Paper Walker

Chapter 9

The closer it gets to summer vacation, the busier I get with school and the less time I have to dive into a book. The weather is usually so nice we stay out late on the beach and when I get home, all I want to do is sleep.

When there are only two weeks to go and I check my inbox with my sleepy head, my eye catches an e-mail from a S.P. Connor. At once I'm wide awake.

Hij mailed back. Finally. I had almost given up hope. Even though I have to go the the bathroom pretty bad, I click on the mail and devour the words.

Hi Zara,

Sorry it took so long. You're right, I could have just given you my e-mail, but then I wouldn't have a letter with nice Dutch stamps on it.

I grin and read on.

I too began this e-mail again about a hundred times, especially because I wasn't sure if you wanted to get to know me after our goodbye. Do I have to apologize? If I did anything you didn't want, then sorry. Maybe you have a boyfriend and I seriously crossed a line.

Aw, that's so sweet. I bite my lip and smack myself.

If not, and you still want to know me, I meant it what I wrote in my short note. I am gonna miss you. I don't meet many beautiful girls and especially not in real life.

What I also want to tell you, should you decide you don't want anything to do with me any more, please don't feel guilty about me having to leave 'Brotherhood'. I tend to hide from reality. All you did was do me a favour.

So, mail me back, if you like.

Sincerely yours,

Sorley

I run for the loo and read the mail again in there. Then I slowly walk down the stairs, reading, and by the time I finish my bowl of muesli, I practically memorized the words.

Every time I read the words 'beautiful girls', I let out a deep sigh. It's a good thing my mum left early today.

---

Isla, he e-mailed me, I text before I ride to school.

At our usual spot I wait for her and not much later we are screaming and jumping around like idiots. Before I think about it, I let her read the lines.

"Hey? What does he mean by that last part?"

Oh shoot. "Eh... that was a game. He was kind of addicted to it and I caused it to ... crash, so he ... lost everything."

"But you didn't really meet him in real life, right?"

"No", I shake my head wildly, happy she accepts my explanation. "Online, it's all online." It doesn't feel right that I'm still lying to her. She's my best friend, isn't it about time I tell her the truth?

"And what did he do that he must be sorry about? Did you swap dirty pictures, or something?"

"Ew, no, Isla, what are you thinking? Don't be so ridicules." My face contorts and I yell again: "Ew."

Isla laughs at me. "Really, I was only joking, don't be such a baby. But, what was it?"

It was a mistake, letting her read the letter. How am I supposed to get out of this?

I get saved by the bell and I shout, before we each go our separate ways: "I'll tell you in our brake."

That gives me at least two hour to come up with something.

---

I get a lot more time than that, but not because she forgets. I'd have rather told her the truth a million times than end up in the situation I'm in now.