Choices (Book Four)

Chapter 3

Lyla

He emailed me. Shawn wrote back to me. The email came in about fifteen minutes ago as I was laying in my bed where I still am now. I stare down at the screen of my phone as I read it over for the probably the tenth time already. I'm still in a bit of shock that I might be dreaming and this isn't actually happening. After an entire summer spent checking my inbox everyday for any little sight of his name, I finally have a message from him. I read his words over again as I finally manage to stand from my bed and head towards the living room. Megan is sitting on the couch and turns her head back to look at me as I enter the room.

"Why do you look like you just saw a monkey riding a unicycle?" She asks me as she raises a brow at me.

"Shawn emailed me," I mutter out and watch her face take on one of surprise itself. "And that was a horrible analogy," I add as I collapse onto the couch beside her.

"Oh my god!" She squeals loudly beside me and my shoulders scrunch up in reaction to the volume. "Tell me everything!" She demands as she turns to face me.

"I'm honestly still wrapping my head around it," I say.

"Read it to me."

"The email?"

"No, your anatomy textbook," she replies sarcastically. "Yes, the email!"

Megan looks eager to hear what the email contains, so I can't deny her the small satisfaction. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to get an outsiders perspective on what it might mean or if I should reply. I pull the email up on my phone again and cant hold back the small smile that makes its way onto my face as I stare down at his name on my screen.

"'Hey Lyla, it sounds like you had a great summer, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your time in Africa. I spent most of my summer just working on rehabbing my knee and it was a success because I'm all settled down in Grand Rapids now waiting for the season to start up soon. I know you start back at school today so I just wanted to wish you good luck in your senior year. All the best, Shawn.'"

I glance up from my phone to find Megan staring off into space in deep thought. I put my phone down on the couch between us and wait patiently for her to say something. The seconds tick by and I find myself growing desperate to hear ay sort of words from her.

"Well?" I ask and break her from her thoughts as her eyes snap over to mine.

"It's interesting," she comments and I groan loudly in response to her vague answer. "Well clearly he's thinking of you, so that right there is a positive."

"But what do I do now? Do I write him back? He didn't ask any questions or leave much open to discussion for me to comment back to him," I admit softly.

"He was wishing you luck in school so you could always right something back just thanking him and wishing him luck with his season this year," Megan suggests and I admit the idea doesn't sound too terrible.

"I'm honestly just relieved to get a response from him," I tell her. "It's a small bit of confirmation that he does not hate my guts."

"That boy could never hate you, I can promise you that," Megan reassures me.

"So do you think I should write something back?" I ask her hesitantly.

"Maybe give it a few days," Megan replies as she stands from the couch and heads towards the kitchen. "The guy made you wait three months for any sort of communication so let him stew for a bit."

Easier said then done, I think to myself. I pick my phone up again and unlock it, re-reading the email again one more time, overanalysing every word. I have been waiting all summer to get this email, yet now that it's here I have no idea what to do. One part of me wants to write him back immediately, asking him about Grand Rapids and how he is liking the new team. Another part of me wants to go along with Megan's plan to let him sweat it out a few days like I did all summer long. The more I debate back and forth in my head with what to do, I admit to myself that I don't even really know what I would say to him. Or what I would want to say to him.