Status: Complete
Unspoken Wishes
One
"Hey, Chloe!" A deep voice called my name and I turned away from my messy locker to see Colin, smiling brightly at me.
"Hey," I said softly. I put my hand in my pocket, covering my cell phone protectively.
Paranoid, I thought. It's not like he's going to go through your phone or something.
"What's up?" he said, still wearing his smile. I watched as he ran his hand through his unkempt brown hair.
"Oh, just the ceiling..." I said, looking up.
He chuckled. "You take everything so seriously." He pulled me into a warm hug. I just stood there, a blank expression on my face. I was glad that I was holding books in my arms, as an excuse as to why I was not hugging back.
"I want to take you somewhere today," he said. "Will you meet me at my house at five? I want to make up for the time that we were broken up." I thought about what I was going to do today. I was busy, but I wasn't going to tell him that, due to the circumstances. I sighed and answered him.
"Sure, Colin. I gotta get home now, but I'll see you at five." I shut my locker and walked away from him, not even offering him a smile.
---
I rang the doorbell and straightened my pink-and-white striped shirt as I waited for someone to answer the door.
"Chloe!"
"Hey Ike!" I said, enthusiastically. I smiled as Colin had for me. But it quickly faded as I thought about how I would feel if I were in his place.
No, I told myself, I'm doing this to make them both happy. But I was still sickened when I really, truly thought about it.
Yet I still ran into Ike's strong arms for a hug. I inhaled the scent of him as he held me tighter. I looked up at his face. His blue-black hair contrasted against his pale skin for a very alluring effect.
He laughed as his navy blue sweatshirt engulfed me. "So..." he said, "what are we going to do today?"
"I don't know, but I have to go at five," I said nervously. I wondered what his reaction would be.
"Why? Is there something you have to do?" he asked, not the slightest bit suspicious.
"Yeah... I gotta help my mom clean the house," I lied. "Our relatives are coming to visit next week."
He raised a thick eyebrow. "I thought your mom was a total neat freak."
"Well, she is. That's why she wants me to help her clean up - the cleaner the better, in her eyes." The lie flowed easily, making me wonder if my whole life was a lie. At least the part about my relatives was true. But Ike was right - my spotless home hardly needed to be cleaner.
"So, I guess we can just go to the park or something? Act like little kids again." He smiled at me and I couldn't help but smile back.
"Okay."
---
I sighed as I got into my car to go to Colin's house. The two hours I had spent with Ike were magical, as childishly playful as they were. I wanted to stay with him for much longer, but I had already promised Colin...
I flipped open my phone and wondered if I should text Colin to tell him that I couldn't make it. But he had seemed so excited about something... I didn't want to let him down, as I had before.
And plus, Ike had already left - it would be strange to tell him that my mother had canceled on me, and then demand him to take me back to the park. No, it just wouldn't work.
I started my car and my monotonous journey to Colin's house was under way.
---
"Hey, Chloe!" Colin opened the front door and smiled at me. It was like an instant replay of a couple hours before - his uncanny cheerfulness overriding my gloom.
"Hi. Where are we going today?"
"It's a surprise. So what have you been doing?" he asked as we got into his car.
"Oh, just cleaning for my mom." I hoped that if I used the same excuse for both guys, it would seem more believable. He nodded and started his car.
The ride was almost as boring as my solo trip. It wasn't like the old days - something was missing. Maybe it was just the fact that we had broken up and gotten back together - maybe we should have just forgotten each other and moved on.
I knew that I, at least, tried to do so. But Colin just kept coming back, and I wasn't sure what to do about it.
We reached our destination, Colin's cheery mood intact. I starred out through the windshield - it just looked like a plain old field.
"Why...?"
"You'll see," he says mischievously. I wasn't too interested - being with Colin had lost its spark for me.
He led me out onto the grass. I decided that I liked this place - it was full of weeds and stray plants, but it held a natural feel. He reached for my hand and led me up a large hill.
"Where are we going? And why do we have to go up this hill and not around it?"
"Well, where we're going is a surprise. And going up the hill... It will just make the experience more magical."
"Okay," I say uncertainly.
"You know, Chloe, you seem... different. Is there something wrong? Or are you just tired from all the cleaning?"
"Tired," I lied. After all those lies, would one more hurt? Of course he wouldn't guess that it had to do with the fact that I just felt sorry for him. I let my mind drift to Ike instead, the one that I really wanted. But everything was just too difficult, too complicated...
"Well, we're here," he said, a bit more subdued.
I snapped back to reality and realized that we were on the top of the hill. I looked down and nearly gasped at the enchanting sight.
It was a field of dandelions. At least Colin remembered my favorite flower. While many considered the dandelion to be a weed, I thought that it should hold a chance as its own flower. Besides, was it not beautiful in its own way?
"It's... amazing."
"I knew you would like it," he said, his perpetual smile returning. Maybe he was beautiful in his own way, too. Just like the dandelions.
"Well, I guess you remembered my favorite flower," I said, smiling back for the first time today.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I?"
"I don't know... I only mentioned it once or twice and you remembered all this time." I sat down in the flowers, careful to squish as little of them as possible.
"Make a wish," he said, plucking a flower that had already become white and fluffy. I accepted the dandelion and twisted the stem thoughtfully between my thumb and index finger. A gentle breeze started up, smooth as butter against my skin. A few strands of my light brown hair fell into my eyes.
"I don't really know what to wish for," I said, brushing the hair behind my ear. And that was right - if I had one wish, what would I wish for? The love triangle between Colin and Ike was just too complicated, there was just no way to solve it.
"You can wish for anything you want," he said. "But I already know that I wouldn't wish for anything."
"Why not?" I asked with genuine curiosity. Ever since Colin and I had "gotten back together," I never really thought much about him. I spent time with him, but I mostly was in my own thoughts, unless I had to respond to a question or something of the like.
"Because..." he said, leaning in closer to whisper in my ear, "I'm here with you." My pulse accelerated. It was the first time since the break up that I had actually felt something for him. My cheek started tingling as his lips brushed against it.
Maybe he isn't so bad, I thought. Besides, I dated him for a reason, right? He deserves a second chance.
But it was too late for second chances - I already had Ike. Would I break his heart too? I knew it had to end, I knew that I looked like a mess emotionally. I had ignored Colin, and it had gone on too long.
Colin or Ike? Or none? But I knew that I had to make at least one of them happy. They were happy like this - not knowing the truth.
But I wasn't. Maybe the lesson of this all is that your happiness matters most. Yet I wasn't happy if the others weren't...
Emotions and secrets fought each other in silence, as Colin's amber eyes looked at me patiently. He was waiting for me to make a wish.
"Do you have a wish?" he asked softly. I nodded, the hand holding the flower trembling slightly. There was a solution.
I closed my eyes and gently blew on the dandelion, scattering the seeds in the wind. I let the naked stem fall to the ground as Colin pulled me into a hug.
"There," he said, "don't you feel better? I hope that whatever you wished for, it comes true."
I nodded again, trying to keep a blank expression on my face.
After all the lies and broken sighs, he didn't know...
I wished to die.
"Hey," I said softly. I put my hand in my pocket, covering my cell phone protectively.
Paranoid, I thought. It's not like he's going to go through your phone or something.
"What's up?" he said, still wearing his smile. I watched as he ran his hand through his unkempt brown hair.
"Oh, just the ceiling..." I said, looking up.
He chuckled. "You take everything so seriously." He pulled me into a warm hug. I just stood there, a blank expression on my face. I was glad that I was holding books in my arms, as an excuse as to why I was not hugging back.
"I want to take you somewhere today," he said. "Will you meet me at my house at five? I want to make up for the time that we were broken up." I thought about what I was going to do today. I was busy, but I wasn't going to tell him that, due to the circumstances. I sighed and answered him.
"Sure, Colin. I gotta get home now, but I'll see you at five." I shut my locker and walked away from him, not even offering him a smile.
---
I rang the doorbell and straightened my pink-and-white striped shirt as I waited for someone to answer the door.
"Chloe!"
"Hey Ike!" I said, enthusiastically. I smiled as Colin had for me. But it quickly faded as I thought about how I would feel if I were in his place.
No, I told myself, I'm doing this to make them both happy. But I was still sickened when I really, truly thought about it.
Yet I still ran into Ike's strong arms for a hug. I inhaled the scent of him as he held me tighter. I looked up at his face. His blue-black hair contrasted against his pale skin for a very alluring effect.
He laughed as his navy blue sweatshirt engulfed me. "So..." he said, "what are we going to do today?"
"I don't know, but I have to go at five," I said nervously. I wondered what his reaction would be.
"Why? Is there something you have to do?" he asked, not the slightest bit suspicious.
"Yeah... I gotta help my mom clean the house," I lied. "Our relatives are coming to visit next week."
He raised a thick eyebrow. "I thought your mom was a total neat freak."
"Well, she is. That's why she wants me to help her clean up - the cleaner the better, in her eyes." The lie flowed easily, making me wonder if my whole life was a lie. At least the part about my relatives was true. But Ike was right - my spotless home hardly needed to be cleaner.
"So, I guess we can just go to the park or something? Act like little kids again." He smiled at me and I couldn't help but smile back.
"Okay."
---
I sighed as I got into my car to go to Colin's house. The two hours I had spent with Ike were magical, as childishly playful as they were. I wanted to stay with him for much longer, but I had already promised Colin...
I flipped open my phone and wondered if I should text Colin to tell him that I couldn't make it. But he had seemed so excited about something... I didn't want to let him down, as I had before.
And plus, Ike had already left - it would be strange to tell him that my mother had canceled on me, and then demand him to take me back to the park. No, it just wouldn't work.
I started my car and my monotonous journey to Colin's house was under way.
---
"Hey, Chloe!" Colin opened the front door and smiled at me. It was like an instant replay of a couple hours before - his uncanny cheerfulness overriding my gloom.
"Hi. Where are we going today?"
"It's a surprise. So what have you been doing?" he asked as we got into his car.
"Oh, just cleaning for my mom." I hoped that if I used the same excuse for both guys, it would seem more believable. He nodded and started his car.
The ride was almost as boring as my solo trip. It wasn't like the old days - something was missing. Maybe it was just the fact that we had broken up and gotten back together - maybe we should have just forgotten each other and moved on.
I knew that I, at least, tried to do so. But Colin just kept coming back, and I wasn't sure what to do about it.
We reached our destination, Colin's cheery mood intact. I starred out through the windshield - it just looked like a plain old field.
"Why...?"
"You'll see," he says mischievously. I wasn't too interested - being with Colin had lost its spark for me.
He led me out onto the grass. I decided that I liked this place - it was full of weeds and stray plants, but it held a natural feel. He reached for my hand and led me up a large hill.
"Where are we going? And why do we have to go up this hill and not around it?"
"Well, where we're going is a surprise. And going up the hill... It will just make the experience more magical."
"Okay," I say uncertainly.
"You know, Chloe, you seem... different. Is there something wrong? Or are you just tired from all the cleaning?"
"Tired," I lied. After all those lies, would one more hurt? Of course he wouldn't guess that it had to do with the fact that I just felt sorry for him. I let my mind drift to Ike instead, the one that I really wanted. But everything was just too difficult, too complicated...
"Well, we're here," he said, a bit more subdued.
I snapped back to reality and realized that we were on the top of the hill. I looked down and nearly gasped at the enchanting sight.
It was a field of dandelions. At least Colin remembered my favorite flower. While many considered the dandelion to be a weed, I thought that it should hold a chance as its own flower. Besides, was it not beautiful in its own way?
"It's... amazing."
"I knew you would like it," he said, his perpetual smile returning. Maybe he was beautiful in his own way, too. Just like the dandelions.
"Well, I guess you remembered my favorite flower," I said, smiling back for the first time today.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I?"
"I don't know... I only mentioned it once or twice and you remembered all this time." I sat down in the flowers, careful to squish as little of them as possible.
"Make a wish," he said, plucking a flower that had already become white and fluffy. I accepted the dandelion and twisted the stem thoughtfully between my thumb and index finger. A gentle breeze started up, smooth as butter against my skin. A few strands of my light brown hair fell into my eyes.
"I don't really know what to wish for," I said, brushing the hair behind my ear. And that was right - if I had one wish, what would I wish for? The love triangle between Colin and Ike was just too complicated, there was just no way to solve it.
"You can wish for anything you want," he said. "But I already know that I wouldn't wish for anything."
"Why not?" I asked with genuine curiosity. Ever since Colin and I had "gotten back together," I never really thought much about him. I spent time with him, but I mostly was in my own thoughts, unless I had to respond to a question or something of the like.
"Because..." he said, leaning in closer to whisper in my ear, "I'm here with you." My pulse accelerated. It was the first time since the break up that I had actually felt something for him. My cheek started tingling as his lips brushed against it.
Maybe he isn't so bad, I thought. Besides, I dated him for a reason, right? He deserves a second chance.
But it was too late for second chances - I already had Ike. Would I break his heart too? I knew it had to end, I knew that I looked like a mess emotionally. I had ignored Colin, and it had gone on too long.
Colin or Ike? Or none? But I knew that I had to make at least one of them happy. They were happy like this - not knowing the truth.
But I wasn't. Maybe the lesson of this all is that your happiness matters most. Yet I wasn't happy if the others weren't...
Emotions and secrets fought each other in silence, as Colin's amber eyes looked at me patiently. He was waiting for me to make a wish.
"Do you have a wish?" he asked softly. I nodded, the hand holding the flower trembling slightly. There was a solution.
I closed my eyes and gently blew on the dandelion, scattering the seeds in the wind. I let the naked stem fall to the ground as Colin pulled me into a hug.
"There," he said, "don't you feel better? I hope that whatever you wished for, it comes true."
I nodded again, trying to keep a blank expression on my face.
After all the lies and broken sighs, he didn't know...
I wished to die.
♠ ♠ ♠
1629 words.