Status: active.
The Walls Have Ears
three.
I thought, maybe, my eyes were playing tricks on me. It couldn’t really be Rylee sitting on the porch in front of me. It wouldn’t be the first time I imagined something to be true that never would be.
But as I got closer to the girl swaying softly of the porch swing, I could tell that it really was her. Rylee Sampson, in the flesh. Her porcelain skin and intimidating features; all in place and more so.
“That new girl’s kind of hot.” Bryce stood next to me, his eyes following my stare.
Kind of? I wanted to scream. That’s the most beautiful girl I will ever lay eyes on.
“Kind of.” I shrugged, clenching my fists. This fucking kid was lucky that he had just given me a ride to the party, or I would have knocked the daylights out of him.
“You should go talk to her.” He suggested easily. As he said it, he didn’t realize how monumental this moment was to me. I had the opportunity to talk to this girl, a legitimate excuse.
“Maybe I will.” I bit my lip nonchalantly.
As the obnoxious music blared through the flimsy walls of Morgan Prue’s house, I wondered why Rylee was sitting alone outside, looking so uncomfortable and out of her element.
We walked up the sidewalk, until we were a mere five feet from Miss Sampson herself. Bryce winked, mumbling, “Get it in.” before shuffling inside.
I shyly inched toward Rylee. “Why are you out here all alone?” I asked her, my cheeks already flaming from embarrassment.
“Oh, parties aren’t exactly my thing. I thought it might be fun, but I don’t really know anyone.” I had never heard her voice before. And it was the voice of an angel; sweet, melodic, and soft. Analyzing every word she said, I stored it all in my memory, so I could recall this exact moment for years to come.
I sat down next to her on the wooden porch swing. “I’m Jackson. Now you know at least one person.” I flashed my notorious smile that had worked on so many girls before. But with her, it felt pathetic.
“Oh, I know who you are.” She gave a slight chuckle, “Who doesn’t? Jackson Lewis- star quarterback, President of the student government, most popular guy in school. You’re practically famous.”
“I’m not sure about all that.” I laughed. Inside, I was jumping up and down. She knew who I was.
“You know what they say, modesty is the best policy.” She grinned, looking down. I could tell that she was uncomfortable, but I wasn’t about to leave.
“Well, I’ve heard about you too.”
“Really?” she looked up.
“I heard that you moved here from California, and now you live in a huge farm with two horses. And that you’re smart, and nice, and polite…” I trailed off, my face turning bright red, realizing that I was babbling.
You fucking idiot. She thinks you’re fucking nuts.
But she laughed. “Studying me, are you?”
“Not at all.” I nearly gasped, trying to play it off as a joke.
“Well, that’s good.” She giggled. “Hey, I’m going to get going. This was nice.” She smiled, her bright white teeth gleaming in the darkness.
“Okay, bye.” I stuttered, not sure what else to say. I watched as she stood up and walked to her car, pushed in the keys, and drove off.
----------------
Later that night, when I was finally home from a wild night of partying and sex, I sat down on my desk chair. I breathed heavily as I recalled Rylee’s words, along with every other detail of our conversation.
Reaching into my desk drawer, I groped blindly until I found a letter opener. It was the same one that opened the scrawled letter from my father saying that he wouldn’t ever be coming home. And the same one that tore open the note saying that my brother was brutally murdered in Iraq. But tonight, it wouldn’t be opening any letters.
I rolled up the sleeve on my left arm, slowly raising the letter opener above my vunerable tissue. With one quick movement, I brought the sharp tip down, piercing the skin without trouble.
As I carved her name into my skin, I thought about how we’d be together forever. Crimson droplets drizzled onto my floor, staining it. In the darkness of my bedroom, the blood dripping from my skin looked almost black.
I love you, Rylee.
But as I got closer to the girl swaying softly of the porch swing, I could tell that it really was her. Rylee Sampson, in the flesh. Her porcelain skin and intimidating features; all in place and more so.
“That new girl’s kind of hot.” Bryce stood next to me, his eyes following my stare.
Kind of? I wanted to scream. That’s the most beautiful girl I will ever lay eyes on.
“Kind of.” I shrugged, clenching my fists. This fucking kid was lucky that he had just given me a ride to the party, or I would have knocked the daylights out of him.
“You should go talk to her.” He suggested easily. As he said it, he didn’t realize how monumental this moment was to me. I had the opportunity to talk to this girl, a legitimate excuse.
“Maybe I will.” I bit my lip nonchalantly.
As the obnoxious music blared through the flimsy walls of Morgan Prue’s house, I wondered why Rylee was sitting alone outside, looking so uncomfortable and out of her element.
We walked up the sidewalk, until we were a mere five feet from Miss Sampson herself. Bryce winked, mumbling, “Get it in.” before shuffling inside.
I shyly inched toward Rylee. “Why are you out here all alone?” I asked her, my cheeks already flaming from embarrassment.
“Oh, parties aren’t exactly my thing. I thought it might be fun, but I don’t really know anyone.” I had never heard her voice before. And it was the voice of an angel; sweet, melodic, and soft. Analyzing every word she said, I stored it all in my memory, so I could recall this exact moment for years to come.
I sat down next to her on the wooden porch swing. “I’m Jackson. Now you know at least one person.” I flashed my notorious smile that had worked on so many girls before. But with her, it felt pathetic.
“Oh, I know who you are.” She gave a slight chuckle, “Who doesn’t? Jackson Lewis- star quarterback, President of the student government, most popular guy in school. You’re practically famous.”
“I’m not sure about all that.” I laughed. Inside, I was jumping up and down. She knew who I was.
“You know what they say, modesty is the best policy.” She grinned, looking down. I could tell that she was uncomfortable, but I wasn’t about to leave.
“Well, I’ve heard about you too.”
“Really?” she looked up.
“I heard that you moved here from California, and now you live in a huge farm with two horses. And that you’re smart, and nice, and polite…” I trailed off, my face turning bright red, realizing that I was babbling.
You fucking idiot. She thinks you’re fucking nuts.
But she laughed. “Studying me, are you?”
“Not at all.” I nearly gasped, trying to play it off as a joke.
“Well, that’s good.” She giggled. “Hey, I’m going to get going. This was nice.” She smiled, her bright white teeth gleaming in the darkness.
“Okay, bye.” I stuttered, not sure what else to say. I watched as she stood up and walked to her car, pushed in the keys, and drove off.
----------------
Later that night, when I was finally home from a wild night of partying and sex, I sat down on my desk chair. I breathed heavily as I recalled Rylee’s words, along with every other detail of our conversation.
Reaching into my desk drawer, I groped blindly until I found a letter opener. It was the same one that opened the scrawled letter from my father saying that he wouldn’t ever be coming home. And the same one that tore open the note saying that my brother was brutally murdered in Iraq. But tonight, it wouldn’t be opening any letters.
I rolled up the sleeve on my left arm, slowly raising the letter opener above my vunerable tissue. With one quick movement, I brought the sharp tip down, piercing the skin without trouble.
As I carved her name into my skin, I thought about how we’d be together forever. Crimson droplets drizzled onto my floor, staining it. In the darkness of my bedroom, the blood dripping from my skin looked almost black.
I love you, Rylee.
♠ ♠ ♠
The story starts to form.