(Written August 1, 2014)
I suddenly stop in my place. Hundreds of questions flood my head.
"Jason, what if your friends don't want to live with me? What if the thought of you finding a random girl on the street is nerve-racking for them? What if I mess up and end up having them both angry with us? I don't want to ruin your relationship with them."
He takes my hand and holds it firmly.
"Nothing will go wrong, Liz. Listen to me, nothing will go wrong. I am here with you."
He pauses for a second before continuing, "Hey, you already know me. I'm still a nerd at heart. Don't laugh, but currently, I'm trying to get some modeling gigs. Now, John is the real nerd of the house. The kid is always reading or working on his research projects. He attends the local university and wants to become a biomedical scientist. Liam, on the other hand, is a rare gem. He's a really chill guy, but when someone first meets him, he's stern and distant. It just takes him some time to adjust to new things. Other than that, Liam loves music and has his own band. He is a singer and an excellent drummer."
I smile. "They seem to be really cool."
"Ha, see? They are already growing on you. Don't worry, they won't bite, and the best news is that I will be with you the whole time."
Making eye contact, I chuckle. "Okay, Mr. Model Man. Seriously, thank you for everything, Jason. I am grateful you found me tonight."
He nods, and we begin to walk further away from the bench. As we approach the apartment building, I realize that even though he always tried to become friends and randomly confessed his feelings on multiple occasions in middle school, I had never paid any attention to him. I'd always isolated myself from the rest of my classmates, but Jason had never judged me for it.
We cut through the park grass that's been soaked by automated sprinklers, and Jason buzzes into the building, letting us in. We ride up the elevator to the fourth floor and walk over to an ordinary wooden door. As Jason knocks on the door, I realize that this might be my home for a while.
YOU ARE READING
Tuning Heartstrings
Short StoryLiz knows loneliness all too well. Haunted by the shadow of her brother's tragic death and engulfed in the ocean of her parents' grief and guilt, Liz struggles to find a reason to live and distances herself from the world. As she navigates a life fu...
