The Idea Game

What is Love? by sidoora

At first, I thought that she had just forgotten.

That was when she was merely just an hour late to our date. After one call with no reply, I simply texted her once and leaned against the building wall. She never liked it when I called her more than once, it was always a pet peeve of hers. I never liked making her angry, so I simply waited and hoped that eventually she would show up. I stood by the bright movie theater sign, shivering from the cold, despite it being the middle of the summer.

The ticket lady started giving me pitying looks every now and then, as if she thought that I had been stood up. I glued my eyes on my phone in order to avoid catching her gaze, because it was just plain embarrassing.

I hadn't been stood up. She is usually on time, but she just seemed to be running late. I knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't ever cancel without at least telling me. She was too honest to be that horrid.

And that is why I love her. Maybe even more than she loves me but I simply do not care. I'm lucky enough to be with her. It would be asking too much for the same amount of love in return.

I wish I could call her to see what is keeping her though, because I was beginning to feel uncomfortable and we had already missed the beginning of the movie. However, she would only get mad at me for being overbearing.

A half hour later, I decided to just call her again. It has been long enough. After braving through pressing the call button, I waited while holding my breath.

But she didn't answer.

So I called again because it was just getting strange. She always had her phone with her, always replied to a phone call within the first couple rings, and always replied to texts almost immediately.

After another unsuccessful call, I decided to just ditch the theater and go over to her place. Perhaps she lost her phone and was just trying to find it. That would make sense, since she didn't seem to know my number by heart.

I knew her number, but that was no matter. She just never seemed to find it important to memorize useless numbers, as she often told me.

Picking myself off the wall, I stretched my stiffening bones and began to walk to the direction of her house.

It wasn't such a long walk, only taking twenty minutes. Her house was in the center of town, not too far from anywhere. I have only been inside a few times after school when she was alone at home. I don't think she wanted me to meet her parents.

A couple months ago she said that she found her parents embarrassing, and I accepted that. After all, my parents were quite embarrassing too that one day she came over for dinner. I decided not to push her or anything, as I didn't want to seem possessive. That always made her happy.

When I reached her house, I saw that all the lights were closed except one downstairs. I think it was her dad's office. That's what she told me when I asked her about the always closed door when I last came over.

After a tentative knock of the door, I waited. Nobody came so I rang the doorbell instead. Yet again, no one came at the door.

I looked again at the open light, debating whether I should check out if anyone was there. I eventually decided to when I realized it was my only way to know if she was home.

Slowly walking to the window, I ducked my head when I reached there to avoid detection. I didn't want her to think I was a creep. But then, I crept up a little bit to check out what was inside.

And that is when everything changed.

That's when the most important thing of my life was ripped away from me, when everything I thought I knew was put into question.