Reading In Reverse

Skins, Pens and Flowers

There are over 7 billion people on earth and there are over a million ways of finding your soulmate. This is called The Finding, I know, original. Some people have a clock on their wrists counting down till the very second, some people have a birthmark, some people will pick up a book on their soulmate accidentally and that's how they'll find each other. Some people don't age until they meet, so then they can grow old together. No matter what you do the universe will always find a way to make you meet. Always. 

I didn't know what my finding would be until a 3 months ago. I draw on myself, like all the time. It's usually flowers. That's kinda like my thing, artsy right? I've been drawing on myself since I was little so it took me a while to notice. But once I did, I looked it up straight away to see if it was my Finding. Apparently, for people like me, our bodies won't "connect" until we're in our late teens. To make sure that we're actually each others soulmates. There's no chip in us, it's merely just some kind of way the universe shows us it's there. It was weird for the first ones to experience it, but then people in the past started realizing what was going and they got used to it.

Anyways, I was drawing on my arm the other day in history, bigger than usual. I had pink daisies on my forearm and yellow daffodils in the crevices that the pink didn't cover. There were lavender buds on my fingers and lemongrass growing around it all. I was quite proud of my masterpiece. One of my best yet. It was all up my arm , and that's when I noticed it.  The black ink slowly sliding around the palm of my hand. The letters curving up and down with continued suite with a tickling sensation. It read "Doctor's appointment: 1pm", "Eggs, Milk, Cereal", "Cute flowers :)".

I blushed furiously and that's when it hit me. I jumped up and completely forgot where I was. I sat back down in my seat, still smiling. 

"Something wrong? Would you care to share with the class?" My teacher asked, he was giving me a questionnable look, as if he was judging me. At this point my whole class was staring at me waiting for an answer.

"I got my Finding, sir..." I quietly whispered hoping no one one would hear me but the annoyingly cheerful bloody next to me squealed in excitement. She got up and hugged me. I don't like being hugged by people I don't know that well. 

Some people across the room were whispering and snickering things like: She actually has a soulmate? I thought she'd become a sad cat lady. I ignored them, too happy with having actually found someone who would like me for me. I'm hoping anyway. 

There are only 2 recorded cases in history that the Finding didn't work. An older woman now, she lives alone I think. The other one died before they could meet their soulmate. Usually the universe finds you someone else to love but that time they couldn't.  

My history teacher gives me a knowing look and dismisses me from class. You're usually allowed to leave school in the event that your Finding appears during school hours. I'm not sure why, they just do. I guess it's because back then it took you a while to actually find your soulmate so I'm assuming they've kept the same rules. 

I grab my book bag and walk out of history. I walk down the empty hallways of my high school. Everyone was in class, I felt special to have have gotten my Finding during school. What's weird is that a lot of people get it during the summer or on vacation. I walk outside and sit down on one of the park benches in front of the establishment and just think. I put in my earbuds and breathe. If I don't breathe I'll start to freak out. My heart will start to race and my brain will start to ache and all I'll be able to think is why. Why me? Now it feels more like a memory, my drawings and the palms of my hands covered in his writing and oh my god he actually exists and B R E A T H E. 

I count to ten. And take slow inhales. I breathe slowly and my mind becomes clear. What's next? What's the next step in my life? 

I then think. It's my skin. We connect through our skin. I rush to the bathroom inside and wash my entire arm of the daisies, lavender buds, daffodils and lemongrass and then I notice I can't wash off his hand writing. I guess that makes sense. Because I didn't write it. I walk back outside and grab a pen from my pencil case and write down on my arm, "Hi :)". 

Within 30 seconds I get a reply. I'm nervous, I don't know what it'll say. I don't want to look. I slowly raise my hand up to face.  "Hi :)" 

I giggle. I write back, "I guess you're my soulmate..." 

"I guess you are," He writes, I feel like he's disappointed, I tell myself he can't be because he's never seen my face, only my flowers.

"Do you have a name?"

"Ethan, how about you?"

I hesitate for a moment and then write "Alex, nice to meet you."

"Do you have a phone number? I have a feeling writing on our arms is going to get tiring." He writes this all up my arm and then it disappears. I write down my number and soon we spend hours texting back and forth and the next thing I know it's already been a 3 months. 

I learn that he's the oldest of 3, like me. He's loves to write and I love to draw. He'll write me stories on my arm and I'll draw flowers on his arms. He'll leave me cute messages in the morning to wake up too. We live in the same city and he's 19. He also has a dog, which is adorable. I Love dogs.

One morning I wake up and he's written something new on my arm. 

"I want to meet you." I can almost hear his voice in my head, although I've never heard it and it sounds almost like he can't wait. And to tell the truth, neither can I. I've wanted to meet him the day I saw him write on the palm of my hand and yet I couldn't bring myself to tell him that. I thought he wouldn't want to meet. I seriously need to stop thinking he doesn't  want to meet me. We're supposed to be together apparently, I just need to trust the universes signs and I'll be okay. 

I write back. 

"Me too. But I'm telling you, I'm going to be a nerve wreck." I let out a slight nervous laugh to myself and breathe again. Just breathe. 

"It's making my heart race just thinking about meeting you, Alex. I can't wait any longer." I wash my arm and write a time and  place. My favourite coffee shop and noon.

He writes, "See you then :)" 

I panic. That's tomorrow, I'm meeting him tomorrow and I chose the date. I could've picked any time and place in history and I pick tomorrow? What the hell is wrong with me. 

I slump into my bed before I get ready for school. When I get there though, all I can do is think about Ethan. He's the only thing on my mind right now and meeting him tomorrow. I'm making myself nervous again. I feel like I know him so well at this point and he knows me so well. even my friends don't know me that well. I find it hard to eat dinner that night. Same goes for breakfast the next morning. Meeting him is making me feel so anxious. I can't breathe. I want to cancel but I know I can't. I want to lock myself up in a room and never speak to anyone again, but at the same time I want to embrase him with everything I have. I want to know what he sounds like what he smells like, what his hair looks like when it gets wet. I want to know him. 

I walk out of my house. I'm fidgeting furiously with my purse and breathing deeply. It take me 15 minutes to walk there. When I get in, I sit down at a table and wait. It's 11:59 am. I'm either early or right on time. I don't know about him. He might be late, he might never show up for all I know. I keep my head down and draw in my sketch book as I wait. It's 12:05 pm. Looks like he's the slightly tardy type, maybe.

Then I feel something on my arm. For a second I think it's Ethan telling me he can't come but then I read it and I smile.

"I found you :)"

I really hope you guys liked it! I loved this one, I honestly think its one of my best! :)