Adelaide
I'm missing you so much
She was wearing that blouse; the sheer, dark blue one, with the many pastel-colored flowers, most of them being light purple, gray, or a lighter blue. It had wide shoulder straps and ruffled at the bottom. It was beautiful on her, my favorite.
Everything about her was beautiful. She had vibrant, cerulean eyes; they were always shining, even when she wasn’t the happiest girl in the world. And she had this smile, this goofy, crooked smile that was enough to make me fall to my knees. When she laughed, her melodious, tinkling laugh, the butterflies in my stomach became hostile, fluttering relentlessly. Though she had the longest of legs, she was quite graceful in the way she moved. I often found myself staring at them whenever she passed, and whenever she didn’t. Her hair was long as well and soft to the touch, dark brown waves that cascaded over her freckled shoulders and down her perfectly curved back.
Adelaide Harper was her name. She was beautiful; she was the love of my life.
The last part was unknown to her.
I’ve loved her since as long as I could remember. We were never friends, not even acquaintances. I’ve never said as much as two words to her. The only time we’ve spoken was after I’d dropped my pencil during Algebra in ninth grade. We reached out at the same time to pick it up and our hands touched; soft, olive-toned skin on my clammy, pale hands. I was sure that she also felt the bolt of electricity rush through one another as we made contact, for she budged slightly. I murmured, “Thanks,” and she replied with a simple, heart-melting smile. That was the best day of my life.
And now, as I admired her from afar, gawking at her like a love-struck fool, I realized that I wanted her to know of my deep feelings, and I desperately wanted to make her feel the same way.
It was a Monday when I finally gained the courage to talk to her. I sat at my lunch table unmoving, stoic as I watched her. She was smiling and laughing, not because of her shallow friends. Jealousy brewed at the pit of my stomach and sickened me to the core when I noticed Adelaide perched atop someone’s lap. She’d had plenty of boyfriends before, none of which ever bothered me.
But this boy, Larson Flynn, he was different.
Her eyes lit up like a thousand stars when he grinned at her. Loathing seeped through my every pore as his fingertips slid up her thighs, stopping at her waist. His fingers tickled at her sides, filling her with the happiest laughter that’d ever come from her tantalizing lips.
I had to restrain myself from pulling her off of him and slamming both of my fists into his perfectly sculptured face. I bit back the furious shriek that surfaced in my throat when her delicate fingers wove through his blonde locks. Hitting him was becoming a very enticing idea by the second.
At last, the bell rang, signifying that my torture was over with for now. Much to my relief, Adelaide slid off of Larson’s lap and bid him goodbye with a bored, lazy smile. A sense of triumph washed through me as she did so; the smile she graced me with all those years ago was much more affectionate and warm. Maybe he was just another one of her many boy-toys. I held on to that assumption for dear life.
In science, one of the many classes Adelaide and I shared, I could barely pay attention as our teacher droned on and on about something unknown to me. I kept glancing at Adelaide, who had her head in resting in her small hands, snoring ever so softly. I chuckled to myself, growing even more anxious to finally speak to her. I already had it all planned out, I’d approach her after school and we’d chat, and then I’d ask her out. As we ate dinner together, I’d pour my heart to her and she would gladly accept. Then, I’d get to hold her in my arms and we would love each other forevermore.
It was a well thought out plan, in my opinion. And I was desperate to execute it. But once I got two feet within her vicinity, my mind went completely blank; my only focus being her shining, ocean eyes. My heart sped up to an astonishing pace, thrashing and pounding loudly against my chest as she gazed intently at me. I wanted nothing more than to reach out and brush my fingertips along the smooth, rose-tinted skin of her cheeks. I felt slightly uncomfortable as she scrutinized my entire being with a curious expression.
And then she smiled happily, that goofy, crooked smile, and my heart soared.
“Lucas Alexander,” her voice was like honey, dripping sweetly from her thin lips. I almost closed my eyes as she said my name, relishing in the way it sent a chill down my spine. “What can I do for you?”
I could barely breathe as she moved even closer to me; the heat radiating off of her body was driving me insane. “I-I-do you know t-the homework assignment for math? I wasn’t really p-paying attention.” I was too captivated by your very presense.
“That’s so unlike you, Lucas.” She laughed, patting my shoulder lightly. I had to suppress a shudder as we came in contact one more. “But that would make the two of us. Sorry, hun.”
“It’s okay,” I managed to say breathily, wearing a joyful grin of my own.
She called out a goodbye as she began the trek to her home, waving enthusiastically as she did. I waved back, feeling an immense weight of happiness engulf me.
That was the last time I’d ever talk to Adelaide. She never made it home that day.
With each passing day of her disappearance, the void in my heart grew larger and larger. It wasn’t confirmed yet, but I knew she was gone from this world. I could feel it.
Two weeks later, her body was found in a nearby river. It was said that after she was killed, her murderer dumped her body over the bridge and into the water. A fisherman spotted her, floating gracefully along the waves in tattered, blood-stained clothes.
I couldn’t find the strength to leave her side at her funeral. I stared into the casket, sadly smiling down at the pale beauty in front of me. Even in death, she was radiant. The long, horizontal slit across her throat was the only flaw.
I didn’t understand how one person could commit such a cruel act against something so precious and fragile. I didn’t understand how one person could take away such an innocent, beautiful life. I didn’t understand what would drive a person to do such a thing. I didn’t understand why the person still hadn’t been caught. I didn’t understand anything anymore.
When Adelaide was buried, she took my heart, my soul, my emotions; she took everything with her, deep within the cold, unforgiving ground. With time, they’d decompose and rot, eventually wasting away to absolutely nothing, just like she would. And my love for her would no longer exist.
That was the scariest thought of all.
Everything about her was beautiful. She had vibrant, cerulean eyes; they were always shining, even when she wasn’t the happiest girl in the world. And she had this smile, this goofy, crooked smile that was enough to make me fall to my knees. When she laughed, her melodious, tinkling laugh, the butterflies in my stomach became hostile, fluttering relentlessly. Though she had the longest of legs, she was quite graceful in the way she moved. I often found myself staring at them whenever she passed, and whenever she didn’t. Her hair was long as well and soft to the touch, dark brown waves that cascaded over her freckled shoulders and down her perfectly curved back.
Adelaide Harper was her name. She was beautiful; she was the love of my life.
The last part was unknown to her.
I’ve loved her since as long as I could remember. We were never friends, not even acquaintances. I’ve never said as much as two words to her. The only time we’ve spoken was after I’d dropped my pencil during Algebra in ninth grade. We reached out at the same time to pick it up and our hands touched; soft, olive-toned skin on my clammy, pale hands. I was sure that she also felt the bolt of electricity rush through one another as we made contact, for she budged slightly. I murmured, “Thanks,” and she replied with a simple, heart-melting smile. That was the best day of my life.
And now, as I admired her from afar, gawking at her like a love-struck fool, I realized that I wanted her to know of my deep feelings, and I desperately wanted to make her feel the same way.
It was a Monday when I finally gained the courage to talk to her. I sat at my lunch table unmoving, stoic as I watched her. She was smiling and laughing, not because of her shallow friends. Jealousy brewed at the pit of my stomach and sickened me to the core when I noticed Adelaide perched atop someone’s lap. She’d had plenty of boyfriends before, none of which ever bothered me.
But this boy, Larson Flynn, he was different.
Her eyes lit up like a thousand stars when he grinned at her. Loathing seeped through my every pore as his fingertips slid up her thighs, stopping at her waist. His fingers tickled at her sides, filling her with the happiest laughter that’d ever come from her tantalizing lips.
I had to restrain myself from pulling her off of him and slamming both of my fists into his perfectly sculptured face. I bit back the furious shriek that surfaced in my throat when her delicate fingers wove through his blonde locks. Hitting him was becoming a very enticing idea by the second.
At last, the bell rang, signifying that my torture was over with for now. Much to my relief, Adelaide slid off of Larson’s lap and bid him goodbye with a bored, lazy smile. A sense of triumph washed through me as she did so; the smile she graced me with all those years ago was much more affectionate and warm. Maybe he was just another one of her many boy-toys. I held on to that assumption for dear life.
In science, one of the many classes Adelaide and I shared, I could barely pay attention as our teacher droned on and on about something unknown to me. I kept glancing at Adelaide, who had her head in resting in her small hands, snoring ever so softly. I chuckled to myself, growing even more anxious to finally speak to her. I already had it all planned out, I’d approach her after school and we’d chat, and then I’d ask her out. As we ate dinner together, I’d pour my heart to her and she would gladly accept. Then, I’d get to hold her in my arms and we would love each other forevermore.
It was a well thought out plan, in my opinion. And I was desperate to execute it. But once I got two feet within her vicinity, my mind went completely blank; my only focus being her shining, ocean eyes. My heart sped up to an astonishing pace, thrashing and pounding loudly against my chest as she gazed intently at me. I wanted nothing more than to reach out and brush my fingertips along the smooth, rose-tinted skin of her cheeks. I felt slightly uncomfortable as she scrutinized my entire being with a curious expression.
And then she smiled happily, that goofy, crooked smile, and my heart soared.
“Lucas Alexander,” her voice was like honey, dripping sweetly from her thin lips. I almost closed my eyes as she said my name, relishing in the way it sent a chill down my spine. “What can I do for you?”
I could barely breathe as she moved even closer to me; the heat radiating off of her body was driving me insane. “I-I-do you know t-the homework assignment for math? I wasn’t really p-paying attention.” I was too captivated by your very presense.
“That’s so unlike you, Lucas.” She laughed, patting my shoulder lightly. I had to suppress a shudder as we came in contact one more. “But that would make the two of us. Sorry, hun.”
“It’s okay,” I managed to say breathily, wearing a joyful grin of my own.
She called out a goodbye as she began the trek to her home, waving enthusiastically as she did. I waved back, feeling an immense weight of happiness engulf me.
That was the last time I’d ever talk to Adelaide. She never made it home that day.
With each passing day of her disappearance, the void in my heart grew larger and larger. It wasn’t confirmed yet, but I knew she was gone from this world. I could feel it.
Two weeks later, her body was found in a nearby river. It was said that after she was killed, her murderer dumped her body over the bridge and into the water. A fisherman spotted her, floating gracefully along the waves in tattered, blood-stained clothes.
I couldn’t find the strength to leave her side at her funeral. I stared into the casket, sadly smiling down at the pale beauty in front of me. Even in death, she was radiant. The long, horizontal slit across her throat was the only flaw.
I didn’t understand how one person could commit such a cruel act against something so precious and fragile. I didn’t understand how one person could take away such an innocent, beautiful life. I didn’t understand what would drive a person to do such a thing. I didn’t understand why the person still hadn’t been caught. I didn’t understand anything anymore.
When Adelaide was buried, she took my heart, my soul, my emotions; she took everything with her, deep within the cold, unforgiving ground. With time, they’d decompose and rot, eventually wasting away to absolutely nothing, just like she would. And my love for her would no longer exist.
That was the scariest thought of all.