Just A Crush | Short Story

two

  The sweet smell of roses in the bushes, which acted as a border between her neighbours' house, always made Brooklyn feel like she was truly home.

  "I'll miss you." Brooklyn whispered softly to the roses, as she watered it. "I'll miss Lucas too."

  It was once again the weekend and watering these bushes always gave Brooklyn the time to think. What did Amy have that she didn't? The brains? The looks? She couldn't help but hate Amy for taking away her first love.

  Or maybe she was just jealous.

  Amy was just perfect, while she was nothing.

  "Good morning, Brooklyn."

  She didn't even notice her neighbour Mr. Tulip on the other side. "Good morning, Mr. Tulip. What are you doing?"

  "Suzie wanted me to plant these roses." He said, "I heard you're moving. Is it true?"

  Dylan Tulip was a fifty-five year old man who lived next door with his wife Suzie Tulip. They have three children who were now in college and living their lives in the city.

  "Sadly, it's true." She gripped the hose tighter.

  "You seem a little down. Is something the matter?" Mr. Tulip kneeled down and started digging holes into his grass.

  "I guess I'm just upset we're moving."

  Mr. Tulip laughed a little, "Are you sure?"

  Brooklyn raised her eyebrow, "Yes."

  "I don't think so," He paused. "There's something else that's bothering you isn't there?"

  Brooklyn sighed and stayed silent for awhile.

  "...How can people be just perfect?"

  "Just perfect?"

  "Yes," Her eyes fell, "Like, you're just perfect. You've got a perfect house, perfect face, perfect family, perfect life. Everything is just perfect. How come I'm not?"

  "Well, now." Mr. Tulip laughed, "Nobody's perfect."

  "How so?"

  "For example," He stood up, and showed her a beautiful red rose. "What do you think of this when you see it?"

  Brooklyn paused to think, "It's perfect."

  He shook his head, "It may look perfect here, but look at this." He flipped the rose upside down and two dead petals fell.

  "I don't get it."

  "Okay..." He looked around, and pointed at the house infront of us where Mrs. Gomez unloaded her car full of groceries. "What do you think when you see her?"

  "Mrs. Gomez? She's beautiful, kind, her family is gorgeous, she's not too skinny or not too fat. She's perfect too!"

  "Really?" His lips formed into a line, "Did you know she's insecure about her body? Did you know she's been having problems with her husband?"

  "Oh."

  "Okay, let's look for another person." He pointed at a teenage boy who was cycling around the neighbourhood. "Max."

  "Well, he has nice hair, gorgeous bike, huge house, he's handsome too, perfect life—"

  "But did you know his mother passed away when he was small and ever since then he's always been depressed?"

  "He never told me that."

  "Ah, what about Ellie." He pointed at the house beside Mrs. Gomez's house.

  "Ellie is just gorgeous. She has an amazing boyfriend. Beautiful eyes, nose, lips, hair and body. She's so skinny it makes me insecure you know? Especially her hair, it's just gorgeous."

  "You're telling me you didn't know Ellie wears hair extensions?"

  Brooklyn's eyes widened, "She does?"

  "She does. And even if she is the popular pretty girl in school, a lot of people would hate her as they would be jealous." Mr. Tulip looked at her. "Would you like people to hate you?"

  "No."

  "So now you know," He smiled, "Behind that beautiful face or perfect life is a huge scar. Nobody can be just perfect."

  "And what's your scar Mr. Tulip?"

  Mr. Tulip smiled weakly, "I lost my first born."

*•.°•

  Mr. Tulips's words lingered in her mind for quite awhile. Nobody is perfect. She kept reminding herself.

  On Sunday night, Brooklyn decided to write a letter to Lucas before she moved next week since she could never have the guts to walk up and talk to him herself. Would it seem creepy though?

  "Maybe I shouldn't," She said to herself. "I'll just wait till tomorrow."

*•.°•

  Lucas's phone rang for the thirteenth time this night, and he was so close to throwing it out the window.

  He picked it up, "Amy, you have got to stop calling me."

  "You don't like it?" Her voice fell.

  "Goodbye." He tossed his phone underneath his pillow.

  If Lucas seemed so annoyed that his girlfriend was calling him non-stop, then why did he date her in the first place?

  His phone rang once again, and he couldn't take it anymore. He picked it up once again, "AMY! Stop. Calling. Me."

  "I taken she's been calling you all night." Instead of Amy's voice, Sean appeared on the other line.

  "Sean?" He sighed, "Sorry, man."

  "So is it working?" Sean asked. "Is this distracting you from her?"

  "No..." Lucas groaned, "This is just making it worst. I saw the way Brooklyn looked at me the other day, she was upset!"

  "Maybe you should just date Amy and forget about her?"

  "Sean are you kidding me?"

  "No. Yes. Maybe. I gotta go, see you tomorrow."

  Once again Lucas tossed the phone underneath his pillow, "Why is it so hard to get you off my mind?" He said to himself. What was so special about Brooklyn than any other girl?

*•.°•

  Brooklyn walked the halls with her head down, afraid that she might bump into Lucas.

  Unfortunately, she did.

  "Sorry," She looked into his eyes with the saddest look a girl can pull.

  "It's fine—"

  Again, she left before he could finish his sentence.

  "Hey, Brooke." Diana joined her, as they made their way to class. "Are you still upset about...?"

  "What do you think Diana. I'm miserable."

  "Oh? But Lucas broke up with Amy yesterday night."

  "What?" Her head snapped at Diana.

  Diana motioned her head towards a crying Amy, "Look."

  Brooklyn followed the direction her head was facing and suddenly felt happy, which was kinda bad but c'mon.

  "It's only been a week." Brooklyn sounded shocked. How can a relationship last for a week?