Why not? - English

13-12 The Why Files 2: The Beast of Pontypandy

Is set while Ellie is out in the forest with the Why Files Agents and Sam and Penny are alone.

"Then do we want to go back down the mountain? I think Ellie will definitely go down on the train with the others," I objected and Penny nodded. So I got into Bessy and noticed that she was following me. I had noticed throughout the day that she was very calm and withdrawn again. Could it have something to do with Ellie being back from vacation? Had I really not been able to put her doubts to rest yet?

"Sam, can I ask you something?" she then asked me, as if she had sensed that I was wondering what was on her mind and I turned back to her and nodded as we sat down. "I was a bit...bored yesterday and was looking through a box of old photos that my parents recently gave me. I came across one that got me thinking."

"Really? What kind?" I asked her in surprise. How could a photo make her so thoughtful?

"I don't know if I'm wrong and I don't want to reopen old wounds...Bronwyn once told me that you never actually wanted to dance again after your dance partner from dance school stood you up at the prom."

"That's right. I really liked her. I was young and...not very experienced with girls, but she was very special," I admitted to her, not particularly surprised that my sister-in-law did have told her that. "But I'd much rather dance with you. Thanks to you, I've found the fun in it again," I then quickly interjected so as not to give her the impression that she was only my second choice. I was head over heels for the girl back then, but things were different with Penny. I had been able to get to know her over the years and my feelings had grown more and more. She may not have been my first, but she was my true love.

"Isn't it strange that as a child you don't think about something as banal as asking someone their name? And that you always think you have plenty of time for everything, until something comes up and the last chance is wasted?" she asked me then, looking at her hands in her lap.

"Yeah, that's pretty much how I felt at dance class. I never thought about asking her what her name was or where she lived or went to school. But I wanted to do that at the prom and then she didn't come," I answered her with a shrug and was surprised that the memory no longer hurt as much as it used to. "But I don't quite understand what you're getting at, Penny," I then turned back to her.

"Well, I was also in a dance class. There was this boy that I used to dance with and I really had a crush on him. He was older than me, but so sweet and shy. We got along pretty well, also dancing. I was only there because my parents wanted me to and I didn't feel like it, but it was so much fun with him." Did she now want to tell me that she had met him again and that it was finally over with both of us because she wanted to rekindle her first childhood love? God, just the thought hurt so much."I was so excited about prom, but unfortunately I got tonsillitis two days before and was in the hospital that night because they took out my tonsils. My parents didn't make it until then the following Monday to call the dance school and told them why I couldn't come. Then the dance teacher sent me this photo," she continued, taking a photo out of her pocket and handing it to me, back side first. On it I could see the handwritten note reading 'Get well soon little one and always dance through life as happily as you did with us'.

"That was nice of him. I..." I had turned the photo by now and the word got stuck in my throat. It was a photo that I knew all too well because I had it in a box somewhere in my storage. A photo full of smiling young people standing together in pairs at their prom and at the very edge there was a boy alone who smiled painedly because the photographer didn't want to tolerate his mournful expression. "I was that boy?!" I said quietly, still not sure if I should really believe that or not.

"If that's really you, then yes!" she replied and pointed to me in the photo. "I would like to apologize to you for having to stand you up back then and for hurting you so much. That was never my intention. I wanted to let you know back then, but I didn't know how. I knew just as little about you and our dance teacher had a nickname for everyone, so I never knew what your real name was. I still had so often later thinking of you...foxy," she called me by the nickname the dance teacher had given me and I couldn't help but smile. The man had always said that he taught so many people a year that he couldn't or didn't want to remember their names, so he went with nicknames. He always called Penny little one because she was probably the youngest at the time. This couldn't be a coincidence anymore.