Short Romance Stories

She (inspired off DEH)

A/N: This may be slightly based on the song "If I Could Tell Her" from Dear Evan Hanson.

Lee bounded up the stairs, searching for the bathroom. "Why did the Gilders have to move?" She whined to herself.

Jace Gilder and Lee Newfield had been neighbors and best friends for near ten years; ever since the Newfields moved to the little house next door in a small Virginia town.

From when Jace picked dandelions as a 'welcome neighbor' gift, to Lee's fifteenth birthday, they had been best friends, neighbors, and all around confidants. Until... The next day. Because of Jace's father, Garret Gilder's job they had to move.

An entire year of barely any contact had changed them from telling each other every detail of mundane life to practical strangers with shared memories.

Today, was the first time Lee had seen a Gilder in a year.

When they arrived, Elizabeth Gilder, the kindly and very attractive mother, announced Jace was currently at band practice and would be home within the hour.

Downstairs, Lee could hear mother compliment the largeness of the house. "So large that you can't find the blasted bathroom" Lee muttered frustratedly.

Continuing her hunt for the 'blasted bathroom', Lee noticed an ajar door. Peeking inside, her eyes were bombarded with trophies from multiple flute competitions and Harry Potter merchandise. Jace's room.

Manners and respect told her to not invade the private space, but curiosity drove her forward. The first thing she noticed, was how perfect and in place, everything looked. Looks like he's still the neat freak he was last year, she observed. The second, was a photo, the only one in the room. right above a desk. It was of her and Jace standing there, smiling like there was no care in the world. After racking her brain for a second, Lee remembered when the picture was taken. It was their first day of high school. Jace had a smile of braces, black glasses and his hair slicked back, Lee wore a crop top and floral skirt, which she now remembered pleading for a week straight with Mom about wearing what she called 'such an adult outfit'. The fact Lee had won by proving she was 'growing up and should wear cuter clothes' was half the reason she smiled so wide.

A grin crept on Lee's face and a hope bubbled up that maybe, just maybe, they could be best friends again...

Just as Lee turned to leave, her eyes zeroed in on a small, rugged journal. The logical side of her brain screamed she was going too far, but still, she opened up the tiny, leather book. The first few pages were blank or held scribbles and doodles, but halfway through she found an envelope with the words: Happy birthday! Scribbled on it.

I've already invaded his personal life this far. Minus well finish what I started, she reasoned to herself. Inside, was a poem of sorts labeled She.

She

She reminds me of the night sky in her eyes; with dark blue with stars sparkling in them. Quietly observing everything. When she's angry the stars are hidden behind the stormy clouds and her entire body shakes with thunder. She has one strand of hair that always falls on her face, especially when reading. She hates her laugh because it's never the same. Sometimes it's the tinkling of bells, other times it's loud and contagious. My favorite is her snorts. She covers her mouth when she snorts because her mom says it's unladylike. She loves all animals. Feathers, fins, fur, or fangs. If it moves she loves it. She bites her lip when she blushes. She hugs her books close to her chest as if it's her most precious belonging. She sits with her knees close to her chest. She lives in her own little world, smiling about something that no one else knows. She's confident because she doesn't worry about her appearance for others, only herself. And yet, she's more beautiful than the sun. She appreciates the little, beautiful things in life that most people ignore. Like the caterpillar climbing a twig. She lives and breathes passion. In everything she does, she does with an intensity only she bears. She always smells like peppermint because she read it makes people happier. She doesn't realize how much she means to everyone.