Sequel: Palm Trees ›
Seashells
well this is awkward
June 26th, 2005
It was four years since I last saw you.
I forgot all about you, honestly. Life went on, I made new friends and made new memories. Although, every year, when I was about to return home, you would cross my mind.
This year, I was sitting next to the ice cream parlor with Sim (AKA Simoya, who I mentioned in the last letter). We were there quite often, mainly because my brother had recently started working there and she thought he was hot (ew).
It was a rather uneventful day. Or at least, it started that way. All we were really doing was watching people walk by, saying hello to most of them. In those years of your absence and my friendship with Sim, she really helped me overcome my shyness. Sort of. I was better as long as I was with her, but when I was alone it was a different story. It helped that she knew nearly everyone on the island too.
"Who's he?" she asked, nudging me with her elbow.
"What?" I said, as I was staring up at a cloud. I clearly remember thinking it kinda looked like an elephant with a parrot on its back.
"Him." She pointed to a boy standing at the window, talking to my brother. "I've never seen him before."
I stared at the back of the boy's head. The only thing I really noticed was that his ears stuck out a bit. Then he turned to come over to the picnic table and I saw his eyes. And those eyelashes I used to envy.
"Shit. Hide me," I said to Sim as I buried my head in her shoulder (what a great hiding spot). I never understood why I said that. Why would I want to hide from you?
Well, maybe I can answer that. You disappeared from the island for four years. We were friends then, kind of. But things changed. We grew up. We hit puberty, and along with that came the awkward stages. Things were just... different.
Anyway, what was I supposed to say to you? I mean, I couldn't just say, "Hey, yeah, remember that time I ate your ice cream and then the next year you bought me some, and then we started a tradition? Except you disappeared the year after that so it didn't really work out." Yeah, that's just awkward.
"Why?" Sim said. "He's cute. I mean, he's not totally hot or anything, but he's not too bad."
"No, just hide me." Of course, she chose then to push me away from her.
You came and sat down at the opposite end of the bench, not acknowledging us. It would have stayed this way too, except Sim thought it would be a good time to start clearing her throat. Loudly.
You looked over, and then you did a classic double take.
It was four years since I last saw you.
I forgot all about you, honestly. Life went on, I made new friends and made new memories. Although, every year, when I was about to return home, you would cross my mind.
This year, I was sitting next to the ice cream parlor with Sim (AKA Simoya, who I mentioned in the last letter). We were there quite often, mainly because my brother had recently started working there and she thought he was hot (ew).
It was a rather uneventful day. Or at least, it started that way. All we were really doing was watching people walk by, saying hello to most of them. In those years of your absence and my friendship with Sim, she really helped me overcome my shyness. Sort of. I was better as long as I was with her, but when I was alone it was a different story. It helped that she knew nearly everyone on the island too.
"Who's he?" she asked, nudging me with her elbow.
"What?" I said, as I was staring up at a cloud. I clearly remember thinking it kinda looked like an elephant with a parrot on its back.
"Him." She pointed to a boy standing at the window, talking to my brother. "I've never seen him before."
I stared at the back of the boy's head. The only thing I really noticed was that his ears stuck out a bit. Then he turned to come over to the picnic table and I saw his eyes. And those eyelashes I used to envy.
"Shit. Hide me," I said to Sim as I buried my head in her shoulder (what a great hiding spot). I never understood why I said that. Why would I want to hide from you?
Well, maybe I can answer that. You disappeared from the island for four years. We were friends then, kind of. But things changed. We grew up. We hit puberty, and along with that came the awkward stages. Things were just... different.
Anyway, what was I supposed to say to you? I mean, I couldn't just say, "Hey, yeah, remember that time I ate your ice cream and then the next year you bought me some, and then we started a tradition? Except you disappeared the year after that so it didn't really work out." Yeah, that's just awkward.
"Why?" Sim said. "He's cute. I mean, he's not totally hot or anything, but he's not too bad."
"No, just hide me." Of course, she chose then to push me away from her.
You came and sat down at the opposite end of the bench, not acknowledging us. It would have stayed this way too, except Sim thought it would be a good time to start clearing her throat. Loudly.
You looked over, and then you did a classic double take.