Ethereal - a kiani au

forty nine

• Will's POV •

I couldn't sleep, my father was asleep, and Jordan had to go. I sat in my room and stared up at the ceiling even though it was dark. It was nice to be back in my old bed but it felt new to me. I half expected Jordan to walk in the door at any second. I haven't fully comprehended that we're thousands of miles away. I thought about texting Emily and potentially doing something with her and then I realized that it was only 4 am and that it would be a little weird to hang out with a girl I talked to once on an airplane.

After an hour of staring into my room without even the slightest bit of sleep seeping into me, I decided that I would just get up. I grabbed my keys from on top of my half filled dresser and walked quietly down to the living room. I felt strangely like I was sneaking out of the house yet I wasn't going to do anything and I knew my dad wouldn't care. I left a short note for him anyways.

Couldn't sleep, still jet lagged. Went on a drive
-Will

I left it on the counter where my dad would definitely see it once he woke up and made breakfast. I don't think I'll be out that long but I thought the note would help. I walked outside and into my car, pulling out of the driveway in the dark. I didn't really know where I was going so I just drove around. I drove past my old elementary school and middle school. They made me smile. I wish Jordan was here so I could tell him about the time I fell face first down the slide and was seen as a hero even though I was bawling my eyes out from landing in the dirt. Or I could tell him about the time in middle school where I asked out Callie Bishop but she turned me down immediately and I was heartbroken for about a week. I wanted to tell Jordan about everything. I wanted to talk to him and to see the way his eyes lit up and the corners of his mouth created a smile when he listened to me speak. I always felt like the only person in the room when I was with Jordan. He always knew how to make me feel special.

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Streaks of light were forming across the sky and I realized that I had wasted some gas. I pulled over to a park that I used to visit all the time when I was a kid. There wasn't anyone there besides a few people jogging around the path. I parked my car and got out, laying on one of the benches.

In loving memory of George T. Hoskins

After all of these years, I still didn't know who George T. Hoskins was. I thought about what kind of life he must have lived in order to have a bench named after him. I think he'd probably be a little pissed off if he was some influential man and all he got was a bench at a community park. I smiled at my own thoughts as the sky changed to pink and orange.