Today is Sunday and tomorrow is Monday. I have less than twenty four hours before I leave this place. I have been here for exactly twelve weeks. I came on a Sunday and I’m leaving on a Monday. I can't believe I am actually leaving. I never thought I’d be leaving here, I mean I thought I was crazy forever. Eighteen hours and thirty-two minutes and I’m leaving. Salem Mental Hospital, my home for when I went crazy. Am I even going to be okay in the moving world? Am I?
“You’re going to write me aren’t you?” I look up and gasp. “Unless you tell me right now that we are over then I want letters back.”
I shake my head and blink back tears. “I thought that yesterday made it clear, Kyle we are over.”
“Why because you’re leaving?”
I look towards the ceiling trying to figure out how to break it to him easily and nicely. There isn’t a way. “I love him and I don’t love you.”
“So love doesn’t have to mean anything unless you let it.”
“Kyle I love him. You told me you liked me four weeks ago! You can’t love me already. You helped me get better and I thank you for that. You gave me everything I needed. You gave me safety in this nut house. In the end you gave me my life back.”
“So you’re not even going to write me after all of this?”
I shake my head. “I want to forget everything from when I got here to now. Starting tomorrow, it’s a clean slate.”
Kyle looks at me and just laughs. “Guess you really are crazy because you think you can forget all of this.” Shaking his head he turns around and walks out of the room.
I stare at the door and feel his words heavy on my ears. I try to push them out of my head, but it’s still there. I pull out my cell and face away from the door. I find Alec’s name and start a message, but delete it. Instead I find Abigail and start texting her.
Hey sis
STEPHEN!?! How are you texting me?
They gave me my phone back. I’m coming home tomorrow!
Really?
Yep
Does Alec know?
Yeah, he’s picking me up tomorrow
I’ve missed you
I know, I’ve missed you too
He loves you I think…
Who?
Alec, he has let me stay over since you left, every day and night.
No, I think he’s just being…him
He loves you, I’m sure.
Thanks, I’ll find out tomorrow
I miss you
I miss you too, sleep well tonight. I gtg…
Love you sis
Love you too
I bite my bottom lip and text the only person that can erase everything from my mind.
Hello Alec…
Hey Stephen
11, okay?
I could never forget
I just wanted to double check
Are you okay?
Yeah…
Liar
Never.
Stephen I miss you
I miss you too
You scared?
Yeah I’m terrified
You still got my sweatshirt?
Yes, why?
Good, tomorrow when I pick you up make sure to wear it, you’ll be fine.
How do you know?
Because a girl always feels safe when she wears a boy’s sweatshirt
How do you know?
I just do…
I love you
I know you do…
Do you even care?
Of course I do, why would you even ask that?
You’ve never told me, but once
What that I like you and I care?
Yeah…
Well Stephen I like you. I care.
You’re not just saying that?
No I mean it
Promise?
Promise
You pinky swear?
I pinky swear
Good…
I’ll see you tomorrow?
Yeah, but one last thing…
What?
Tell me once more
I like you Stephen Dooley.
I love you, bye…
Bye.
I close my phone and stuff it under the mattress. I stare out the window and sigh. Tomorrow I’ll be sane again. Tomorrow I will be gone. The sky outside is beautiful, blue and sunny. Tomorrow I can soak up the sun. Tomorrow I’ll be free, once again.
YOU ARE READING
Stephen and Sharpies ~ Watty Awards 2012
RomanceStephen and Sharpies: This is the story of Stephen, the girl who falls in the background at a small school and Alec, the nerd gone jock. Their lives are intertwined in a way neither of them knows until Stephen goes missing and the only thing she lea...
