One House Behind | ✓

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

Shelly

I could only stare at the handwritten letters. It made my heart full and felt fixed knowing he still cared. Knowing he wanted to mend things.

But I couldn't find it in me to talk to him yet. One more week was enough. But maybe rereading the letters to understand him more would help me realize some missing pieces of this messed up relationship.

Dear Shelly something (because we never got to last names),

I wanted to play basketball. All my friends back home were still able to go outside, it hadn't been as serious as it had gotten, but my mom wouldn't let me out.

My sister Susie, who you so graciously met, had told me she would play a game but then bailed once she realized how hot it was. Or was hot to us but warm to you.

I watched as my sister walked inside. Deciding to see if you were outside for an entertaining chat, I peeked through the fence.

And there you were. In shorts and a tank top. I couldn't make out your face, you were a bit too far, but I could make out the general look of you.

Brunette hair, caramel skin. (I looked both up to be sure, I don't know skin/hair types.) You seemed medium to tall high from how long your legs looked and how separated the chairs were to hold your legs.

You looked pretty as the sun shone down on you. In your own little world, I watched your soft smile. The way your chest soft rose and fell in peace. You were perfect.

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" You sounded a little shocked that I was there.

"Why do you sunbathe every day? You'll get skin cancer."

"I got tough skin. It feels good."

"That's not weird," I laughed.

You lifted your head a little to try to see if I was over the fence. But then your eyes, from what I could see, stopped where I was at. Suddenly, I felt warmer and blamed my spot and the sun shining on my neck.

Shaking your head, you laid your head back on the chair after putting your headphones in, ending the conversation. I didn't want it to end.

"Hey!" I shouted loud enough for you to hear over the music you were playing because you rolled your head to where I stood.

"What?" You asked with attitude.

"What school ya go to?" I was grasping at anything to keep you talking.

"Online."

"Yeah, no dur smart ass. I'm saying, which one do you go to?" I could have snorted.

(Not cocaine, I'm not a crackhead here Shelly)

"The one that's around here." Was all  I thought you were going to give me. We had two highschools around us. But then you followed with, "I go to Oak Grove."

"Same, what grade?"

You didn't look that much older OR younger. You seemed as if you just were. As if you were just a leaf floating in the water, going wherever the stream led you.

Because of that, I couldn't pinpoint your age. Usually, and maybe it's because I could have seen the person beforehand, I could tell someone's age at the snap of my fingers. But you were difficult.

Almost like Bella to Edward. ( I had no choice but to watch the movies, I had Susie and my mother to blame/thank for that)

"I'll be a senior next year. This thing put a big pause on my dreams."

So younger than me. I watched as you moved your head so the sun hit it differently every few seconds. It was like watching someone barbeque.

"I would've been gone by then, we would have never known each other."

Which feels weird to think of now. Had we never met, I wouldn't know what I was missing in you. I wouldn't have known what it's like to be stared at with your beautiful brown eyes or see you smile at me. We wouldn't have been friends and the thought is odd.

"Yay, because there is this deadly illness that spreads to many people at once, it's so great that we met."

"I can't tell if that was sarcasm or not." Which was true, I couldn't.

"Figure it out, bye now."

I thought you were leaving but you were about to put your headphones in yet you didn't. I watched, trying to see if you were going to do anything else, but you just sunbathed.

A tiny smile made its way onto your face as the sun made you tanner. Your skin looked healthy and loved. But I still couldn't shake the whole cancer thing. It was a serious issue but it felt like people didn't care much about it.

The sound of the busy main road was overlapping any other sound. Nature could barely be heard but it was calming. I didn't understand why you sat outside with flies for no reason, so I asked to understand.

"What does that do for you?"

"It relaxes me. Try it."

"What?"

"Don't stare at me the entire time, sit down with me, feel the sun and hear the world."

I felt bad. Had I made you think I was a creep? Of course, you would think that someone who peeks at you through a fence while your eyes are closed IS a creep.

"I just sit here...and sleep?"

"Did you pull up a chair?"

"Yes."

I quickly got one. I sat on it just as you started talking again.

"Then lean back, let the sun heat your body, and think about nothing. Absolutely nothing. Or think about how the sun is hot against your skin and how the breeze cools it off."

You sounded so experienced. How long had you been doing it? I figured that since you knew, it had to have been a while. I laughed when I realized how different you were.

And it was a good kind of different.

"You are one weird girl, Shelly."

"How do you know my name?"

I grimaced. I said your name in a normal fashion, I'm confused as to how you still talked to me. I felt another rush of heat intake, instead this time it was to my face.

"The day I looked over the fence. Your mom said your name and I remembered it."

"Oh."

"Tanner," my voice was more of a sigh.

"Huh?"

"My name. It's Tanner."

"Tanner," I heard you say.

And it was beautiful.

-Tanner