RED

15| red

NADIA

I lay on my bed, my cheeks aching from the wide smile that had been plastered on my face for what felt like hours.

I couldn't help it - the conversation with Elijah and our time together was still so vivid, so precious, that I couldn't bear the thought of stopping the nostalgia trip anytime soon. So, I got up from my bed.

I rummaged through my old bookshelf, searching for a piece of paper to write on. Finally, I found an old notebook, its pages yellowed with age, and tore out a sheet.

I began writing, the words flowing effortlessly as I poured my heart out to Sam.

Dear Sam," I started,

"It's Red again. I can't believe the nickname you came up with for me ended up being what everybody else started calling me - mainly because I owned it, and it was the only thing I had left of you." I paused, my pen hovering over the paper as I collected my thoughts.

"I know I haven't written to you in a while, and that's partly because I had nothing to share. My parents enrolled me in a new high school, and speaking of them - I feel like they're hiding something from me, and my gut instinct is never wrong." I sighed, my mind wandering back to the strange looks and hushed conversations between my parents.

"I hope everything is going well for you, you must be old now. I wonder if you eventually got to figure out what my name was; that's if, if you really even care anymore,"

My thoughts turned to Sam, "I wonder if you think about me like I do you. Have you met anyone? Have you made any new friends? Knowing how welcoming and kind you are, you probably have." I smiled, remembering Sam's infectious laughter and warm smile.

I continued writing, sharing my news with Sam - about my new school, my counseling sessions, and my new friends. "Besides the fact that I'm attending counseling and I haven't even been to Everton High for that long (don't ask), I think things are going well for me. I met Elijah Grey's parents - I know, it sounds a bit crazy, and at first, we didn't get along, but he isn't as bad as he seems." I chuckled. 

Can you believe he can dance? And his really good at it too. He smiles when he wants to, he is somewhat bearable and his laugh? It's contagious.

Anyways, I hope you have something good going on for you as well and maybe one day... we can meet again.

Yours truly,
Red.

As I finished writing, I folded the letter and placed it in a box in my drawer, where the rest of my letters to Sam were kept. I smiled, feeling a sense of closure and connection to my past. I knew that Sam would never read these letters, but writing them was my way of holding onto the memories, of keeping our friendship alive in my heart.

I heard a knock on the door, and I knew instinctively that it was my brother, Zeke. "Come in," I said, not looking up from my frantic search for my biology book. I had my bag with me, but that one book was nowhere to be found. I scanned the room, my eyes scouring every corner, but it was nowhere in sight.

Zeke opened the door and sauntered in, his casual demeanor a stark contrast to my growing anxiety. "Hey, have you seen one of my notebooks lying around? A biology one, to be specific?" I asked, trying to keep my tone light despite the panic rising inside me.

Zeke shrugged, not even bothering to look around the room. "Nope," he said, his response dismissive. "Maybe you forgot it at your friend's house," he suggested, his eyes fixed on his phone.