After work, Jordan took Stanley over to The Vision Library, where they pondered about their next plan.

“Are you certain about this?” Stanley asked nervously. “I don’t think this sounds like a good idea.”

“Do you have any better ideas?” Jordan commented without looking at him.

“Well, no. But why are we here again?”

“I know some people who can help us out here.”

“But weren’t you kicked out before?”

“Yeah, but I’ll be careful this time, just as long as nobody confuses you for me.”

Jordan pushed him toward the entrance. Stanley looked around, finding the library less crowded than before. Was anybody even working here, or were they on break? Stanley didn’t know if he could handle this. Jordan tried to reassure him and tell him not to be so hard on himself. Jordan left for a moment as he said he’d be right back, leaving Stanley by himself near the tables.

Stanley sighed as he rested his head on the table with some books next to him. His arms wrapped around himself as he moaned to himself. Just then, a voice and loud footsteps snapped him out of his thoughts.

“Excuse me, you’re at a library, so you need to be quiet.” Stanley got up from his seat and turned to face the brunette woman, who stood there with a stern look on her face. “Hey, wait, you look familiar...”

“Oh no, that was my…” He hesitated. “Twin that you kicked out.” Stanley tried to save face.

The female’s face softened a bit after hearing that. “Oh, so you’re the other one, then. Hi again.”

“Uh, hi.” Stanley placed his hand behind his head and whispered. “Now that I think about it, I feel like I’ve seen you before as well. Have we met before?”

The brown-haired lady gasped with shock. “Oh my gosh, I remember now. You’re the one that wanted the map from the stand weeks ago!”

“Wait, that was you?”

“I’m sorry for the rude behavior beforehand...” She clasped her hands and bowed down. “I was having a horrible and stressful day; I didn’t mean to take it all out on you.”

“Oh, it’s fine,” Stanley replied.

“I wish I could make it up to you somehow.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Please, isn’t there anything I can do?” She offered.

“Well, um, if you insist,” Stanley stammered, thinking up a suitable response. “Maybe you could accompany me to go get some ice cream or cake? There’s a shop down the block that’s—”

“Ooh, I love ice cream! Then are you saying it’s a date?”

“A date? But don’t you already have a lover?”

“Well, had one...” She lowered her head and murmured.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Stanley said sadly, “maybe this is a bad idea—”

“No, I don’t mind at all; we can go once I finish my shift. My name is Melody.”

“And I’m Stanley, pleased to meet you.”

.-.-.-.

After a while, Stanley and Melody exited the library and planned a course toward the ice cream parlor. While heading out, a vibration rang in Stanley’s pockets. He reached into his pockets, picked up his phone, and looked over at what appeared to be a text.

J: “Hey, sounds like you already got one in no time. Good luck, man, you’ll need it.”

Huh? That’s odd. When did I get a new number? Stanley thought.

A whisper caused him to snap around and notice Jordan hiding behind the staircase, giving him a thumbs up and a wink as the two headed out.

Stanley and Melody strolled along to get ice cream and went window shopping. Melody skipped across the sidewalks while Stanley walked at a reasonable pace, trying not to bump into anyone. He didn’t know how many more stores they’d go to or how long they’ll be doing. The two exchanged pleasant conversations about how they came to the town, what their goals and dreams are, etc.

Just then, a familiar jingle on TV from the display screen interrupted them. The two turned around and spotted a young android girl on the television screen. She talked about an app one could get on their phone that could help and benefit all of society. Stanley felt he’d seen the ad before and groaned.

“Ugh, not this again...”

“What, do you not like the ad?” Melody questioned.

“Well, it’s just that I hate that it’s everywhere,” Stanley replied, his shoulders dropped. “I mean, does that even work?”

“Why, yes, it does, believe it or not.”

“Huh? How do you know? Did you use—?”

“Yes, I wished to maintain multiple jobs. That way, I could get enough money to afford college.”

“Oh, that’s kind of cool. But wait, why didn’t you wish to go to college?” Stanley suggested.

“Well, it wouldn’t be nearly as satisfying,” Melody replied, tapping her foot on the ground. “I want to work hard and make it seem more rewarding. You can wish for anything you want. You can travel through time, make someone fall in love with you, kill another...”

“Um, aren’t there any limits to this wishing stuff?” Stanley asked.

“Of course, you can only use one wish, so choose wisely,” Melody warned.

After a while, the two sat on the porch and looked at the sunset; the sky had a fiery look with shades of red and orange, along with purple clouds lightly floating. The lanterns glowed brightly, making it easier to see.

As it got late, Melody asked if Stanley could take her back to the library, as she knew the rest of the way home from there. After reaching the location, which was now closed, Melody took the bags off Stanley’s hands and thanked him for the day. The two both claimed they had fun today and said goodbye to one another. Melody kissed him on the cheek and walked away. Stanley’s eyes widened as he placed his hand on his cheek. A small smile spread across his face.

His heart skipped a beat as he headed back to his apartment. On the way, he felt another vibration in his pockets. Stanley reached inside and pulled out his phone, only to find he had gotten another text. He had a hunch on who it was.

J: “Nice job out there.”

S: “How did you know we finished? Were you following us?”

J: “It was just a guess; I had a feeling everything went well. See? All according to plan!”

“Ok, but what am I going to do about—?” Stanley was about to text, but another reply appeared in a matter of seconds.

J: “If you’re worried about that other date, then don’t worry, I’ll handle this.”

Stanley was unsure what Jordan meant by that, but he thought not to question it at this point if ‘J’ knows what he’s doing. Hopefully, he wouldn’t have to worry about what he did, since his plans seemed to go well, bizarrely enough.

Stanley recalled wanting to ask Melody something, but he had forgotten until after going their separate ways. He turned and headed back to the library as fast as possible before he forgot again. Stanley walked around the edge of the staircase that led to an alleyway beside the place.

He immediately noticed Melody standing there in the middle of the dark alley. As Stanley was about to walk to her, he spotted Jordan standing right next to her. Stanley backed away and hid behind a wall, trying hard not to get caught.

Why hasn’t Melody gone back home? And what’s Jordan doing over here?

Whatever it may have been, they both seemed happy about something. Stanley couldn’t get a good listen without getting spotted. Jordan and Melody continued talking for a bit, finishing their conversation with an embrace.

Stanley’s eyes widened as his mouth gaped open after witnessing that. He placed a hand on his cheek and rubbed it. His eyes became red and watery as he tried to hold back the tears, not knowing why he felt this way, he just did. Stanley ran back toward his apartment without looking back.