ago, and the victim is still living with PTSD.
In short, they have about one hour before they can go out, or the ...elevator collapses and they both die, or there's no oxygene left, and they both die. Yara pales.
"You know, uhm.. we can make time go faster, if you want of course" she suggets, trying to lift the mood. Zac squints his eyes, widens them, then blushes "I have no interest in any unorthodox way you mean to use with me, I am not an easy man"
"What are you talking about? I just meant we should play a game like have I never or something to kill time.."
Zac caughs in his hand and mumbles a "sure"
The elevator shakes another time, much more violently.
"We can play truth or dare? Anything you want"
"Let's start by sitting down, this is going to take to a long while" zac ungracefully drops on the platinum tile. His expensive, elegant suit catching some of the grim on the surface. She contemplates sitting as she has no spare pants, but his grin is enough of a motivation to join him. As their shoulders lightly bump, she bites back a lovesick chortle.
They start playing truth or dare. They choose the lamest dares ever, because you know, there isn't much to do in a space that doesn't exceed the superficy of 5m². It goes on for about 15 minutes, no sign of help. But she focuses on the positives aspects, her mood in an unusual optimistic mood.
"Those are some sharp sleeve buttons" She notes, when Zac's wrist brush the back of her hand by accident and draws a tiny scratch to which he apologizes immediatly.
"Tell me about it, I can literally carve something using them, but anyways my turn, truth or dare?" Zac tilts his head forward.
"Uhmm.. Last time, you asked me to put my whole fist in my mouth. Definitely truth"
"It's not my problem you hand to mouth ratio is atypical. Tell me, what's your impression of me? like what do you think of me, have you ever heard of me?" He wriggles his eyebrows playfully. Who would've thought he was such an expressive guy?
Yara thinks carefully about the question, a nervous laughter, expressing the uneasiness creeping inside.
Should she tell him that she's been a huge fan ever since that day, nearly 10 years ago? back when Nora was learning how to walk and would often trip because she wouldn't notice the family's dog which was still alive. He was such a ball of sunshine, Yara misses them both.
She should've probably gone out with her mom for groceries under that summery sun, instead of tossing around the couch. Boredom filling her to the brim, already craving lunch time even though the dining room clock indicated that it was only 11 am.
Scrolling through the channels of their old television somehow led her to some european channel. It wasn't really common for that to happen since they only had a Nilesat parabolic anthena, but yara believes in destiny, and she believes she was meant to see that exact program.
She wasn't really interested in accessories before, she actually didn't have particular interests, and back then it scared her, the thought of not having something to be passionate about.
Destiny also guides her to catch the sight of a tall young man, in his twenties. fair skin and cheek smashed by some whipped cream like how rich people do on fancy parties, he was holding an open silver box, containing the wining watch design.
It was at that particular moment, right after the boy laughed and a dimple appeared that Yara thought "Grandma, I'm in love"
And she was, she really was. As shallow as it sounds, she instantly fell for everything about that party, him, the details on the watch, their appreciation for what she used to deem an overrated item.
Nah, doesn't seem so right for a first meeting, she thinks of another answer. But then, what is there to respond? It's not like she actually knows him in real life. This might be all a facade since he is a public personality, she considers bitterly.
Yara settles for a simple "Yeah, I heard about you , and you seem like a very hard working person, I admire that" and averts her gaze away. Zac tilts his head closer, eyebrows arched in a position that's to be half-pleased by the compliment, half-annoyed by its overbearing formality, he laughs "Just say you think I'm cool!"
"Sure thing, Anyways, it's my turn" She says before adding" Sing something"
"That's a very lame dare" Zac scoffs just before the elevator agitates for the nth round "Why the hell does this thing vibrates everytime I open my mouth"
"Probably cuz it's tired of your whining"
"Weak comeback"
"Whatever, just sing"
"I will let you on a secret, I was trained in classical music when I was young, I'll show the proof" are his last words before doing a quick vocal warming. He starts singing a ballad Yara has never heard of.
Zac takes his time with the words, stretching every syllable. phrases articulated in the fashion one does when they are singing about a personal matter. The lyrics seem to be revolving around the concept of loyality. Being loyal to something that is precious to you, even if sometimes that love isn't always returned in the same intensity. Yara feels herself being lulled, exhaustation melting away and she closes her eyes, absent-mindedly leaning closer to him.
Zac sings about how loyality come from our own feelings, rather than someone's else actions. How promises are not a burden once we make them without expecting something in return. How the purity of love comes in the feeling itself. Like the rain to the soil, like the sunflowers to the sun.
Really, the lyrics seem to be a bit too utopian, something platon would preach. And yet, Yara never related to a song as much as she does with this one, her mind slowly giving in to sleep, drifting somewhere in dreamland where she can see her father smilling proudly at her as she gives him the best piece of her first man wrist watch collection.
Zac either forgets the rest, or the song abruptly comes to an end. Yara flutters her eyes open, she goes completly mute for a few seconds, the scenary replaying in her mind. It's only when she notices him staring at her expectantly that she goes out of her trance, embarassed.
"That was... beautiful, you sing so prettily, you should consider becoming a singer" Yara is quite proud of herself for not stuttering, and for flustering Zac who seems to be content enough that his face reddens.
"I only sing when I'm with my cat or my shower, so consider yourself lucky"
"Yeah, yeah, I admit. I'm lucky" More than you probably think. Zac only laughs.
A peaceful silence makes room for itself again. the already non-existent want to shift away from him fades completly. Yara tries her best to suppress a yawn, as he might mistakens it as her being uninterested.
"You know you can sleep on my shoulder"
Well that's interesting, cuz Yara didn't. Not that she would, but the thought itself is intriguing.
"Wouldn't it be uncomfortable for you?"
"My bladder is on the verge of exploding, I don't think I can get any more uncomfy" Zac laughs then seems to regret his words as he stares down "It kinda sounded weird, sorry about that. Anyways, I really don't mind"
"What if we're dying in my sleep?"
"I will wake you up in case I felt like it really was the end. Do you think you deserve a peaceful death when you were the cause of this?!" Zac teases, with no real bite. And it's only then that yara realizes just how close they have gotten over the course of an hour, give or take.
Dead or not, Yara knows she will never forget today, and to move on from her crush?
"Wouldn't dream of it" She grins as he retreats to his initial position, dozing off.
Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep
The sight of the outside world (one of the building's main halls) is the first thing Yara sees when whe wakes up her from slumber.
Oh, they actually made it alive.
"The bathroom, the bathroom, here I come, my dearest!" Zac dramatically shouts and bolts from the scene in probably a fraction of second. Yara, confused due to Zac's sudden movement is soon surrounded by a swarm of people, asking her question about what seems to be the event of the year '2 people stuck in an elevator'. Is that a camera man?
After shaking herself up, Yara fetches her pockets to look for anything (read: phone number) Zac left for her and grimaces when she realizes there's nothing save for the papers. Oh, it's too late for that appointement with the secretary..
It's ok, Yara thinks positively. We can't get everything in life, even if she sold her precious necklace only to get stuck on an elevator and miss the sole reason she came for.
Leaving people to talk about the myth of Zac Bjorklund and the 27th floor's incident for generations to come, she exits.
Well, not before promoting her own drawing and telling the press to help her get justice.
-------------------------------
Had Yara been a bit more observant, or maybe a strong independant woman. She would've noticed that Zac isn't the type of people to have a pen and paper with them, or their phone number memorized.
And yet, while she was sleeping, Zac had tried with all his might and that sharp ass button of his sleeve to scribble :
You too have a pretty voice, and an even prettier way of darwing designs. You will make it in the industry, cheer up!
You also have a pretty face, text me on messanger?
On the wall, next to a pretty sunflower.