Did You Get What You Deserve?

~*James’ Point of View*~

I tugged the letterbox open and pulled out the contents. Bills, a couple of letters and a whole pile of junk. I walked slowly back to the porch, shuffling through the pile. I dropped the junk on the table, closely followed by the bills after checking to see if my cell phone bill was there (I’d been txting my old friends in New Jersey a lot, and I wanted to see the damage before Dad went ballistic). I was left with three letters in my hand. One looked like it was from Grandma. One was from our new school. The third was addressed to me and postmarked from New Jersey.

I threw the other two letters on top of the pile and sat down to open the one for me.

14th February 2023

Dear James,

Happy Valentine’s Day. I hope you’re having fun in Cali – you haven’t been on MSN much lately, I guess you’ve been too busy.

So much has happened since you left. Melanie’s pregnant, everyone’s really excited about that. School started again in January. I’ve got Alec as English teacher again, so at least I know I won’t fail this year.

I’ve been going downhill a bit since you left, I guess I just really miss you.

I don’t really know what else to write. If you were here I’d have so much to talk about, but none of it is significant enough to put into a letter.

So... take care. Have fun. Don’t worry about me, I’m fine.

Love,
Alecsandra

PS. I know it’s really stupid and selfish, and I don’t want to think like this, but... I find myself hoping you’re alone today just like I am.
xx

I sighed, closing my eyes and leaning back against the wall. Poor Alec. There was so much between the lines that she wasn’t saying, that she didn’t want me to know. She wasn’t as fine as she said.

“Hello?”

I jumped up.

“Over here.”

The girl peering over the fence had blonde hair and huge blue eyes. I walked over to her, and she smiled at me.

“You’re the guy who moved in recently, right?”

“Yeah, that’s me.”

“I’m Crystal.”

“James.”

“Hi James. You got any siblings?”

“Yeah, I got a sister. Dani.”

“How old is she?”

“Twelve.”

“Oh, okay. How old are you?”

“Sixteen.”

“Same. I just turned sixteen, actually, in January.”

“Cool.”

We stood in awkward silence for a moment. Then someone yelled “Crystal!” from inside her house, and she grimaced.

“Be there in a minute!”

She smiled at me.

“Where did you live before you came here?”

“New Jersey.”

“New Jersey? Wow. Must be really different.”

I nodded. “It is.”

“Crystal!” came the yell from her house again.

“I’m coming!”

“Who is that?” I asked, “your boyfriend?”

“Hardly,” she laughed, “it’s my brother. I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“Oh, okay.”

“What about you?” she continued, “do you have a girlfriend back in Jersey?”

My heart jumped as I thought of Alec. But then I remembered what I’d told her the night before I left. I wanted her to be happy. I wanted her to find another boy who made her feel special. And it wouldn’t be fair to try to keep a hold on her, to still call her mine after I’d let her go.

And even though the letter felt like it was burning a hole in my back pocket, I shook my head and said “no”.