One House Behind | ✓

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Shelly

We had continued to touch each other. He would climb the fence when it was late and just hold me. I wished that the world hadn't turned to dust in our hands so that we could do it out in the open. I wanted to show him around, let people know that I had captured him, but I couldn't.

Especially if any of my old friends would have seen him.

"Where have you been? You barley even videochat with us anymore," Jackie said with a groan.

"I'm sorry, school started and then I'm-"

But I couldn't tell them. They would all want to meet him and tear him from me. My friends were like leeches, taking everything but never returning. I bit my lip to stop anything more from spilling.

"Shelly? What are you keeping? You didn't finish the sentence," Joseph's eyebrows furrowed.

"Nothing. I'm sorry, just tired lately." 

That was supposed to keep them off. I was tired. Tanner and I would enjoy the late night to early morning together. I hadn't thought about what it was going to do to our sleeping schedules but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle.

"Uh-hu. Anyway, Sam and I were wondering if you wanted to go out with us. You could go with Joe over here."

"Yeah, what do you say? Think your parents will let you go?" he asked like he thought he could change my mind. But that was before Tanner and when there was room for him in my heart.

"My mother still isn't letting me and I'm not allowing myself out."

I had already told them about my father. They didn't seem to care. They offered no support or understanding. I felt my jaw clench as I realized they weren't changing. They could care less about me and only acknowledged me because they had gotten texts from me first today.

"Yeah, we knew that. They just like to be dipshits. Come out with us, we'll all be wearing masks, it'll be as safe as possible," she begged.

"Sorry Kenna, can't."

She was the nicer one out of them. I hadn't known that until she looked and actually talked to me a bit more than the rest. Sure, she hadn't texted me either but she was at least there. If she worked hard enough, earning a best friend might not even be that hard.

"I'm not going either so it's fine Shelly," Freddy spoke up.

"Thanks."

But I shouldn't need to defend myself. I suddenly got really irritated. They always pushed me to do something I didn't like. Like when I was forced to tell Joseph I liked him. It ruined our relationship and we couldn't be near each other without him making it awkward. I got over it but he always seemed to remember that embarrassing moment.

"I'm going to go, I have to do something. Talk later."

I didn't give them time to reply as I left the call. Sighing, I tossed my phone on the side of my bed. I got up and started messing with the little knickknacks in my room. I turned the standing light on and then sat at the edge of my bed. Picking my phone back up, I clicked a few times to go to the song I wanted. And then it played before going to the next and I smiled at a certain lyric.

It's just you and I tonight, why don't you figure my heart out?

It was funny because the only thought I had the entire song wasn't even a thought, but rather a person. It was how I wanted us to be. It reminded me of the wildness and safety that you can fall in with someone. No matter what, time and space could screw themselves because you were always meant to be.

And maybe Tanner and I were meant to be.