2:56 :: h.s

quarante

{ Trigger Warning }

13:17

"Harry, you got a letter from Stanford," my mom says as I walk into the kitchen.

"You're home early," I comment as I look through the mail on the counter.

"I was feeling a little under the weather, hence the soup."

I look at the stove, "oh."

I find the envelope and look at my mom.
Stanford is the only college I applied to.
This letter contains my future.

"Are you going to open it, or just stare at it?" My mom teases.

I smile and sit across from her.
My fingers rip the seal open and I pull the paper out.
I begin reading aloud.

"Dear Harry Styles, we are pleased to inform you that we have reviewed your application and have decided to accept you into our school this fall!" I jump up from the chair and hug my mom.

"Congratulations honey!" She beams.

I sit back down and finish reading the letter.
It doesn't say much else except for scheduling, finding a counselor, dorms, meetings, orientation, and other things like that.

My mom and I talk for a little bit about the college before she asks me to check the garage for something.
I put my boots back on and walk outside.
She needs me to see if we have fuel for the lawn mower because the grass is getting quite tall.
I open the door to the garage and flick on the light.
I glance out of the corner of my eye and see someone.

I do a double take and nearly have a heart attack.
But it's only Rae.

Wait.
Why is she in the garage?

"What are you doing in here?" I whisper-shout.

"She can't hear you," she states plainly.

I huff, coming down from my panic. "Right, I forgot. Why are you in here?"

She looks up to one of the beams and shrugs, "I don't know."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

I walk toward her, "you don't seem to be."

"When are you leaving for college?"

So that's what this is about.

"This fall."

She nods, keeping her eyes away from me. "Cool."

"Why are you in here, seriously?"

"I felt it calling me. Like it needed me. I was standing outside your back door and I was about to leave, but I found myself opening the side door. I sat up here and couldn't stop seeing myself hanging. It is almost mesmerizing. Hauntingly, yet beautifully mesmerizing."

I clench my jaw for a brief second then follow her eyes up.
That must have been where she was.
Right next to the fluorescent light.

I look back at her.
Her eyes are soft and her lips are relaxed.
Her veins peak through the collar of her shirt.
She looks lovely.
She looks distant.

"Rae, what's-"

"I think we need some time apart."

My lungs lose the oxygen they held. "What?"

"I have some things I need to do. It won't be too long, maybe a week or so." She hops off the work bench and finally looks at me, "I love you."

Her fingertips send ice across my skin and down into my bones, her lips ignite a frigid fire throughout my body and into my soul.

"So you're leaving me?" I pull back.

Her beautiful grey eyes meet mine, "no. I'll be back. I'm telling you I'm leaving this time instead of running away like I normally do. I have some business to take care of. Please understand that."

I take a deep breath.

What kind of business would she have?
She's dead.
She can't exactly do much.

"It's more adventuring business." She clarifies.

I step away from her.
I feel like the look I'm giving her says everything I want to.
It isn't angry, but it isn't exactly happy.

"I love you," she says before she walks out of the garage.

I don't say it back.
My eyes speak for me.