One Hundred Letters for James

024

024:

German Girls

(Was what I said really that bad?)

In Grade Twelve, a group of German students came to Australia to visit and stayed in our city. You thought that the girls were exceptionally beautiful, so you decided to pursue them.

The boys were nice too, but they weren't you, so it didn't feel right to be interested in them.

I didn't have any problems with girls, but because you were interested in them, I couldn't stand having then around.

I liked one of them, though; Anika. She said that she didn't like you at all, so I didn't feel weird being around her. She somehow concluded that I was interested in you, and tried to get the other girls to back off, but to no avail.

Maybe it was all this newfound friendship that made the betrayal that much more bittersweet.

I had to go to your house that day because your mum wanted to check up on me. After she was done with her so-called check-up, she said to go wake you up, as it was pretty early.

I headed down the familiar hall to your bedroom. I opened your door without knocking, something that I had become accustomed to over the years. I walked in silently, thinking that you were asleep on the couch and hadn't turned off the TV when you dozed off. I walked towards your figure and noticed another head next to yours.

Once I was close enough, I knew that it was Anika by her bleach blonde hair. Your hand was draped over her shoulder, and her head was on your shoulder. You were smiling, whispering something in her ear. I quickly spun around, trying to quiet my angry heart as I silently sprinted out of the room.

I still don't really like Germans, and maybe that's why I don't enjoy the company of my roommate, who not only sounds startlingly like Anika, but looks like her too.