Stephen and Sharpies ~ Watty Awards 2012

Chapter Eleven

-Alec

    You have a black iPod Classic. When you brought it out to lunch for the first time I can remember taking one of the ear buds from your hands and put it in my ear. Some rap song was playing and I could barely understand the words. I despise rap and I think you understood that when I took your iPod away next. I skimmed through your songs and found my favorite song of all time. I pressed play and “Lullaby” by Shawn Mullins began to play. You smiled as we listened to the song. I put it on replay and so it played the whole entire lunch period. I think I saw a bit of irritation near the end of lunch, but I could see that the song was growing on you.

    I have seen the way you look when you listen to music. You have a smile that creeps onto your face. You mirror the emotion of a song in your eyes. It is amazing the things you can see in someone’s eyes. I still find it great when I can look in your eyes a see a hint of admiration. Also when you listen to music you act calm, you seem put together, like nothing can touch you. It’s as if when you listen to music you're stronger than anyone else, you have more confidence, and you’re you.

    I have always loved it when you bring your iPod out because I get to see the real you. I love listening to all the music you listen to. There is everything on that iPod, from eighties to girl bands, cheesy boy bands from the nineties, gospel music, rap, classic rock, country, and my personal favorite, alternative. With 10,000 songs, I have never have to hear the same song twice if I don’t want to. You, me and music makes everything feel alright. It makes the world pause for awhile and everything at home disappear. It makes school seems easy, money comes whenever I want it to.

    Can you remember the day that I decided to give you a mixed CD for your iPod? It had a lot of random songs, it was truthfully a CD full of my favorite songs. There were sappy love songs on it that I was trying to use to hint to you. I was trying my best to tell you that I liked you; you never got the hint. The day after I gave you the CD you came to lunch with your iPod. I checked it to see if the songs from the CD were there. Surprisingly, they were. I looked and saw that one of the songs already made it to number one on your playlist, Top 25 Most Played Songs. I smiled when I saw the song that was there at the top, Just Friends by Jonas Brothers.

    “Jonas Brothers, at the top of your playlist?” I had joked and you smiled.

    The next few words crushed me easier than I thought possible. “Yeah, the song reminds me so much of Alley and me. We are only friends, but I wish we could be more.” I saw how the smile spread across your face with just the thought of Alley Cornwall.

    My heart broke just a little with the words coming out of your mouth. I got mad too, I held it in, but I was mad. I smiled grimly and then played it off by changing the subject, casually.

    Music, funny how I love being around you with the music playing, it made my day. Plus it was the one thing that broke my heart. You may not know this , but that CD was how I poured my heart out to you. You also may not know that you ignored it all without knowing it. I am sure I sound resentful now, but just ignore me, it won’t be too hard for you. If you feel bad play that CD, you probably can understand it better now.

    I am running out of letters to write to you, my stories are getting shorter and my letters are becoming more and more pointless. Please hold on, I know there are still a few stories left for me to tell. You really should listen to the CD, you might learn something.

    I set down the letter. I don’t stand, but instead search my room for Stephen’s CD or my iPod. Once I find them I manage to get off my bed without waking up Taylor. Instead of popping the CD in, which is closest for me, I grab my iPod and skim through my albums. I find the only unknown one and select it. I go straight to the song “Just Friends”. I listen to one song after another, I start seeing what Stephen mentioned. I can hear the hidden message that I should have gotten awhile ago; better later than never. With the music still playing in my ear I find the next Sharpie and the next letter. I sit down on the floor with my back against my bed. This is only Sharpie twelve and there are still thirteen more to go after this one.

    Thirteen Sharpies and nine and a half hours.

    Great.

    And with this last thought I turn to the letter and begin reading.