Short Stories

Memories

Me and Mark are sitting outside, skipping a lesson. We're sitting on the bench. We aren't together...Yet. He's smoking. It's kinda chilly and we're really close to each other so we can keep warm. We're waiting for something, but I don't know what. It's something connected with school so it's okay. We see some of his friends approaching and since I know he want to look "cool" in front of them I tell him,
"Quickly give me a cigarette." He does but he doesn't know why. They come closer and now the cigarette is between my lips. They come and do this special, boy handshake with Mark. There are two of them. They greet each other and one of them points at me.
"Who is she?" and the other adds,
"And why is she not lighting the cigarette. That's not how it works." but I just laugh in his face and before anyone else could say something I say,
"It's a metaphor. See, you put the thing that does the killing between your teeth but you don't give it the power to kill you" and with that I quote 'The Fault In Our Stars'.
"Oh! We have a smartie."  One of Mark's friends makes a remark.
"Well you could be a smartie, too," I spit out the word in disgust,
"-if you weren't destroying your brain with alcohol, weed etc." I keep a stone cold face. I'm tired of being called boring just because I don't destroy my brain cells just like everybody else my age.
"If you think you're funny you're wrong. " says the other boy. 
"The world isn't a wish granting factory." I quote again. They don't even know what to say.
"Who is she bro?" They turn to Mark because they don't understand  my language. It's too difficult for their low intelligence.
"My girlfriend." then he grabs my hand with a smile on his face.
"Aren't you just fascinated by her mind? She's so clever bro. It's like she's a goddess." Then I smile too, "Her brain capacity is mind blowing and she's so good at writing." His friends won't believe it because all the girls they've met so far are stupid. They idolise the wrong people and look like Barbie dolls.
"Really?" They say with surprise in their voices. I just laugh. They're so confused. Then this Virginia Woolf quote came to my mind,
"Writing is like sex. Fist time you do it from love,  then you do it for your friends and finally you do it for money." They laugh because I just mentioned such thing. They're just like the others. They're brainwashed by society and don't know how to use their minds. If more people knew how fascinating the human mind is. We could do great things.
"Don't laugh it's true."
One of them decides to be a jerk and says,
"Did it hurt then when they f*cked you?" and I just respond with motionless face
"Ask your mom?" I'm tired of people like them. They both go silent and Mark starts laughing so hard and says "That was really good." and gives me high-five.
"Mark, bro, for a moment you convinced us she's really boring" and the other says,
"Congrats bro she's really cool actually." and then they go on.

We stay silent. I don't say anything because I don't know what to think now, all because of the things he said and the fact that he is still holding my hand. After a while he says,
"Joanne?" and when I look him in the eyes he asks, "Do you fancy me?" and I am just speechless, I blush a little but I manage to say,
"Yeah." But I say it in a kinda ashamed way and I want to go hide somewhere. "Don't be shy. I fancy you too." I look at him and he's looking back at me with the warmest smile. He gets closer and kisses me.
Just seconds after that our teacher comes.  Fortunately she didn't see anything and now we're going back to school. While we're walking behind her, he reaches for my hand, I give him a piece of paper with a few words I wrote for him. I tell him to read it when he gets home and when he's alone, "My curiosity will kill me but okay." he responds.
It's the evening now.  I'm about to go to bed and he texts me "My sister saw it" I know exactly what he means and I'm getting nervous.
"What did she do?"
"Told my mom that her big brother has a girlfriend."
"And what did your mom say?"
"Well... she was happy when she heard it's you. She's heard so much about you." and when I don't say anything he says "Are you still there?"
I text him
"**** that's my number. Call me if you can talk right now. I want to hear your voice" It's Friday night so I won't see him until Monday, I go outside because I'm out of town for the weekend. I go outside so my parents won't hear the conversation. After about five minutes my phone rings. Unknown number. I pick up and hear his voice.
"Hi... wait why are you crying?" He asks immediately.
"I'm just happy that things went this way. After so long of having crush on you." then I hear a little girl's voice
"Is this your girlfriend big brother? Mom big brother is speaking with his girlfriend." I laugh.
"Oh you little beast! Why are you saying this?" He says this to her and I laugh again because this is the soft side of him which I fell for. "Where are you now?"
"Outside. I'm watching the night sky."
"Aren't you a little cold?"
"No. I'm wrapped in a blanket."
"I wish I could be there to keep you warm. When will I get the chance to see you?"
"Maybe Sunday."
"Okay what do you want to do? Go to the cinema or come over to my place?  We can watch a movie here if you want."
"I think the second option is better."
I hear his sister again
"Will she come here on Sunday? I really want to meet her."
"Shut up and go away! You won't be here on Sunday."
"But big brother please."
"She doesn't want to meet you."
"Don't tell such lies." I join in "Don't make me seem like a horrible person!"
He laughs.
"You? A horrible person? I have to go now but I really want to hug you. I'll text you tomorrow so we can decide when you'll come over. Good night."
"Sweet dreams." And then I go to bed. I can finally fall asleep happy.

It's nice to remember such things from time to time. I smile and look at Mark, sleeping next to me. The next moment I can hear crying. It's Cassie, our little daughter. Maybe it's a bad dream again. I hurry to her room so she won't wake up her daddy. I hug her and lie with her on the bed. She's already two years old. Where did the time go? It's like me and her father were teenagers just yesterday. I'm really happy of how things turned out to be. I couldn't ask for a better person to spend the rest of my life with.