Dear Braylin...

Chapter 12

"She had light brown hair and blue eyes. In our freshman year she dyed her hair dark brown. She changed her style to something she liked and felt more herself in. She told me that when we worked on a project together. I remember in our first year we knew each other, she dated three people. I helped one of them date her. She broke up with him, and she was fine. I texted her during 2020 when we were in online school, and she seemed dry and like she didn't want to be texting me."

"I'm sure she wanted to talk to you, why else would she have replied to you then?"

"I guess you're right. Do you feel like you know her now?", he asked, laughing.

'Yes, because I am her. You literally just described me in highschool,' I thought in my head. "Yeah, I feel like I knew her. I can kind of picture her in my memory. I might have a picture of her or something."

I pulled my phone out from under my leg, and turned it on. A picture of Ollie and I was still my background. I quickly typed in my password, and changed my background to a simple sunset picture.

"Who was that?", he asked.

"Someone. I should've changed it a long time ago. I don't like talking about them much anymore. I'll find that picture for you," I said opening my camera roll. I opened an album called 'Freshmen Year'. There were loads of pictures, where everyone was wearing masks.

I scrolled to a picture taken on September nineteenth, my birthday. I had Clover and Jackie over for dinner since my parents didn't like the idea of us going out for dinner. I had been turning 14. Jackie and Clover already had their birthdays, so I was last in our group. I wore sweats and a crop top, and my friends didn't dress much differently.

"Here, this is her. Is it the right girl?", I asked, glancing over at him.

He was gaping open-mouthed at the picture, like I showed him a picture of some really pretty natural phenomenon.

"Yeah, that's her. Exactly her, from the exact year. She looks the exact same as I remember...how did you get that picture?"

"I think I knew her. I met her in Canada in university. She sent me that picture..." I hated lying, even if it was for my own good. This event however, was a lie I shouldn't be telling.

"God, I miss her. I still think of her every day...can I ask you a favor?"

"Of course."

"Once we land and are in service, could you text her? If you think she'd answer?"

"Yeah, but why don't you do it yourself? I'm sure she'd answer either way?"

"Ok, but if she doesn't answer me, could you send her one? Just to be sure?"

I nodded, and he thanked me. The plane landed, after the dreaded six hour flight. I stood up and followed the guy I met out of the plane, after grabbing my suitcase. Walking out of the plane, I realized I still hadn't gotten his name. Probably best I didn't ask, because then I would have to tell him mine. If he is who I think he is, then I will be ecstatic. I just don't want him to end up like Ollie and I....

After checking in, and going through security, we stopped outside the car park where my rental was waiting. We stood off to the side, and I pulled out my phone to scroll through while this guy texted me.

"What do I say?", he asked, staring at me.

"Say hi, and that you've been thinking about her lately.", I replied, staring at my phone.

I found the account of the person I thought he was, and just waited while pretending to watch something. He typed the message, and I waited for him to press send.

"There, I sent it. It's done. I don't really think she'll respond to me, honestly," he said, after a while of contemplation.

My phone vibrated in my hand, with the message I sent him, from the person I thought he was. I slyly look down at my phone, turning it off. I hadn't opened the message yet, so he wouldn't be suspicious.

"Hey, I have to go to the bathroom, but I'll come back in 2 minutes. If she responds, tell me when I come back out," I said, slipping my phone into my pocket.

I walked into the open bathroom, where I found a little corner to stand and message him back. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and unlocked it, opening the message. He was still online, so now was my chance. I sent him a simple reply, nothing fancy.

"Excuse me, are you alright?", a young girl asked. I hadn't noticed that a single tear rolled down my cheek, along with a heavy sigh escaping my body.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine," I replied. I washed my hands, and walked back out to him.

He stood there, staring at his phone. He glanced back up at me, then back at his phone. "You're her. I went through her account, looking at her pictures. I just missed her face, but I've been looking at it the whole time."

All I could do was nod, Not smile, cry or anything. I lied, and he figured me out. He walked over to me, and hugged me.

"I've missed you, Callie," he muttered.

"I've missed you too, Nolan."