She

Before Halloween Horror Nights

Based on the song "She" by Dodie Clark

The Rock Your Hair family came to visit us at our new apartment. Currently, Annie, Rush, Hayley, and Brooke were down at the pool. Katie and Nicole were watching from the lounge chairs on the poolside. I was on the level above them. My hair tied up in a messy bun and nose buried in a book. Or at least, it was originally. The book sat open on the table in front of me as I gazed down at the group below. I found myself watching Brooke as she danced and played with the others. Something stirred inside me as I watched—no, admired— her from my vantage point.

"Am I allowed, to look at her like that?"

"I was wondering where you were." Billy's voice snapped me out of my trance and I realized i had been staring. I offered him a small reply before he went to join the others on the pool deck. My cheeks were warm from the embarrassment I felt. I tried to bury myself in my book, but the clear laugh of Brooke drew my gaze back to her, she was pretty, and confident, and was the kindest person I knew.

"Could it be wrong? When she's just so nice to look at."

Looking at her drew back memories we've shared. There was the time when we went to meet them early for our flight out to Hawaii. When we met up with them, we hugged, and I will never forget what she smelled like. There was a hint of the lemongrass from her body wash, and something else I couldn't put my finger on until we were on the plane. She was sitting next to me, asleep with her head on my shoulder, when I realized what that smell was, it was sleep.

"She smells like lemongrass and sleep."

There was a moment where we went to a party with people we didn't really know and stuck close together. It was a long night that ended with us playing truth or dare. We sat around laughing when someone dared Brooke to kiss me. It was quick, and we never spoke about it, but I can remember it clearly. The feeling of her lips, and the taste of the apple juice in her cup and peach rings that sat on the floor in front of us.

"She tastes like apple juice and peach."

All over Brooke's room, there were Polaroid pictures. Most of them were of her and her friends. I had some in my room as well. Most of them however, were of her. I had many normal photos of other people, but she was one of the only people in the polaroids. I put a few on my mirror. One of them is of Brooke dancing down the sidewalk with the golden light of sunset illuminating the picture perfectly. Another is of her, Annie, Hayley and I, sitting on one of the retaining walls at Citywalk. There's one specific one that I put in the center so I would always see it. It's a picture of Brooke and I. She arm is around my neck and mine is looped around her waist. Her lips are pressed to my cheek and I'm laughing. It was my favorite picture.

"You would find her, in a Polaroid picture."

The last day we were in Hawaii, I woke up really early. I didn't want to wake anyone else so I went to the balcony. The first rays of morning light were just reaching up from the horizon and the crashing of waves on the beach and rustle if palm leaves were the only sounds that surrounded me. I leaned on the railing as the sun peaked just over horizon's edge. Soft footsteps joined me on the balcony. Brooke leaned on the railing next to me. Without a word, she slipped her hand in mine. "Couldn't sleep?" She asks softly. "Yeah. You?" She rests her head on my shoulder as we looked out at the rising sun. "Not without you." A small smile was on my lips as I looked back out at the pool deck and met Brooke's gaze, watching me. I smiled wider and gave a small wave. She smiled back and returned the gesture.

"And she, means everything to me."