Without The Words

Epilogue

(A year later, a couple weeks after Mr. Lee is released, and six months after Poppy is released from the psychiatric hospital.)

"Stop it, Donnie," Vera mumbled, a giggle escaping her lips as Donnie kissed her neck.

I awkwardly looked down at my lap, my notepad in my hands, my fingers brushing back and fourth against the front page. I still had the same one from school.

"We should give them some space," Daniel said. "Let's go sit at a different table."

Quickly nodding, I followed the black haired boy to another table in the crowded coffee shop. I met Daniel at the psychiatric hospital, who was in for attempted suicide. He didn't know much about my past, and I didn't know much about his. It seemed to be better that way.

His skin was milky pale, his eyes forest green, and his lips, big and full and he'd always lick them, which I found to be so adorable.

Although he was very attractive and slightly frail, like me, I couldn't seem to look at him romantically. I wasn't sure if he looked at me that way, either. We were friends, sort of.

When I had to attend group counseling once a day in the hospital, Daniel was there, and we'd write to each other in the corner of the room with markers and a white slate. The guidance counselor let us simply because we both were far too shy to talk in the group with everybody else.

Because of that, we grew closer. I was able to talk to him, of course, not from anything that had to do with the psychiatric hospital. I still sometimes felt uncomfortable around him, though, like I did with mostly everybody else. My anxiety still lingered, floating out of my throat like a fog and consuming me. It hasn't stopped. I could talk more, but I still couldn't suppress the simple fear of socialization that I dreaded.

I was able to talk from a certain someone. A someone who just the thought of still made my heart twist, ache, and pull in the depths of my chest.

Swallowing the lump of anxiety, I took a deep breath while looking down at my notepad. "Could you walk with me to buy a new notepad?" I asked Daniel quietly, my voice wavering.

"Of course."

Gathering our belongings, we headed for the door.

We'll be back, I wrote. Tapping Vera's shoulder, I showed her my message.

"Alrighty," she said, returning her attention back on Donnie.

We slid into the outside world, the door chiming from behind us.

Daniel and I walked in silence, the wind blowing my hair around annoyingly. I tightened the scarf around my neck and zippered my jacket.

When we reached the little book shop, I scrolled through the aisles, coming across a shelf full of different colored notebooks, some with flowers, others with different designs.

One had a hard cover with orange flowers, the background white, the pages dainty and pale with the same orange flower in the right corner of every notebook page. Instantly growing fond of the notebook, I grabbed the item and turned around,  walking straight into Daniel.

"I'm sorry," we both said in unison, a slight awkwardness lingering.

My hands began to shake. I opened my mouth, forcing my voice to cooperate. "C-could you maybe buy this for me? I don't like talking to the cashier," I mumbled questionably, glancing up at him with pleading eyes.

"Sure thing," he said, smiling understandably. At least he understood why I was like this, for the most part. He didn't seem to label me as weird or a freak either, which was exhilarating considering the fact that it didn't take a genius to know that people in school probably thought I was.