What's a Heart to a Soul

1.5 Time is a Phase

I scribbled in my scritch scratch handwriting as fast as the words flowed through me to the page. As I finished, I set down the now dull #2 pencil and reread what I had written.

You're like a breath of fresh air
The wind in my hair
You're the calm after the storm
The shelter to keep me warm
Like the rain after a drought
You're all I can think about
And the reassurance I need to not doubt
In myself
But the thoughts spin around in my head
Or at least they're swirling again
My mind in a haze
In a daze for days
My heart in a endless race
A crescendoed pace
You're my saving grace
I could kiss you for days
You always amaze
My heart is not a maze
So you can find it okay
But our time never stays
For time ticks away like a phase

Footsteps approached from behind me as I was hugged tightly from behind, Devin's familiar vanilla scent filling the room.

"Hey beautiful." She mumbled out as she kissed my neck once, sending shivers down my spine.

I nervously shuffled the papers, causing her to release me from her hold as I shoved them into the safety of the top drawer of my desk "Just some uh, homework and stuff."

"Is it secret agent spy homework or something?" She questioned giving me a concerned look as she crossed her arms over her chest.

I smiled nervously and shrugged as I played along "I can neither confirm nor deny that." I paused looking around as though someone might hear me "They're always listening and I can't risk blowing my cover."

Her lips drew into a tight line and she was clearly less than impressed with my acting "Cut the bullshit and just tell me."

"So direct..." I started to joke before receiving a death stare and deciding I'd rather live.

I let out a sigh and reopened the drawer before pulling out the paper and handing it to her without saying a word.

She fell silent, reading over my freshly dried soul scattered across the page with her eyes squinted in concentration.

She looked up at me over the sheet and let her arms fall revealing a rosy blush on her cheeks "Did you write this about me?"

"I uh, I'm still working on it." I mumbled out, my face on fire.

She peeked down at it once more and then back up at me "It's incredible, is it a poem?"

"Lyrics." I stated, toying with the loop of my jeans.

She smiled, her face reddening further "What's it for?"

"It's uh, just for me I guess." I shrugged as I reached over and snatched it from her hands before tucking it safely away in the drawer.

Her face fell, "What exactly did you mean by the last couple lines?"

I froze, the hair on my neck sticking up and my skin crawling as a shiver ran through my spine.

"There's some mail for you on the counter." My mom stated, waving over in its general direction.

Through the hazed blur I walked over to the granite countertop and picked up a stack, shuffling through it until I saw one with the Jupiter School of the Arts logo sprawled out neatly. I dropped the rest of the stack staring at it as though it could evaporate into thin air and released a struggled breath.

"Are you gonna open it?" My mom questioned with reassuring smile

I nodded, unable to form words as I tore at the corner and then dragged my finger through the top, a slight burning from the paper rubbing harshly against my skin. I tugged out the papers and sucked in a gasp of air before unfolding it to reveal the front page.