Romeo, Romeo, Grow a Pair, Dear Romeo

Day after day, the girl would show up to play with Leigh or take her for a walk. The dog loved her more than she loved any of us. That girl certainly worked her magic on the dog, and on me. Night after night, I'd stare at my ceiling, wondering where she lived, wondering what she liked to do, what she liked to eat, where she liked to hang out. I wanted to know about her, I wanted to get to know her but I couldn't work up the courage to say anything to her. I saw her every day of my summer life and I could only watch her from the window. She'd smile at Leigh like she was the happiest person in the world, and she'd play around with her until she had to leave. Leigh would often follow her and I could hear the girl's laugh through the window.

"She's certainly attached to that girl, isn't she?" asked my Uncle Frank one day. He caught me staring at her, a stupid grin on my face. I jumped at the sound of his voice, turning around to sit straight and scratch the back of my head. "Leigh most definitely loves to see her." He sat down next to me and looked out the window. "She's certainly a pretty thing isn't she?" I swallowed and shrugged.

"Hadn't noticed." I muttered nonchalantly.

"Really?" asked me Uncle. "I think I'll invite her inside. It's pretty warm outside today." He rose to his feet and I jumped up to stop him.

"Please, don't." He looked at me skeptically, his eyebrow raising ever so slightly. "I mean, I.…I don't think it'd be a good idea. She has to get to her grandmother's or whatever that place is…" I tried to mutter. He nodded and I lowered my head.

"How would you like to go with me to the store later? I want to get some food for dinner." I nodded and left the window to walk out the backdoor. I avoided the girl as much as I could, feeling a childish shyness that embarrassed me so much I couldn't even deal with it. I couldn't even tell people about her because I would be scrutinized and I wouldn't have any answers for them. By the time the summer came, actually, I couldn't remember her name. I could only remember her face, her smile, her warmth. I could remember her laugh and her hands. I could remember her conversations with my Aunt, however brief they were, and I could remember how often she'd call Leigh Buddy. But for the life of me, I couldn't remember the most important thing about her; her name.

Most of the summer I spent the day at work but I took the 12-5 shift at my job so I could see her come up to play with Leigh at about 10:30. She was the highlight of my day and whenever I'd bring friends over, I'd stop at 10: 30, leave whatever we were doing, and go to the window to see her. They'd find me staring out the window, trying to find her, and when they asked what I was doing, I'd make up some excuse. They made fun of me, saying I had a weird imagination.

It wasn't until the last day of summer did she see me again. I had told my uncle I'd go with him to the store--he needed tools to fix up the shed in the back--and when my uncle and I were leaving, the girl walked across the street, two twin boys holding her hands. I stared, unable to fathom that the girl I was most definitely in love with, was coming over my house while I was outside, in plain view.

My hand was stuck on the door and my eyes were glued to her. She looked up, her eyes meeting mine, and she offered a smile and a small nod of recognition. I returned it with jerking motions and when she walked passed the car, I hung my head and let out a sigh. I'm so dumb, I though to myself as I got into my uncle's truck. I watched carefully as she walked up to my door and knocked. I heard Leigh bark and the boys moved back while the girl knelt down. Leigh rushed out and jumped on her, throwing off her balance. She smiled and continued to pet the dog before letting the boys pet the dog.

Uncle Frank walked out of the house, staring at the girl for a moment before looking up at me. I moved back and tried to play off the fact I was staring at her.

"How're you?" Uncle Frank asked casually, to which he got the same response. He got into the car and when the girl stood up to lead Leigh away, she looked at me. I smiled a little and nodded, mimicking her earlier acts. She smiled a little wider than before and nodded back before Uncle Frank jerked away. My stomach was in my throat; not because of Uncle Frank's poor driving but because she smiled at me. And not just out of politeness. She was happy I smiled at her. I felt so pathetic, getting to wound up about a girl I didn't even know but it wasn't my fault. The heart wants what the heart wants, right?

"That girl's got you pretty wound up, huh?" Uncle Frank asked. I looked at him and swallowed hard.

"What do you mean? I just….was being polite." I murmured out of the side of my mouth.

"Right," he said with a chuckle. "Your cheeks are pink, boy." I looked in the mirror and scowled. "It's okay to be embarrassed around a girl you like, Pat."

"It's not even that…" I muttered. "I'm just embarrassed I don't know anything about her but I…." I feel like I could do anything if she were to smile at me….The words hung in my throat and I swallowed them down, making my stomach groan.

"You…?" my uncle prompted.

"I don't know anything about her and I really like her."

"You must surely know her name," said my uncle.

"I don't even remember that!" I exclaimed incredulously, finally finding someone to talk to about the no-named girl.

"You did know it though?"

"She told me last winter. Louisa and I helped her out." Uncle Frank nodded a little, his crystal eyes focused on the road ahead of us.

"You know she's good with animals, I mean look what she's done to Leigh." I nodded a little and leaned back in my seat. "And she's tender and kind, or else Leigh wouldn't have gone near her. She's strict, as you could see with those twins. She's a hard worker and she's very protective. She's polite and she has a good sense of humor. She's smart, or I'm assuming from what your Aunt tells me about her comments, and she's sweet. What more do you need to know?" I looked at my uncle and frowned.

"How'd you know all that?"

"Boy," he said with a smirk. "When you grow up, you'll realize there's a lot more to read than just what's given."

"I'm old enough," I protested. "I'll be eighteen in November." He nodded and kept his eyes on the road. "And besides, I need to know things like; her age, her grade, her school, her nationality, her preferences in music, clothes, books. I need--"

"Those are all semantics. You need to know who she is without those things. With all those things, she's just another teenager. That girl is different, Pat. Look with your heart, not your brain."

"Heart?" I demanded as I leaned against the window. "I don't use that thing. I'm a guy."

"All the more reason to use it," said Uncle laughing. "You'll understand when you're older." I rolled my eyes a little. "Patrick," said my annoying uncle. "Do you really want to know her name?" I looked at him and nodded a little. "Then go over and ask her, son. It's not like she's a mute or anything. She's nice and easy to talk to, according to your Aunt. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about." I nodded a bit and chewed on my cheek.

"Uncle," I said as I looked out the window when we pulled up to the store. "What do you think her name is?" He shrugged and got out of the car.

"Maryanne?" he asked. I sneered and shook my head.

"That's an awful name."

"My sister's named that." I started to chuckle.

"Sorry, but it is an awful name."

"What makes you think it's not her name?" my uncle demanded grumpily, though It was only a façade. I didn't know it then, but the reason I knew it wasn't her name was because no one that beautiful could be named something so ordinary.

"It didn't start with a 'M', Uncle Frank. I think it was a J or something." I fought with myself, arguing what her name was. It was something that made me feel like laying in grass all afternoon, the sun on my face, the sky a clear blue and a breeze tickling my nose. I thought of that scene while we were in the store, imagining her sitting over me, her smile the first thing I see when I opened my eyes. Her laugh the only sound II hear besides the rustle of the grass.

A deep ache formed in my stomach that I tried to force out with snacks that uncle had bought. I tried to stop my heart from aching with text messages to friends whom I hadn't seen in the months off from school. I tried to bury my sadness in things that would suffice for the moment, the hour; but it could never replace the feeling I felt when I was with her. I may sound strange, seeing as how not many boys of seventeen feel things like this, or imagine fields with a girl smiling down at them, but then again, not most boys were raised by a woman who loved romantic things.

I forced the peaceful meadow, and the girl, out of my head on the drive home but it did no good. When we pulled up to the house, the girl was staring at our car, a smile for my uncle and me. The car was at a stop and I got out, closing the door as she rounded the hood of the car. I stared at her, her eyes locking with mine. She smiled at me, something I couldn't get enough of, and started across the street with the two boys. I couldn't stop watching her as she climbed the front steps of her house. She stopped, put her hands in her back pockets and turned. I gulped when I saw her smile--almost laugh--and quickly turned away for just a moment. When I looked back up, the front door closed shut and she disappeared away from me.

"Patrick?" My uncle called out, making me look back at him. "Ready to go inside?" I stared for a second before nodding ever so slightly. I walked over to him and he wrapped an arm around my shoulder's. "She seems nice." I nodded timidly, my brown hair falling in front of my eyes.

"Let's not talk about this anymore."

"What?" asked my Uncle. "That your girl isn't coming back after this week or that you're being a chicken?"

"Isn't family supposed to encourage family?"

"Family is supposed to make you realize your mistakes. You're making a terrible mistake, Patrick." I scowled and walked away from my uncle towards my room. There, I could have my field, my girl, and my love all to myself.