« 𝐼 𝑘𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑒, 𝑤𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑒𝑦𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢. 𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛'𝑡 𝑏𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟, 𝑡𝑜𝑜 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑒. »
→ She can't mess this up but he likes the mess.
a joseph descamps x oc stor...
Leaving the university building, I put my gloves on, fall's dead leaves being replaced by winter's cold wind. I was dreaming of a nice cup of tea to warm myself up.
This thought gave me the last bit of strength I needed to quicken my pace. Annick was probably back already, her Thursday classes ending before mine.
And I was right. I was greeted by the soft sound of her radio. Ever since we moved to Paris, I quickly got used to her constant need of background noise.
« Nora ? Is that you ? » she shouted from the kitchen.
« Who else would it be ? » I asked with amusement.
« I made brownies, do you want one? »
I dropped my bag near the entryway, taking my shoes off. If there was something I had learned in the past year, it was that Annick was one hell of a cook.
« I think you already know the answer »
I walked into the kitchen, letting the smell of chocolate lead me in front of the table, trying to calculate how much time they still had left to cool down.
« They'll be good in like 15 minutes, don't be impatient » she said, trying to hit me with a wooden spoon when I tried to grab one. « There's mail for you by the way. And Simone sent another postcard »
I quickly looked for it before my eyes landed on it, underneath the water bill.
It was a picture of the beach with a pair of legs in the shot. I turned it around, wanting to read what she was up to.
« Hi girls !
I'm glad to hear your new school year started well. Here, I have officially started teaching ! I'm so excited and a bit nervous too but my students are good kids. I can't wait to see how it's going to unfold.
I am so happy, I hope the both of you are too.
Love,
Simone »
I smiled, happy that she managed to achieve her dream. I'm happy we all did. I looked at Annick, her relaxed face concentrating on an essay, her apron still on. Ever since we left high school, she had stopped being so hard on herself and managed to be more serene.
I took the rest of my mail, excused myself and went to my room. I liked reading my mail in private, as it often came from my family.
There was a letter from my dad, which was ironic as he lived three streets over and I saw him once a week. There was another one from my mom and one from Applebaum as we stayed in contact.
As I was about to open my mom's, I noticed an envelope had fallen next to my bed. I bent down, picking it up, surprised to see a familiar name on it. Joseph Descamps. I smiled. So he remembered I loved reading letters. I used my nails to open it quickly, pulling the letter out of it.
« Dear Nora,
I hope you're doing well and are settled back in Paris. Here, I got a job at this architecture company. I like it, we'll see how far it will take me.
I hope you know how incredibly proud I am of you. I can't imagine how hard law school is, still you're excelling in it. Everyday I am grateful to be a witness to your journey.
I want you to know that I am here for you, no matter the distance. I believe in you and your abilities and you will overcome everything coming your way.
Recently, I thought a lot about those last four years together; the highs and the lows, the moments we shared and everything we did. I never thought I would be in love with a girl on the other side of the country, yet here I am, writing a letter to his amazing girl just because she likes them.
I can't wait to see you again for Christmas, my mom is probably happier than I am that you're coming back. In the meantime, I'll stay waiting for you.
Take care of yourself and stay focused, sweetheart.
With love,
Joseph »
I chuckled, immediately heading for the telephone outside of my room, in the hallway. I composed the number I knew by heart by then. I waited a few seconds before someone picked up.
« Hello ? » he said.
« An architecture job, huh ? You impress me everyday, Joseph » I started.
I heard him laugh on the other side.
« You got my letter, then ? Sorry if it's sloppy. I haven't written anything this long since Giraud's history essays »
It was my turn to laugh at the mention of our old teacher.
« It was good, don't worry. I'm grateful you even remembered what I had told you »
« Anything for you, you know it »
« Thank you, it really means a lot, Joseph » I admitted.
« Like I said, I'd do anything for you to be happy. So, how are classes then ? »
« Harder than last year, but nothing I can't handle »
« Of course you can »
I heard Annick yell that the movie was about to begin.
« Shit, I've got to go. Thursdays are movie night with Annick »
He chuckled.
« It's fine, I am meeting Vergoux and Dupin for drinks in 30 minutes anyway »
« Tell them I said hi »
« I will, tell the same thing to Annick »
« I will too. Be safe, I love you »
« I love you too, sweetheart. Talk to you soon »
And he hung up.
I settled down next to my friend in front of the tv, giving up on a healthy dinner, instead eating the brownies that were just baked. She laughed at a joke said on the screen. I took a minute to look at her, our shared apartment, my textbooks on the table.
I was loved by my friends, my family, my boyfriend. I loved my studies and couldn't wait to be a lawyer.
Life had turned out amazingly for us. And it was only the beginning.
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Hiiii
This is officially the end of wasted eyes. Thank you so much for your love and support. I'm super grateful of every single one of you. From the ones who commented on all the chapters to the ones reading quietly, I'm thankful for your interest in this story. 🫶🫶
Hearing your feedback was really important and helped me improve my writing. I'm really happy with this story and the creation of Nora. 🥺
I hope to see all of you soon ! I'll probably find another fictional character that I like and who knows, wasted eyes might have a little sister !
