One House Behind | ✓

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞

Tanner

I had never thought that I would find myself ready to talk to a girl over, or through, a fence. As soon as she was out of sight, I rushed inside for something warmer but also light. Meaning, my parents and sister realized what happened.

"She liked it?"

"Liked it? She loved it, she's my stalker," I scoffed like Susie should understand.

"Yeah, I told you about that part. Why didn't you delete it?"

"You can't delete a part of a handwritten letter. It's called e-ra-sing," I took a pause to enunciated the last word.

"Whatever. So, what did she say?"

"We didn't speak much. It's sorta not our thing. A fence between us is what fixes everything. Now move, she's probably out there now."

My parents didn't question why I got a burst of energy. I hadn't been this awake since before work and during Shelly. My heart sped as I thought of her name.

"Have fun!" Dad yelled.

"I will," I mumbled as I pulled a chair and sat.

And waited. What was she doing? Was she panicking like I was internally? She was right, everything felt rushed as we realized our feelings. It scared me to think that she was pulling back.

I hadn't thought of how I sprung this on her. It was as if a teacher told everyone about a project that they forgot to do and so everyone did it the night before. It felt too soon for these feelings, we barely knew each other.

But I knew. She was it for me. Whether momentarily or forever, she was it. Shelly fit with me and I liked it. I really hit the nail with this one.

Standing over the fence on the chair, I didn't see any lights on in the back. A faint light came from the corner window but that was it. My stomach filled with dread that the rush fell off. What if I was being tricked for how I acted with her?

But then, her backyard light flicked on. She opened her sliding door and walked out. I sighed. She was coming.

"Sorry about that, I had to talk to my mother," she said as she walked closer to the fence.

"No problem. I'd wait forever."

"You waited forever to talk to me again." 

I let that simmer in. It was expected that she'd throw that in my face right off the bat. Shelly wasn't the type to let others walk over her.

"And I can't express how stupid I was. I thought I'd lost you before. When my sister and I fought and you saw how the slightest inconvenience made me mad."

"And yet even the moon warms me."

"How is that...how is that relevant?"

I didn't worry about if she'd yell at me. We weren't like that with each other. Questions can only lead to understanding.

"I like the sun. It's warm and loving and caring and kind. The moon is dark and brooding and sad and did I mention dark? But even it still has its brightest days."

"You should be a poet, " I was about to smile but realized it may be too dark for her to see it. I smiled nonetheless.

"No thanks. I have no mentality to be pouring it onto a page," she snorted.

"So, what does that have to do with me?"

"Even on your darkest days, you are still bright. You can still be good, not like you aren't, and sure you made bad choices. But look, where are you now? Ready to change and that's good. I mean, you've changed so much since you got here. At least I'm guessing, I've only ever seen the good in you and apparently, you seem to think you're all bad."

"I was bad. I wasn't the best person I could've been. But you forgot one part."

"Which is?"

"I'm not changing for any other reason than for you."