Forever Is Fine

“Night, little girl,” Tanner whispered, pulling the tiny blankets up over his seven month old sister, Bentley, before leaving her bedroom, closing the door behind him.

He glanced into his mother’s bedroom to find her body strewn diagonally across the unmade bed. She hadn’t even gotten up to have any dinner that night. Tanner had gotten home from school at three thirty to find his mother laying in that same position on her bed, Bentley crying murderously from her crib.

“One more year,” he promised himself. Just one more year and he’d be away from that woman. One more year and he’d be on his own. He’d petition the courts to have Bentley removed from his mother’s care - that woman wasn’t fit to call that amazing little girl her daughter.

Entering his bedroom, Tanner sat himself at his desk. It was eight thirty and he was yet to even so much glance at his ever-growing pile of homework. His AP English teacher had approached him that day regarding an assignment that had been due the previous week. Tanner had mumbled out some excuse but he knew if he were to keep his grades up and graduate as valedictorian, he would really have to start buckling down.

Picking up the slip of paper that his English teacher had passed out, Tanner read over the assignment topic.

“Think back to a time in your life when something astronomical impacted your life. How did this change you as a person? Did you gain anything from this experience? Did you lose anything from this experience?”

Simple enough. Tanner immediately thought back to a few years previous when he and his mother had moved from Loudoun, Virginia to his current location of Raleigh, North Carolina after his father died. What had he gained? New friends, a change of scenery, a new perspective on life. As for what he lost…

Tanner’s gaze traveled up a single picture stuck above his desk, amongst the many ribbons and awards he had received both for his academic and athletic achievements. Tanner was no more then thirteen. Lanky, uncoordinated, the acne was starting to appear on his face. Standing right next to him, beaming into the camera was his best friend from Loudoun - William Baker. The two had been close - the best of friends - but it had to have been at least two years since they last written to each other. However, after the move to Raleigh, Tanner had lost contact with William - something he knew was mostly his fault. Life had caught up with him in North Carolina and suddenly, keeping in constant contact with an old friend didn’t seem so important.

Struck with a sudden inspiration, Tanner began writing his reply to the assignment. He wrote long into the night, the only sound to be heard was the scratching of lead against the paper and whooshing of the wind outside, announcing the arrival of the first snow fall. Ignoring the burning that was starting to form in his wrist, Tanner continued scribbling fiercely, anxious to get down all that he had to say.

It was well past midnight when he let out a sigh and finally put down the pencil. Smiling to himself, Tanner stapled his five page paper together, slipping it into a folder then into his bag, ready to give to Mr. Greene tomorrow. Reaching into the bottom desk drawer, Tanner retracting his hand that was clutching a simple white envelope.

Grinning, Tanner scrawled a final few words onto the front of the envelope. He paused when he realized that he couldn’t remember the street number. Was it sixty one? Or maybe sixteen? There were definitely a six and a one in some order. Shrugging, Tanner scrawled 61 Juniper Street across the front. He was almost a hundred percent sure that it was 61.

Licking the flap carefully, he folded it down and pressed it together, sealing the letter inside. Laying the letter on his desk, Tanner reached overhead flicking off the lamp before heading to bed in a desperate attempt to get a least a few hours sleep before he was forced to get up for another day of school.

___________

Dear Will,

Bet your surprised to hear from me? It’s been what - a little less then two years? How’re things going man?

Strangely enough, it was an English assignment that got me thinking about you. I sort of started feeling a little guilty about the fact that we lost touch the way we did. We were best friends, and it sucked that we let that die.

My life in Raleigh can pretty much be summed up with school, sports, friends and helping Mom cope with Dad. She hasn’t been doing so great at all. And I guess you wouldn’t know but I actually have a baby sister. Can you imagine that? Bentley. She’s the cutest little thing, man, she’s seven months old. Her dad is sort of a long story that maybe I’ll get into if you ever write me back.

I think I’ve beat around the bush long enough, eh? I just wanted to write to let you know that I’m still alive and I do regret not keeping in contact with my best friend. Write me back if you feel like it. I hope you do.

Still waiting for a letter back,
Tanner.