The statue was just off campus. Addy hurried past businesspeople making their way to the subway, and other college students getting back to the dorms. Usually it took no time to find, but the crowds of tourists blocked her path as they made their way into overpriced restaurants.
She finally found the park. Manicured lawns showcased the rolling hills, and petals were just starting to fall from the trees. Addy walked down a winding path surrounded by trees with bright orange blossoms. The setting sun washed everything in gold.
“Hey,” two girls giggled at her as she passed. Addy smiled at them and continued walking. They must’ve also wanted a picture with the statue, since they all seemed to go viral.
It stood alone. Ringed by stone benches, it should have been imposing — over six feet tall and incredibly lifelike. The weathered bronze shone, light catching the words on the pedestal.
Tourist pictures really couldn’t do the statue justice.
Prominent cheekbones, hooded eyes, and hair pulled back into what she hoped was a half-up-half-down and not a man bun. Every clothing detail was there, from the buttons on his shirt to the sturdy heel of his boots; even the zipper on his jacket had individual teeth. His face was etched with a faint smile, and he offered her his hand.
People who thought the challenge was stupid said it was a handshake. Addy thought he was asking her to dance. At least that’s what the hopeless romantics online said.
The one who turns him from stone will be promised to him forever, read the inscription. The statue wasn’t even made from stone, but it was still fun to think that by accepting his dance she might gain a soulmate. Soulmates were rare, and the idea of someone finding theirs by doing something so simple was pretty compelling. No wonder the challenge had blown up.
Addy took a picture, then started a video and slid her hand into his.
She jumped back as the statue fell off the pedestal. He caught himself against her shoulders and her knees buckled.
“Oh my God,” he said, voice a croaky baritone. “It happened.”
“Hi,” Addy squeaked.
It was all there. The hooded eyes, the cheekbones, the dark hair luckily not pulled back into a man bun. Then there was more that even a statue couldn’t capture — the floral pattern on his shirt, the leather of his jacket, the slight crookedness of his canines visible when he spoke.
“Oh my God!” someone shrieked from across the lawn. “Look! He’s gone! It’s her!” The two girls had sat down on a bench, and they were now shouting and pointing at Addy.
“Oh, no. I’m not dealing with this,” the man said. He turned to Addy. The girls were taking out their phones. “Run?”
“Yes,” she said breathlessly. They sprinted back up the path and out of the park, avoiding straggling office workers.
“Listen, I know we’re soulmates and all,” Addy said once they stopped, “but I need to let go of your hand. Mine’s all sweaty.”
He let go. She took a deep breath. “I can’t believe this.” She had just wanted a cute picture with a cute statue. Now he was standing in front of her, most definitely not made of bronze.
“I’m sure you could’ve run faster than that,” he said.
“I can’t! All I do is go to class and sit in my room, not run!”
He offered her his hand. “I’m Jay.”
“Addy.” She looked at his hand. “So . . . was it a handshake?”
“I thought it would be, actually,” Jay said. “Turns out I was in the middle of hanging up my motorcycle helmet.”
“Oh.” Well, there went all the controversy. “Wait, you weren’t just in that statue for, like, seventy years?”
“Nah.” Jay laughed. “I’m totally normal. I just have a statue of me in a park for people to take pictures with. It’s pretty mild as curses go, just having to turn up here when my soulmate touched my hand. I had just gotten home from work.”
“I guess that is pretty mild,” Addy said. It hadn’t completely sunk in yet.
“So did you get a picture?” He leaned over to see her phone, which was still in her hand.
“Oh.” She looked down at it. She had been taking a video of their feet for the past minute. “No.” She ended it.
“Why a video?”
“No idea. Maybe I could make a TikTok out of it.”
Jay sighed. “All the people who tried this, and I have to get someone who’s on straight TikTok?”
“I’m not on straight TikTok!”
“Only straight TikTok does that challenge.” He smiled faintly, seemingly unsure. It made him look just like the statue. “Can I get your number?”
Addy narrowed her eyes. “I don’t even know you. Stranger danger.”
“We’re soulmates or something. But I mean, if you don’t want to, you’ll probably never have to see me again.”
“Oh, whatever,” she said. “Here.” Addy handed him her phone. “Oh, golden hour is ending.” The streetlights were starting to turn on. “The sun always makes my skin glow.”
“Here.” Jay held up her phone. “Smile.” She looked at him, confused, and he laughed. He gave her back the phone. “I have to go cook myself dinner. I’ll see you around?”
“Yeah, I guess.” Addy finally gave a real smile. “Soulmate.”
“Right. Soulmate.”
She finally found the park. Manicured lawns showcased the rolling hills, and petals were just starting to fall from the trees. Addy walked down a winding path surrounded by trees with bright orange blossoms. The setting sun washed everything in gold.
“Hey,” two girls giggled at her as she passed. Addy smiled at them and continued walking. They must’ve also wanted a picture with the statue, since they all seemed to go viral.
It stood alone. Ringed by stone benches, it should have been imposing — over six feet tall and incredibly lifelike. The weathered bronze shone, light catching the words on the pedestal.
Tourist pictures really couldn’t do the statue justice.
Prominent cheekbones, hooded eyes, and hair pulled back into what she hoped was a half-up-half-down and not a man bun. Every clothing detail was there, from the buttons on his shirt to the sturdy heel of his boots; even the zipper on his jacket had individual teeth. His face was etched with a faint smile, and he offered her his hand.
People who thought the challenge was stupid said it was a handshake. Addy thought he was asking her to dance. At least that’s what the hopeless romantics online said.
The one who turns him from stone will be promised to him forever, read the inscription. The statue wasn’t even made from stone, but it was still fun to think that by accepting his dance she might gain a soulmate. Soulmates were rare, and the idea of someone finding theirs by doing something so simple was pretty compelling. No wonder the challenge had blown up.
Addy took a picture, then started a video and slid her hand into his.
She jumped back as the statue fell off the pedestal. He caught himself against her shoulders and her knees buckled.
“Oh my God,” he said, voice a croaky baritone. “It happened.”
“Hi,” Addy squeaked.
It was all there. The hooded eyes, the cheekbones, the dark hair luckily not pulled back into a man bun. Then there was more that even a statue couldn’t capture — the floral pattern on his shirt, the leather of his jacket, the slight crookedness of his canines visible when he spoke.
“Oh my God!” someone shrieked from across the lawn. “Look! He’s gone! It’s her!” The two girls had sat down on a bench, and they were now shouting and pointing at Addy.
“Oh, no. I’m not dealing with this,” the man said. He turned to Addy. The girls were taking out their phones. “Run?”
“Yes,” she said breathlessly. They sprinted back up the path and out of the park, avoiding straggling office workers.
“Listen, I know we’re soulmates and all,” Addy said once they stopped, “but I need to let go of your hand. Mine’s all sweaty.”
He let go. She took a deep breath. “I can’t believe this.” She had just wanted a cute picture with a cute statue. Now he was standing in front of her, most definitely not made of bronze.
“I’m sure you could’ve run faster than that,” he said.
“I can’t! All I do is go to class and sit in my room, not run!”
He offered her his hand. “I’m Jay.”
“Addy.” She looked at his hand. “So . . . was it a handshake?”
“I thought it would be, actually,” Jay said. “Turns out I was in the middle of hanging up my motorcycle helmet.”
“Oh.” Well, there went all the controversy. “Wait, you weren’t just in that statue for, like, seventy years?”
“Nah.” Jay laughed. “I’m totally normal. I just have a statue of me in a park for people to take pictures with. It’s pretty mild as curses go, just having to turn up here when my soulmate touched my hand. I had just gotten home from work.”
“I guess that is pretty mild,” Addy said. It hadn’t completely sunk in yet.
“So did you get a picture?” He leaned over to see her phone, which was still in her hand.
“Oh.” She looked down at it. She had been taking a video of their feet for the past minute. “No.” She ended it.
“Why a video?”
“No idea. Maybe I could make a TikTok out of it.”
Jay sighed. “All the people who tried this, and I have to get someone who’s on straight TikTok?”
“I’m not on straight TikTok!”
“Only straight TikTok does that challenge.” He smiled faintly, seemingly unsure. It made him look just like the statue. “Can I get your number?”
Addy narrowed her eyes. “I don’t even know you. Stranger danger.”
“We’re soulmates or something. But I mean, if you don’t want to, you’ll probably never have to see me again.”
“Oh, whatever,” she said. “Here.” Addy handed him her phone. “Oh, golden hour is ending.” The streetlights were starting to turn on. “The sun always makes my skin glow.”
“Here.” Jay held up her phone. “Smile.” She looked at him, confused, and he laughed. He gave her back the phone. “I have to go cook myself dinner. I’ll see you around?”
“Yeah, I guess.” Addy finally gave a real smile. “Soulmate.”
“Right. Soulmate.”