Stephen and Sharpies ~ Watty Awards 2012

Part Two: Chapter Twelve

    “Here’s your things and new clothes so that you wont look insane out there.” Annie hands me my box. It’s 10:30 and I am still in my white patient clothes. I look in the box and see the contents of my life before this place.

    Alec’s sweatshirt is folded and lying on top inside the box. Underneath is a pair of jeans and a gray t-shirt. I close the door and take off these horrible patient clothes and put on my new clothes. The sweatshirt goes on last and sure enough, I feel safe. There is still more stuff in the box and I can’t figure how there could be. I find my wallet, a bracelet and a ring. I recognize them as my own. There’s also a piece of paper, folded and addressed to me. It’s in Alec’s handwriting. He must have stuck it in the sweatshirt and I didn’t notice.

Stephen,

    You are beautiful and I like you. You wrote me all those letters and it took reading them to make me realize that it was always you. I never understood why I felt different around you and why you made me feel like myself. I care about you and to know that you are in love with me means everything to me. I know that none of this means anything to you unless you hear me say it to you. Still, I want you to know. Next time I see you I will tell you everything. I will tell you about watching for you in the morning and I’ll retell each story that you’ve told me. I will give you everything and we’ll have a date you’ll never forget and you’ll meet my sister. I will give you a place to stay when your home isn’t safe and you can keep the sweatshirt for as long as you want it. I am never giving you up.

Alec

    I smile at the letter, I’ve never seen it before and now just when I needed something to brighten my day, here it is. I hear footsteps and then a knock at my door. Annie walks in and smiles, she doesn’t say a word. I stand up and grab the things hidden under my mattress and toss it in the box. I pull at the bottom of the sweatshirt and take the box into my arms and then out the door I go. I leave the three weeks of insanity behind in that little room. The tears I heard in the night and the letters I wrote. I carefully texted in that room. I hid in that room for my first few days. In two months I manage to heal enough to go home and here I am leaving what was my safe haven. I walk into the common area. I don’t see Alec instead I see my little sister, Abigail.

    She runs towards me and grabs the box from my hands. She sets it on the floor and jumps into my arms. Abigail cries like I did so many nights here. She kisses my cheek and whispers in my ear.

    “He’s in the car with Taylor. He wanted me to see you first.” She pulls away and looks at me and then hugs me again. “I’ve missed you.”

    Picking up my box, Abigail grabs my hand and walks with me to the doors. I said before that the opening of the doors isn’t like the movies. It isn’t when you’re going in, but when you’re leaving somewhere it is. The doors open at the same time and the light shines through. Seeing the guy you love on the other side and his little sister next to him. Taylor rushes to me and hugs me too. Alec stands and doesn’t move. The doors close behind me and finally I am free. Taylor and Abigail both let go of me and I walk to him.

    He takes one step towards me and then another until he can’t wait any longer. Alec pulls me into him with just one hand and grabs me into a tight embrace. He looks into my eyes and stares. Leaning down he smiles and with that he kisses me.

    Our first kiss.

    I thought I understood love is friendship set on fire, oh how wrong was I.

    This is what friendship feels like when it’s on fire. Our lips part and he kisses me with longing. I can feel everything he feels for me. I hook my arms around his neck and kiss him back. Our kiss is sweet and tender. His lips are soft and tight all in one moment. He continues to kiss me passionately not once with tongue though. Romantic enough I must say. He pulls away and looks at me once more.

    Alec smiles and says in a sweet whisper, “I love you.”

    “I love you too.” On my tiptoes I kiss my best friend once more knowing that this is love.

Funny to think that this all started with a single red Sharpie

heart I drew.

Funny to think that this all started when I got a box of

twenty-five Sharpies.