The Chronicles of Us

нαуєѕ

"I forgot how to knock."
I forgot
to say
I forgot
how to talk
to girls.
Jesus.
So I met her
at the back porch.
She sat in the
wooden porch swing
that was there before she moved in. Her hair
was falling
out of its braid
and into her face.
"How old are you anyway?"
She looked me
up and down.
"Seventeen."
I told her.
"Sixteen."
She said signing.
"What school do you go to?"
"I dropped out,"
I said,
"I don't need school."
"God, I wish I could do that."
She mumbled.
I laughed.
"Why'd you drop out?"
She asked.
"My dad just wanted me to help with the leather company he had. I didn't mind."
"Why are you using past tense?"
She asked
hesitantly.
"Um---well,---my dad died a little while ago. I live with my aunt and uncle now."
"What about your mom?"
"She died a long time ago. I don't really remember her much."
She bit her lip.
Another piece of hair
fell
in her face.
Her
hair
was
dark.

We both
stared
out at the ocean.
It roared
in our ears
and the smell
of salt
filled our noses.
"I'm sorry."
"No,"
I said,
"Don't be sorry. Shit happens."
"I know exactly what you mean. You know, I only have a mom."
She looked up at me.
"My dad lived with one foot out of the door his whole life. But who am I to tell you? I've never even seen him before."
She patted the spot
next to her
on the
porch swing.
So I sat next to her.
She smiled.
"When do you start school?" I asked.
It was October,
and also a Wednesday.
"Monday." She looked over at me sitting next to her.
I was a safe six inches
way from her.
"What's your story?"
I asked Lena.
I wanted to be closer,
but I also
didn't want to be
creepier
than I already seemed.
She studied me
for a second.
"Why do you want to know about me? I'm the most boring person in the world. Why are you wasting all of your time with a girl like me when you could have anyone else?"
She was serious.
"Because you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."
She
thought
I
was
kidding.
"I'm not beautiful, I'm boring. I think there's something wrong with your eyesight."
She smiled.
"If you're so boring, then why do you think I'm still here?"
Then she said something
that made me
want to
kiss
her
and
hold
her
forever:
"That's what I'm still trying to figure out."