Love Is Nothing But A Hoax

“Follow me.” he instructed quietly, brushing my arm lightly with the tips of his one hand before walking swiftly down the sidewalk leading away from the house.

I hadn’t quite been sure what to expect when I walked out the front door since he’d given me no details on what to do and I was surprised to see a dark figure waiting at the end of the walkway.

“Stay quiet.” he added, still a few good strides ahead of me. I tried my best to keep up with him but it was harder than you’d think once you factored in my shorter legs and greater exhaustion.

The streets were quiet at night. They reminded me of my neighborhood back home and the way you knew that all the excitement was happening somewhere concealed and out of view. I used to spend every summer walking the streets like this but this definitely wasn’t the same.

“Where are we going?” I asked, sick of the lost of feeling that was resting in the pit of my stomach since I could barely tell where I was stepping.

There was a moment of silence before I noticed the shadow in front of me take a turn between two houses and head straight between them, “Here.”

I followed the sound of his steps ahead of me, cautious of the uneven ground beneath me. Sleep sounded so much more appealing than this.

I walked forward into the darkness until my legs came in contact with something else, something warm that felt like the flesh of another. My first instinct was to scream and run, “Stop.” John’s voice came from below me, coming quickly before I could run off.

It wasn’t until then that I realized that John’s dark shadow was at the base of my feet instead of ahead of me. Careful to keep my balance still, I took a seat right across from him and folded my legs, placing my hands delicately in them.

“You never answered my question.” I said quietly, talking to the empty looking space before me.

“What do you mean?”

“Where are we?” I asked.

His laugh came quietly and I could hear his slow breaths, “My backyard.” he said casually.

I nodded slowly and did my best not to be angry. I was so tired that it was hard for me to keep a normal composure, “Why am I here?”

“I wanted to talk to you.” he responded quietly.

“Oh really?” I snapped sarcastically, “I wouldn’t have guessed.”

He laughed again, clearly amused by my frustration. If only he knew how close to screaming I really was…’

“How was your day?” he asked, further avoiding the real question.

I rolled my eyes, “It sucked.”

“Really, why?”

“Because it did.” I said blandly.

“That’s not a real answer.”

“Yes it is.” I argued.

“No, it’s not.”

“Well, it’s the only one you’re going to get.” I spat.

He laughed again and again, standing to be the only one the slightest bit entertained. I wanted to spit fire that’s how annoyed I was to be outside, exerting energy to stay away when I could be comfortable in my new bed.

“John.” I said in all seriousness, “Why am I here?”

After a few more moments, his laughter died down and a tense feeling fell over us. I could tell he was just trying to get himself to say what I knew he would.

“I know you don’t know me all that well, Anna,” he began, pausing, “but…can I trust you to keep what we talk about tonight between the two of us?”

I hesitated, knowing all too well what we’d be discussing. “Yes, you can trust me.” I told him. As much as I wanted to help my best friend, I wanted to help John because there was just something so…necessary about doing so. I didn’t want to see either of them hurt. I didn’t want to see anyone hurt. And I knew that talking to Hanna would get me nowhere.

“Alright, good.” he said, his voice sounding a bit unsure but willing to move forward. “How long have you and Hanna Mae been friends?”

“Fifteen years; we met when we were two.”

The wind whipped hard for a moment and I relished in the way it separated my hair and cooled the strands. John waited until it was over to continue, “So you know her really well, right?”

“Probably better than anyone else.”

“Alright…” he said quietly.

“John, look.” I said, deciding that it’d be best if I jumped right into it since he was clearly having trouble, “I know you and Hanna Mae are having trouble, it’s obvious, I can’t lie. But if you brought me all the way out here because you thought that maybe she had told me something that she hasn’t told you, I’ve got a good feeling that you’re going to be really disappointed.”

He was quiet for awhile and I almost jump when I heard him let out a soft, breathy chuckle, “I was afraid of that but I can’t say I didn’t expect it.”

I nodded in understanding, “I don’t think she knows what she wants right now. And you know how she doesn’t like to hurt anyone. She’s confused.”

“Yeah, I mean, I know that much. But, I don’t know…could you help me with this?”

“I can try.” I answered honestly, “But I really don’t know what’s going on all that well.”

“It’s a good thing I’m here then, isn’t it?”