We met up on the beach, the place we’d first hung out together. It was very early in the morning on Moving Day and the wind had a bite to it. The sky was a sleepy purple and the clouds, striking amber. Streaks of pale blue hung above the horizon and the sun was yet to show itself.
“Don’t cry.” He murmured. I saw him sat on the large rocks by the pier. “Don’t cry, don’t cry…” he was repeating to himself. The cuffs of his jeans were soaked by the crashing waves. I walked along the pier and down onto the bay. As soon as he noticed me, he went silent. I signed to him.
“It’s okay to cry, you know.” I didn’t realise I meant that much to him. I still didn’t know what he saw in me. He shook his head, looking down at his knees.
“Well, you know why I’m here.” I signed. He could barely look at me.
“Yeah…”
This was tearing me apart. Despite telling Casper that crying was okay, I couldn’t let him see me burst into tears. I knew that would make it twice as difficult for him. He was trying so hard. I sat beside him. The wind played with his hair and the salt spray touched his cheeks. We sat there, just enjoying each other’s presence, for the final time. I don’t know how long we stayed there listening to the waves hit the rocks, watching the sun rise.
But before I knew it, Moira’s car rolled up in the car park. I stood up. Casper stood with me and took my hand.
“Isabella Rose Oakley,” he said, “I’ve had… the best days of my life with you. I want you to remember this.”
In his hands was a beautiful paper crane. It was yellow and decorated with beautiful flowers all around its wings. He gave it to me.
“It’s been a pleasure, Issy.”
If there was ever a time in my life, I thought, when the need to speak had been overwhelming, it would have been now. I wanted to laugh and cry and scream and shout and I would have told him everything. I would have told him that I loved him. I would have told him that I needed him. Told him what a massive difference he had made since the day he made that first paper crane. And most of all, I would have given anything, anything, to say-
“Casper.”
VOCÊ ESTÁ LENDO
Paper Cranes
Ficção AdolescenteIt's a paper crane, he told me. And I'll look at that old origami bird and remember it as the best day of my time with Casper Ardvan, No matter how short said time was going to be.
