Love Letters

Love Letters (Part 13)

‘Alex, get out of the bathroom! I’m going to be late for college!’

‘You should’ve woken up earlier then!’

‘Alex!’

‘Mate, if you don’t stop shouting, I’ll come to the landing and thump you,’ Jack called sleepily from Alex’s room. Empty threats of course, but I wasn’t going to risk the wrath of Jack so early in the morning.

Cass walked out of her room looking like a zombie and scratched the back of her neck with one eye open.

I took one look at her and wrinkled my nose before pointing to the clock above the stairs. ‘You’re late.’

She shook her head, ‘I took a day off, going out with Jack later to buy Alex a ring.’ I pointed to the bathroom door and mouthed, ‘Alex,’ at her. Cass opened her other eye and clapping her hand over her mouth in alarm.

The bathroom door opened slowly and Alex, in her bathrobe poked her head around the door. I glared at Cass and waited for Alex to say something about the ring.

‘Have you guys seen my loofah?’ she asked, glowering at both of us to establish which one of us had removed it from its place.

I raised an eyebrow at her and shrugged, my back pocket started vibrating and I took my phone out. I waved goodbye to my sisters over my shoulder and answered the call.

‘Good morning,’ she whispered into her phone.

‘Same goes, but only because you called,’ I told her.

She giggled, ‘Is that so? I was wondering if you wanted to walk down to college together.’

‘Walk? Aren’t we going to be late if we walk?’

‘That’s the plan Romeo, c’mon I haven’t spoken to you properly in like a week and we’ve got a lot of catching up to do.’

‘True, haven’t seen your stunning face in a while. Meet you outside Sid’s in half an hour, I’ve got an errand to run and then I’ll be right with you.’

‘Sure, love you.'

‘Love you too Ally.’

I ran back upstairs and grabbed the letter I had penned for Jem the night before; I could slip it into the post box on the way to Sid’s.

Dear Jem,

Good on you for finally talking to your parents, even if they didn’t get the message straight away. At some point they’ll really start thinking about what you said and then before you know it your relationship will be how you want it to be. I think it’s a great idea for you to join a youth club, get some free time off your hands and as you said before, meet some new people too.

My name isn’t Theo, but since you’ve given your name away I suppose it’s time to reveal mine too. Your name reminds me of something, I just can’t place what it reminds me of, though I think it was a book from when I was younger. The protagonist was called Jem and she was a real warrior of some sort.

I appreciate the fact that you regard my words so highly, I look forward to reading your own every few days. You’ve started to mean a lot to me as well Jem, I think we’ve become good friends over these last few weeks and I’m glad of it.

The procrastination stuff should work, it’s psychologically proven! Good luck!

Can’t wait to hear from you,

Tyler

So I’d finally given away my name to this girl, this girl who had become a good friend to me recently and who needed me in her life just then. I wasn’t presumptuous, I knew she could cope without me but I didn’t think she knew that herself. So I’d stick around in her life just to keep her happy.

Speaking of keeping women happy, I had a girlfriend to meet; one who abhorred lateness.

 I jogged the last couple of blocks to Sid’s and found her waiting outside, leaning against the window staring straight ahead. Despite my best efforts, I was obviously late. I planted myself in front of her and she turned her head away from me so I moved closer.

‘Good morning.’ I whispered to her as I put my arms up against the walls on either side of her.

‘Not anymore,’ she replied.

I cupped her face in my hands and gave her a small kiss on the edge of her nose.

‘Not even if I offer to carry your books all the way to school?’ I asked her feigning a small bow as I walked beside her.

She dropped her folder and textbook into my open hands and smiled, ‘I forgive you.’

‘You better had,’ I told her, winking.

Ally had soft brown hair which came up to her chin, and dark brown eyes; the colour of chocolate. Somehow I imagined Jem to be completely different, with longer hair of a lighter colour. I started thinking, was I cheating on Ally by writing letters to Jem? I wasn’t was I? The relationship between me and Jem was purely based on friendship and what Ally and I had was much more intimate.

Ally nudged me when she noticed my constant silence, ‘You’re not worrying about your math homework are you?’ she asked, mocking me.

I put my free arm around her shoulders and laughed. The rest of the way we talked about university and what we would do when we graduated.