The Note

Chapter 5

 I run until my legs give out, I've never been much of an athlete. I take in my surroundings only to realize that I have no earthly idea where I am. I can't drive and have no one I can call. I put my headphones in and begin to walk, convincing myself that eventually I'd find a way home. I walk for what seems like hours, but is probably just a matter of minutes, until I come across my swing set. 

Memories flood back to the day I took Michael here, I had wanted to show him my favorite place.

"Come on!" I say as I tug on his gentle hand. "It's only a bit further!"

"You know I don't go outside."

"I know, but it's something that means a lot to me."

"Anything for you love," he  says as he picks  up his pace.

"Here it is."

"A swing?"

"Yeah, this is my favorite place in the entire world. I used to come here when I was a kid. Then, I stopped coming, I don't know why. But I come everyday after school now."

"What do you do here that makes it your favorite?"

"When I was little, I came here because I didn't have anybody. My dad left me, and mom was never the same after that, neither was Olivia. I used to imagine I had friends, and a family who loved me. I was the most beloved girl in the entire town when I was here. Well, the imaginary town. I guess it helped me get through it all. And when I grew up and Olivia was taken from me, I started coming here and when mom . . . when mom left me . . . I basically lived here. I could just come here and think, just me and my music and I didn't have to worry about anything. Just me."

A moment of silence passes.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything, Michael."

"Why . . ."

"Michael, just ask me. I've dealt with things that were ten times worse than a bad question."

"Why do you never talk about your mom?"

I immediately felt a pang in my heart. I close my eyes and sit, thinking for what seems like an eternity.

"Really, you don't have to answer that. I shouldn't . . ."

"No, you asked and you deserve an answer. It just takes some time for me to get through it. "

"Take however long you need. I'll wait forever if that's what you need."

A faint smile appears. "I don't talk about her because she did what every person in my life that I've loved has done . . ." Tears form in my eyes. "She left. I spent the majority of my life wondering why my dad left; what did I do? Was I not good enough? Then, Olivia was taken from me. Then, mom left." Anger that has been boiling deep inside me for years reemerges. "SHE COULD'VE STAYED! SHE STILL HAD ME! TWO PEOPLE IN HER LIFE WERE GONE, BUT I WASN'T! SHE FELT LIKE SHE WAS ALL ALONE! HOW DID SHE THINK I FELT! OLIVIA WAS MY BEST FRIEND! I HAD NOBODY ELSE IN THIS WORLD BESIDES YOU AND SHE KNEW THAT!" My chest feels as if it's about to collapse as I heave in and out wondering how hard it would be to just simply quit breathing. Hot streams run down my cheeks as I collapse onto the ground below. I lay sobbing, helpless until I feel warm arms around me.

"I will never leave you. Nothing can ever stop me from loving you."

"Promise?"

"Forever and always."

After a long stretch of the only noises being him stroking my hair and telling me everything was going to be alright and me crying, I ask if we can swing.

He smiles and says, "sure."

We race to the swings even though they lay not even three feet away, and jump on, beginning the process of to go the highest.

"Why do you like swinging so much?" he asks.

"Because I feel like I'm flying, like nothing else can hold me down. Like I'm finally free."

He smiles and continues trying to go higher than me. I can't help but laugh as I watch the boy I slowly but surely fell in love with, struggle to continue swinging.

At that moment, I felt like I was at the top of the world. Little did I know, it was about to come crashing down.