Chronicles of Love and Other Stuffs

Letters for Troy

Everyone would probably say that it is such a peculiar thing for a girl to write love letters to a boy. Well, at least that's what Sophie thinks it is. But who cares anyway? As for her, she would risk the humiliation just to get to Troy's locker so she could slip a small, pink envelope stuffed with her utmost love and admiration for him. But being a school quarterback that he is, his schedules were always gorged and gobbled up by his practice and rehearsals. So he might not have the opportunity and the time to read the contents of her letter. Or worse, he might not read them instead and throw them to bin. But being a hard-headed girl and a stubborn brat that she is, she always ignored these bad thoughts and proceed to her own will instead. So everyday, she wrote a letter and had them slipped through the small slit of Troy's locker and wait.

She had known Troy Evans for almost a week now. Actually, she first noticed his existence at a football match where she was invited by her younger brother Jake to watch the match. They were against each other, though, but still. She was neither a fan of the mentioned game nor loves watching it. But then she turns out to become an avid admirer for it when her eyes caught the sight of him. It was a cliché story. But she didn't care anyway.

A few days later that day, her first move was to write him a letter. She wrote how she had loved watching his game and how cool he had looked whilst he ran and ran across the field and then how awesome he ever was. So, for three days in a single heap, she had secretly looked at him with admiring eyes. But still, she felt so oddly torn up about introducing herself personally to him. His type was somewhat cool, and the peculiar feeling of facing a cool guy was an odd thing for her.

So she remained utterly devoted to her drill of slipping love letters through the crack of his locker's door.

But today, she's going to make it different. She already had grown tired of the neglectful habit of dropping letters. So, now, she was filled with the apt determination to face him with valiance and steadiness. She had already planned things out. First, she would introduce that she is Sophie Hans and then without much hesitation, tell him that she was the anonymous author of those quirky letters and that her feelings upon him were so good to be true. That may seem as awkward as it may have looked, but she's going in on for it. Just that and then whatever he says, she'd flee out when things are over.

She's going to make it, as what her instincts provided her. She's already ready for failure and for an upcoming chagrin. She had already given those things multitudinous thoughts and mental clustering. For now, her mind's caught up and preoccupied with wild thoughts for some possible humiliating outcomes. But those troubles and inconveniences aside, she's as ready as a predator.

At the moment, she was seated on a small bench a couple of steps in front of his locker. The anxiety and fear were irresistible. They crawled along her spine in harsh movements. Her throat was jabbed up with something that felt like a big lump of something that forbids speech. The nerves she felt obviated any further movements. The muscles that embraced her mouth were stiffened with worry and trouble.

The odd silence that enveloped her caused a few uneasiness. She glanced at her wristwatch and shook her head in what it seemed like vague distress. Probably because she was aware that any minute now, Troy would walk in from his exhausting work out. Sophie felt like running back and backing out immediately. But she knew that when she did, she'd probably just passed by him along the way and that it could be more embarrassing on her side. So when there was no choice left, she stayed still.

Until seconds later.

The door eased open and the thing she had anticipated happened in a swift wisp.

A tall, lean, and muscular man materialized on the doorway of the locker room. And there was no doubt that it was the Troy that she had expected to show up. Despite the sudden humidity that swirled around the room in a few seconds' time, she smiled mentally. Although she was trembling at the unannounced intrusion. It was almost as if time seemed to slow down and then instantly came to an abrupt halt.

For a long passing moment, his eyes met hers. Of course she expected that to happen because her existence inside the quarterbacks' locker room was nothing but a suspicious thing. His eyes held hers momentarily. And for a slow drifting moment, Sophie felt a sudden jolt from within her. It came ever so swiftly that she failed to recall how in the heaven's name it took act upon her.

She stared up at him, and considering her strange repercussion, he stared back. For a jiffy, they stared at each other's blank faces with unpredictable expressions. Alright, this is the moment of truth, Sophie's mind speculated. She held herself up and stood to face him. But the determination that she had expected for herself was, unfortunately, off. Her timidity failed to straighten herself. Instead, her neck was bent at an awkward angle. She tried to find the very appropriate group of words to blurt out. However, all that ever blew away from her mouth was a weak, "Hi..."

Sophie cursed herself for that.

Troy looked at her with a blank expression. But he seemed to be drowned in absolute wonder perhaps due to her worse act of sluggishness.

She forced a compulsive smile. In response, he lifted one corner of his mouth to draw a slight grin. It was the very first hint of smile that she ever saw on his face from the time she stepped in the room. Or should she say... the very first smile she ever witnessed on him ever since she first saw him on a football field.

"Uh... this is an awkward staring contest, but anyway," he said after a long time lapse, "I've gotta reply to your hi. Uh, okay... hi...? Is that fine already?"

She laughed at that although he seemed not to crack it up as a joke. But anyway, she hurried on to introducing herself. "Uh, Sophie. Sophie Hans... That's my name..." she said, her voice falling to a whisper.

"Oh. Sophie. My name's---"

"Troy..." she finished instantly. "I know you're Troy..."

"Oh," he said, feeling amused as much as Sophie felt for herself. "Should I be surprised at that...?"

"Oh, well. Anyway---"

She got no further.

Someone flung the door open and a young lady burst into the room with a cheerful air. And worse, she threw her arms on the air to pull Troy... to a tight hug. "Oh, my sweetiepie! You're all so sweaty...!"

Sweetie pie?

Sophie took a moment to process that. Her gaze fell to the girl. She was pretty, alright. But what embraced her cloud of thoughts was the query about the girl's relation with Troy. And that gaze fell to a glare.

She had to find out.

With quivering lips due to a dim anticipation, she tried to unleash the right words to ask whichever among the two characters that she was facing. She spoke, despite the feeling of having her tongue tied in irrational knots. "Uh... ahem!" was all that slipped from her mouth in tiny whispers almost as if they were puffs and breaths. But somehow, that caught their attention: Troy and the leech (as she puts it).

She needn't have to say any further because Troy already had it in mind what Sophie was intending to say.

"Oh. Uh, Audrey, this is Sophie Hans, a recent acquaintance," he paused to glance Sophie's way. "And, uh... Sophie, this is Audrey Wry. My girlfriend..."

A quick cloud of silence drifted through them. And the next thing that happened occurred so hastily that none of them could tell how it took place.

Sophie walked out of the room in quick strides...

The door shut hard that the noise reverberated at a wider range of distance.

-END-