Phrenology: E-Lunar (3) Route A (MANUSCRIPT)

Chapter 2: Turn 5

           "Marian." Tanaka shifted his gaze from the window, over to Charlie and Kevin making a mess.

    "Yes?" Marian turned, dressed in a black turtleneck. 

    "I... need to write. About her." 

    "You need to write? Right now? At this very moment?" 

     "Maybe. I just- I can't hold it in anymore, Marian. She was the best thing I've ever felt! I can't- I can't just forget... that... without writing it out somehow." 

     "I didn't know you were a writer, Tannie. Maybe you need to drive it out?" Marian raised an eyebrow. 

     "Nah, of course! Everyone's a writer. My old man used to tell me that there comes a time in every single person's life where they need to get something off their chest. I guess, for me, this is one of those times." 

     "Well, do you have a pen and/or paper? If not, I'll get you one." Marian scratched at her naked shoulder, the sleeveless turtleneck making her look muscly. 

     "I do, actually. Thanks, though!" 

     "Well -- also -- Tanaka." Marian took a deep breath. "I'm going to write something about her, too. Nora was... quite the spectacle, to me, as well." 

     Thus, the two friends left the room that the cooking club was held in, and went out into the hallway. Tanaka sat in a chair which faced directly across Marian. Both were deep in their writing, and paid little attention to the off-white walls of the hallway, or how the windows gave a spectacular view of the Friday sunset. 

    Nora, 

    You were the best connection I've felt, thus far, in my life. The way you'd hug me... act so excited when you saw me... and the things you were into! I got attached to you pretty quickly in my head. Even after all I've seen... those brief times with you were the best I got to experience outta this life. Is that sad? The visceral, instant connection was just... something unbeatable. My heart was on my sleeve, and I could tell yours most likely was, too. But then, it all ended pretty briefly, didn't it? One could say that an ending like that is pretty bad. You stopped responding to my texts and... even your blog seemed so devoid of anything. I only saw you at school, and then... you were gone. You dropped off the face of this Earth. And, of course, you very well may have. 

    Tanaka put the pen down and looked over to the off-white wall, the drying of the old paint having noticeable chunks. 

    Marian looked at him in wonder. She teased the side of her red hair. Then, the young man went back to writing.

     I could go on and on about how attracted I was to you. How much of a breath of fresh air you were to me! Years from now, I could go on to tell people about you... and they'd be amazed and look up to me as the guy who found you- The girl who changed my life. People would come to be amazed at the stories I'd tell of you, you know. The love I'd felt. That's not something that happens a lot. That's not something anyone takes for granted. But-

    Suddenly, a note flew down the hall, and it looked a lot like the ones that Marian and Tanaka were writing. In fact, it had something to do with Nora as well! It was written by someone named... Todd Grayson. 

    Tanaka had caught the beginning of the note very quickly, and found it almost identical to what he had been writing so far, until he had arrived at the end of the paper with it reading: 

     But then... we ended poorly, didn't we? And... that would've been on you. I was totally fine with us not working out to become a couple, but you got very cruel, suddenly, little miss. I didn't understand. And, so, for a long while after, perhaps months into that future, my self-narration of you was a bad one. A wicked one. You were the nasty girl who slapped me into shape. But then... fairly recently... I've forgiven you, even though you've probably left me, and a bunch of others, far behind. And, indeed, it makes me wonder what kind of self-narration you have going for yourself. But, I've forgiven you, Nora. Because I don't want those good memories I have of us to be spoiled by that bad ending. Because I will no longer settle for a love that is less than what I had with you.

    "Nora... knew a guy named Todd Grayson?" Marian's blue eyes looked frightened, an expression which Tanaka had never seen before. 

     Perhaps he had imagined, maybe, but never seen the full flesh and blood of it. To the bottom of the paper was the name 'Todd Grayson' written out in bold letters, while the rest of the letter had been typed out. It was a funny thing, seeing letters being written in an era of computers and keyboards.

      "I guess so." Tanaka put a finger to his forehead. Damn, Nora. You had other guys catching feelings for you, too? Ha. Shit. Tanaka sighed. Perhaps, this was the guy that Marissa was talking about. The guy that... early on in the winter of this year... you were having trouble getting over?

      "Todd Grayson is... a student in the yearbook." 

      "I see. He goes to this school?" 

      Marian shook her head. "He went to this school. Ten years ago. This note looks... crumpled and yellow. Tanaka, how old did Nora say she was?"

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