Through The Static

The Simple Things

I gave Jesse a hug goodbye before he went to work and he told me he'd write. I think I sat around for about an hour, thinking about what I should pack. It's still pretty early so I have plenty of time. After all of that long and careful consideration, I start packing. It doesn't take me very long to pack all of my clothes and things I'll need to keep up on my personal hygiene. Now for the non-necessities.

Mom and dad definitely won't let me take my phone or my laptop. The whole reason they've been sending me to summer camp is to socialize and have new experiences. Hmmm... I could always take my Gameboy. I think I might take my art binder, Walkman, and journal too. Yes, I own a Walkman and a Gameboy. Go ahead, tell me I'm lame and behind the times, I don't care.

I take another look around my room. Anything else I might need/want? My eyes land on my pile of plushies. Ugh. What kind of 16 year old has plushes? I can't help but grab one. I'm never going to sleep with it, but it's nice to have the option.

I think that's it. Let me go over my list, just to make sure. Let's see, clothes, toothbrush, comb that I'll never use, shampoo, bug spray, towel, pillow, blanket, art supplies, headphones, Walkman, cassette tapes for said Walkman, Gameboy, journal, camera, and a plushie. Yep. This is probably way more than I should to take.

I wonder if mom and dad are up yet. What time is it anyway? I glance at the clock. 8:30. Must've spent more time thinking than I thought. To be honest, I might have been thinking about more than what to pack for camp. That smell of cinnamon is still lingering in my nostrils, not because I have a crush, although it might be contributing to how I feel about the fox. My sense of smell is weird. See, I'm partially nose blind. I can't smell a lot of things, but the things I can smell are a lot stronger than they should be. Smoke, cinnamon, and citrus are a few examples of the things I can smell. Sometimes those scents stick with me for a while.

I'll probably forget about the fox as the smell fades, which is probably for the best. I haven't even talked to the guy. For all I know he could be a psychopath.

Hold on. I'm missing something. I pat myself down. Odd. What's missing? I feel my hoodie pocket. Shit. My phone's missing. Where did it-...? Someone's knocking on the door. Who the hell would be knocking on the door? It's not that it's too early, it just strikes me as strange. Maybe Jesse ordered everyone breakfast before he left? No, he couldn't do that.

I cautiously make my way to the door and I crack it open just enough to see who it is. Smells kinda like cinnamon. It's the fox. Why was he here?! Did he know where I lived?! I open the door the rest of the way and give him a slight wave. His face brightens up as soon as he sees me, and he already looked pretty happy. "Hey! I think you left something while you were getting your mail!" The fox said in a cheery tone.

"What are you...?" I reply as he pulls something out of his pocket. My phone. He found my phone. "Oh! Thanks. I was uh, looking for this. How did you know where I lived though?" I say after taking it from him.

"I didn't! I've been knocking on everyone's door hoping you'd show up!" He knocked on everyone's door just to give me my phone back? He just wasted who knows how long trying to find me so he could return my phone. He doesn't even look upset. Hell, that smile is warm enough to melt a glacier.

"Oh. Well, I don't really...have anything to give you in return," I say, still confused.

"Oh, that's fine! I just wanted to make sure you got your phone back!" Aaaand now I'm even more confused. This total stranger spent his time looking for me just so he could give me my phone back and he WASN'T expecting a reward. Is this fox a straight up saint or something?! Who the hell does that?! "Welp, I'll see ya around!" And with that he walked away, leaving me confused and speechless in the doorway. I think that fox just permanently lodged himself into my brain. There's no way I'm going to forget him now. He didn't even tell me his name! What the funk?!

I close the door and just lay down on the couch. Why would he do that? What motive does he have? He obviously didn't do it to get closer to me because he would've at least told me his name if that was the reason. He didn't do it for a reward. What was it?! Why would he be so nice to some random person he didn't even know?! I try to calm down, I try to stop thinking about him, but that was now impossible with that smell of cinnamon renewed. Shit. I definitely have a crush now.

"You okay Liam?" That was my mom. We've been in the car for about an hour now.

"Yeah, I'm fine...I'm just...thinking," I reply. My mind isn't going a mile a minute anymore, but it's still going.

"You sure?"

"Yeah" I keep staring out the window. It's raining. Not a lot, it's more like a drizzle. I take a deep breath and close my eyes, listening to the patter of the rain and the hum of the engine. I think I'll strike up that little piano in my head. I think of a simple melody. It's familiar, but I can't quite remember why. Oh yeah. Now I remember. One time I tried to sing, about spring and a storm, but you know, how it goes. I miss the simple things in life