Mystery Boy || d.s.

3

"I left breakfast on the counter." Grace knocked on my door of the apartment.
I nodded my head and I knew she couldn't hear me. I rolled over into the pillows hearing Grace then leave the apartment.

After she left I got up out of bed and fixed my plain grey tee that was tangled in which I had slept in. I went to the bathroom and fixed my hair, then I brushed my teeth.

This is how it was every morning. Grace left for school and normally left me some sort of breakfast.

She would stay in school for most of the day before she attended her job at Dick's Sporting Goods at night.

Most of the time I would venture out into the city to take pictures that I would then turn into my boss who worked in some skyscraper down town. His name is Charlie and he allowed most of his employees to work from home.

After I fixed myself up I went down stairs to see a plate of pancakes with a note.

Dear Melissa,
I know you're supposed to be the photographer but I couldn't help myself...
-Grace

Beside the note (and the pancakes) was a picture of Mystery boy.

Strome.

My stomach jumped into my throat as I saw him. His curls at the back of his head only barley visible. His glove held his stick and his shoulder pads made him look bigger, bulkier. Strome was mid laugh his tongue up at the top of his mouth.

I slammed the picture down and ran up the stairs. I threw on some jeans with some tee shirt that more than likely Grace's. My shoes were by the front door so I made my way back down the hallway. Then I realized I forgot my camera in my room, I ran all the way back, grabbed it, and left the apartment.

~

I drove to Echo Park Lake which was about a half hour away from our apartment.  I parked the car and then jumped out, camera around my neck. I made my way into the forest. Looking up at all the trees. That's when I laid down on some moss and took pictures of the trees.

After the trees I made my way to the dirt fading into the sand by the lake.
I took a couple pictures of that. The way the dirt fades into the sand is just like the way the dark brown fades to the light brown of Strome's eyes.

Dammit.

Then I made my way to the water. Where the waves curled just like the curls on Mystery Boy's head.

After a couple more snaps of the lake I made my way back to the car.

~

When I got home I put all the pictures in an email and sent them to Charlie.

Then the first name of this Strome kid started driving me insane. So I looked him up.

His first name is Dylan.

Dylan.

I don't remember anything after that because I fell asleep, with Dylan Strome still pulled up on my laptop.