Letters Keep Me Warm
01
When you think of high school love, you think of that whole cliché of the football star, and the head cheerleader. At least, that’s what I had always thought. Sometimes I get told that my love with Jack is nothing but a high school love cliché, just waiting to be written down. In a way, I could see what they mean by that. We had met our freshman year of high school, in our PE class. Somehow, despite both of our obvious awkwardness, we hit it off well. We became close friends, and then dated, and soon thereafter, fell in love.
And then, he got famous. Not that I wasn’t proud of him. I really was. Every show I got to go see made me realize even more how amazing he was, and how his talent should be shared with the world. And yet, as we stood in my driveway to say goodbye, I wanted nothing more than to keep him with me. He was going off to tour the country with his band, and I was heading off towards college. It would be several months, maybe even a year, before I got to see him again. My heart felt like it was breaking into a million different pieces, and tears welled up into my green eyes.
“Brielle, sweetheart,” Jack murmured, pulling me close. I was extremely short compared to him. Standing at only four feet, eleven inches, I just barely reached his chest. His upper body curled around me as he embraced my smaller frame, his head resting on top of mine. I could feel him shaking.
I think my biggest fear was losing him. I knew what some girls were like, especially towards gorgeous guys in bands. They would throw themselves at him, hoping that with a quickie, they could become famous too. Deep down, I knew Jack wasn’t like that. It had taken us over a year before we lost our virginity together. But that didn’t help calm my fears. I guess it didn’t help that Alex, ever the manwhore, was going along. Not that I didn’t like Alex. I really did. He was a great friend to Jack. But the amount of girls he had slept with since I had known him was staggering.
“Hey, look at me.” He pulled back and placed a finger beneath my chin, forcing me to look up at him. The tears that had welled up overflowed, cascading down my cheeks. “It’s only for a little while. I’ll be back before you know it. And we’ll keep in touch. Plus, they say distance makes the heart grow fonder,” he added with a soft smile, kissing my tears away.
“Well, those people are idiots,” I mumbled, pressing my face into his chest.
He chuckled softly, running his fingers through my dark hair. “I love you, Bri.”
“I love you too, Jack.”
With those final words, he stepped back, swooping down to give me one final kiss and then turning towards the van that was waiting. He hopped inside and slammed the door shut, his eyes full of the sadness that we both felt. I faintly heard the roar of the engine as it started. My hands were balled into fists at my chest, the sobs making my body heave. I took a step forward, calling his name as the van slowly began moving. I didn’t want him to leave. I didn’t know what to do with myself with him gone. This wasn’t right. He wasn’t supposed to leave me alone. He blew me a kiss just before they turned the corner, and then, he was gone.
I sank to the cement, unable to hold myself up any longer.
And then, he got famous. Not that I wasn’t proud of him. I really was. Every show I got to go see made me realize even more how amazing he was, and how his talent should be shared with the world. And yet, as we stood in my driveway to say goodbye, I wanted nothing more than to keep him with me. He was going off to tour the country with his band, and I was heading off towards college. It would be several months, maybe even a year, before I got to see him again. My heart felt like it was breaking into a million different pieces, and tears welled up into my green eyes.
“Brielle, sweetheart,” Jack murmured, pulling me close. I was extremely short compared to him. Standing at only four feet, eleven inches, I just barely reached his chest. His upper body curled around me as he embraced my smaller frame, his head resting on top of mine. I could feel him shaking.
I think my biggest fear was losing him. I knew what some girls were like, especially towards gorgeous guys in bands. They would throw themselves at him, hoping that with a quickie, they could become famous too. Deep down, I knew Jack wasn’t like that. It had taken us over a year before we lost our virginity together. But that didn’t help calm my fears. I guess it didn’t help that Alex, ever the manwhore, was going along. Not that I didn’t like Alex. I really did. He was a great friend to Jack. But the amount of girls he had slept with since I had known him was staggering.
“Hey, look at me.” He pulled back and placed a finger beneath my chin, forcing me to look up at him. The tears that had welled up overflowed, cascading down my cheeks. “It’s only for a little while. I’ll be back before you know it. And we’ll keep in touch. Plus, they say distance makes the heart grow fonder,” he added with a soft smile, kissing my tears away.
“Well, those people are idiots,” I mumbled, pressing my face into his chest.
He chuckled softly, running his fingers through my dark hair. “I love you, Bri.”
“I love you too, Jack.”
With those final words, he stepped back, swooping down to give me one final kiss and then turning towards the van that was waiting. He hopped inside and slammed the door shut, his eyes full of the sadness that we both felt. I faintly heard the roar of the engine as it started. My hands were balled into fists at my chest, the sobs making my body heave. I took a step forward, calling his name as the van slowly began moving. I didn’t want him to leave. I didn’t know what to do with myself with him gone. This wasn’t right. He wasn’t supposed to leave me alone. He blew me a kiss just before they turned the corner, and then, he was gone.
I sank to the cement, unable to hold myself up any longer.