Hey guys! I know, just murder me now because I know that you are all out for my blood. Who ever reads this anyways. I have been so busy with starting school again and frankly I had doubts about actually finishing this story. I still have those doubtd but I'll see how far I can get with this.
I hope this lives up to you guys standards. I'll try to update again soon. Happy reading.
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I sit there for a few moments shell shocked and embarrassed that someone has read my letter to no one and actually written something back. I don't know what to make of it. So I don't think about I just started reading:
Dear Curious Lonely Person,
I'm really not good with words. I don't even know why I'm doing this truthfully, call it an impulse. I as well suffer from having the word 'single' being stamped permanently on my forehead in big red letters. But my single status, I suppose, is a choice that I made under certain circumstances. I'm not sure if I should tell you about the problems in my life. I am simply here to try and help you with yours.
You didn't really ask a question in your letter to no one but I feel when you have something racing through your mind it helps to have someone to talk to especially to be able to talk to someone from an unbiased standpoint.
You're probably wondering why would a random person even write back? I really don't know. I found this notebook out in the hall and I just picked it up. I only looked at it to be able to find its owner and when I saw that only one page had been written about out of 100, I was curious. To add on to that, I was hoping that somehow by the design of fate, you would find this notebook again after I crammed it into the nook beside this desk. I didn't think you would want people easily coming across this so I tried to hide it the best I could in hopes the original writer would find it again.
Now back to the nonexistent question. I could tell you that being single is not the end of the world. But that is usually what people say who are in a relationship; from an also single standpoint. All I can say is that it sucks.
But being single, as you are, just says that maybe you just aren't the type to settle. It is possible that one day you will meet or have already met the right person, but until you realize that maybe you don't want to settle for the wrong one.
True, it does sting when someone bails on you for his or her girlfriends or boyfriends. Or when the people around you are so involved with each other that you are left with no one to speak to.
But as you said yourself, maybe it's best that you stop looking because when you do, if you're lucky, the right person will be standing right in front of you.
Curious, Friendly Person
P.S I'm not sure at all how this letter is going to come off to you. You could think I'm a big creeper or whatever, but just in case you decide that you want to write back to me. Just leave the notebook again where you found it.
I sit there moments are finishing the note that is written back to me. I read over it again a couple of times just to make sure I have read it right the first time, trying to grasp the concept that some random person would want to write back to me without any particular reason other than wanting to help me.
I should have found the reply really embarrassing or creepy that someone has read my inner thoughts but instead I feel slightly comforted. Which is weird, since I don't even know who this person is but still I am comforted nonetheless. Maybe it is because I feel that someone out there understood what I feel.
This person seemed to have very honest motives, only wanting to help me for my sake and not for some material reason or to embarrass me but to give me actual honest advice.
I am surprised and comforted.
I don't know if I had actually wanted to reply to this person with my innermost thoughts. I don't know this person at all and I am not about to just spill the secrets of my life to just any random person who just seems friendly. That's just asking for trouble. Stranger danger is written all over this.
But yet I can't help but want to see what this person may have to offer. The words that have been left for me are insightful and I don't have anyone else to talk to. Well, I do, but they'd probably laugh if I tried to talk about these things with them, especially Derek. It is a very strange situation and I feel really indecisive and I have no idea what to do in a situation like this. It's not everyday someone random replies to your inner thoughts that isn't meant for them.
I wiped my face with my hands tiredness catching up with me again. I don't want to think about this now; I am too tired to even try. For now I will have to just put the notebook away and think about it later.
I have to start moving to my next class since it will start soon. So I double-checked my bag to make sure I have the notebook this time before leaving the library to go to my next class.
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I stand there, leaning on the counter of the bar, using a rag to dry the cups that have been washed not moments before by one of my co-workers. I had arrived to work early that day to make up for me being late yesterday. I had left right after school ended so there isn't really many people here since they have probably gone home first before going out for the night.
So I am here, just drying the cups, and then putting them underneath the bar counter on the shelves. I was just waiting for something interesting to happen because drying cups is boring. There really isn't much else for me to do since the only people here are these two older guys that are weakly bowling in one lane, arguing about I can't make out and I don't care to.
Waylen is in his office, not really doing anything either. He doesn't have much to cook obviously, since no one is here. The two co-workers, a guy and a girl, that are on staff right now, are nowhere to be found. I can guess though that they are probably making out somewhere. I know this because I mistakenly walked in on them once.
I have no one to talk to because of this so I am stuck with the mundane work of stacking clean cups.
Then I hear the front doors of the bowling alley and familiar laughter follow just behind that. I know it is Derek before I even turn around. Derek has his arm around girlfriend, Camille, laughing at whatever she has just said. My eyes flicker to the person sulking behind them.
Dylan has her arms crossed against her chest, sporting a look that said, "I'd rather die than be here."
When Derek noticed that I am at the bar, he waves and then steers Camille and Dylan toward me. I immediately stop drying the dishes and walk around the counter where they are.
We used to bowl together all the time, especially since I got to bowl for free. But we stopped bowling as much as we used to since Dylan stopped talking to me. For Derek, bowling became awkward because every time Derek would ask me to bowl, Dylan would bail out and Derek hated having to pick between his sister and me. So we decided to just not play together.
Which also makes Dylan being here with Derek and Camille weird, since they all know I work here almost every day and Dylan has made it her mission to avoid me.
"Hey guys. Are you here for bowling? Or did you come to see little ole me?" I ask, looking at Dylan out the corner of my eye as she picks her nails in a bored manner. I just wanted her to look at me for a second, to just let me know that she stills knows that I still exist. She doesn't though.
"Sadly, it's mostly for the former. You just happen to work here and Mom made this one finally come out of the house." Derek says nodding in Dylan's direction. Dylan just scoffs at his remark and then goes back to pulling pretend lint off of her clothes clearly trying not to look me in the eyes.
"You should join us if your prison warden lets you have a break." Derek adds, jabbing a thumb in Waylen's direction, who is now in the kitchen beginning prep for cooking, seeing some customers come in. He gives Derek the evil eye while we just laugh.
"I don't know if I can tonight." I say making up an excuse since I saw Dylan stiffen at Derek inviting me to play with them. " I have been slacking too much lately." Which is true, but it also sounded believable because I really am slacking. But as I say this I feel my heart sink a little at Dylan's reaction to even the thought of being near me. She must hate me.
A large hand slaps me on the shoulder. I look over to see Waylen grinning. " That's right kids. Wren's got work to do."
"Maybe next time?" Camille speaks up. Camille and I aren't best friends or anything but I liked her well enough and sometimes I think she is good for Derek. We mostly like to bowl together because we are both really competitive sometimes. She also has a losing streak right now so she wanted to redeem herself. Like I will let her.
"You're on." I said, winking at her. She puts up a fist shaking it as if saying 'this is war'.
"See you guys later." I finish while going behind the counter once again to begin dry the cups once again.
"Yeah, later." Derek grumbles, waving at both Waylen and me. I can see in his eyes that he is a little disappointed. I will have to make it up to him later some how.
I watch as they walked away from us with Camille babbling about something again as Derek tries to keep up. I just feel dejected realizing that Dylan didn't even look at me once. She kept her eyes on the floor and the things around us the entire time.
"Cheer up kid." Waylen tries, nudging me in the shoulder. He knows that Dylan no longer wanted to be associated with me anymore for whatever reason and he always makes an effort to make me feel better whenever I am down. " I can't have you moping around all day. Who am I going to joke around with if you're in the dumps?"
I put a large fake smile on my face just to make Waylen feel better. I know he sees right through it but he takes it. Waylen pats me on the shoulder once more before heading back to the kitchen.
"Hi Wren." A voice speaks from beside me. I turn to look at Caroline smiling softly. My heart immediately starts to beat harder. I'm not sure if it is because that she surprised, me or that she said my name again.
I gather my composer quickly before quipping, " Wow, two days in a row? If you are not careful people may think that you are coming here for more than just bowling."
I elicit a laugh from her that I am really happy about it because I want to sound smooth and not like an idiot and I guess I have done something right because she is laughing. But like I said, it could be because I'm an idiot.
"Maybe I am." She said with her light hazel eyes fixed on me, making my breath catch in my throat. " I also come for the food."
I let out a little snort. I don't know if it is because she is funny or because she could have been possibly flirting with me; I can't figure out which one it is. I am never good at telling if someone is flirting or not.
"Of course, that's it." I respond. I move over to the cash register because I assume she is here to order something and not to flirt with me. " What can I get you?"
She begins to speak, but she is muffled by the loud laugh that comes from the lanes behind her. I looked up to see Dylan laughing at Derek failing miserably at hitting the pins. I can see his ball heading fast down the gutter to the end of the lane.
I haven't heard a Dylan laugh like that in some time now. I don't want to admit it, but my heart aches, wishing I can hear it more often.
As I pull my attention back to whatever the beauty is saying in front of me, in the back of my mind I promised I would figure out how to fix Dylan and I's relationship.
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Sooo let me guys know what you think. I love reading your comments and sometimes even the ones telling me to fix my grammar lol. They help me to be a better right. You know the drill. Vote, follow, and comment.
Till next time.
~~Athena