I'm Gonna Miss You

Chapter 11: Giving Back

The whole night I couldn't help smiling to myself. Not just because of Dylan, but because Kyan and Tony were there for me when I needed them. Even though they showed too much affection in public, I loved seeing them together. I know it's just high school, and these relationships don't last long, but part of me hopes they make it until the end.

We stayed outside on the front lawn till night came and stars swarmed over head. The first to leave were Kyan and Tony, because like always, her parents wanted her home right away and where there's no Kyan, there's no Tony. Dylan and I sat on the picnic mat longer than expected, talking and laughing like we usually do. He went back home when he saw Nan walking to the front door, leaving me to clean up the mess left behind.

Even as I walked out of the shower, the smile that had been there in my sleep, still shone brightly. I looked myself in the mirror, feeling better as I saw my own reflection, looking as happy as before. I got dressed quickly, putting on a lavender dress with a white floral designs at the hem. I sat on the chair by my desk and picked up the 2nd envelope from the box. Breaking the seal, I pulled out the letter.

'Lilah,

You should've guessed by now, but all that junk that used to clutter my room, I don't need it anymore. That doesn't mean that other people don't. Do me a favour and get rid of it. Whatever you do, don't sell a thing. Give it to a charity, which ever charity you want, I know you'll choose a great one. If you want to keep something from there, feel free to take it.
How ever much you miss me, I miss you a million times more.

Love,
Nelson.'

I put down the letter, my cheerful smile now replaced by one of a full heart. "A million times more?" I mumbled. "You're crazy." There's no way he missed me more than I missed him.

Biting my lip, I headed down the steps, only to be welcomed by the silence from the bottom floor. I looked around but saw nobody in either the living room or the kitchen. I understood that my parents had to go to work but where were Gran and Gramps? I walked down the hallway, the sound of my heels clicking against the floor. The door to their room was unlocked. Peeking in, I saw the bed neatly made but neither of my grandparents were to be found inside.

I turned around, wondering where they could have possibly gone. They did come back after dinner last night, meaning they were safe. So, where were they now? I walked into the kitchen and grabbed an apple from the fridge. The moment I bit into the apple a thought hit me; where was Nelson's stuff anyways?

Frowning, I headed outside, grabbing my keys from the kitchen table as I went. The day was lovely, the sun shielded off by the shade of the trees as I walked towards my garage. I turned the lock, deja vu sticking to my brain as I was reminded of the same action yesterday. I threw up the garage door, my apple held in my mouth by my teeth, as boxes labeled "Nelson Clemens" lay before me.

Caressing the boxes with one hand as I thought about how these same boxes were once shoved into my brother's dorm room. How they would never have come back if these things hadn't happened. But they did. These boxes came back, just as quickly as they left. I stared at the pile of folded cardboard, not knowing what to do with all of it.

Snapping out of my trance, I jumped towards one of the larger boxes, looking for something special. The piles of packing peanuts made it difficult to tell if it was inside or not, leaving me no choice but to go through all three. I moved the smaller boxes aside, leaving the trio of big ones under the light. One by one I opened them searching through the Styrofoam.

"Where is it?" I grew stressed.

I was hoping with all my heart that my parents hadn't done anything with it yet. That I still had a chance of finding it and keeping it with me as a reminder of him. I folded back the lid of the first box and opened the one next to it. I bit my lip as I stared at the covering, I couldn't tell what lay beneath it. I shoved my hands inside finding a wide body of wood connected to a much narrower piece.