Dear Grayson,
I hope you don't mind me writing to you instead of texting, it's just that I feel this is more personal, especially since you haven't been answering my calls, care to explain that?
You've only been gone a month and already life seems more dull. The trees are less green and the Sun just isn't as bright now that you've left. I miss you more than you think, more than you'll ever know because I have a secret, and it's made you leaving a whole lot harder, but I'll survive.
Maddie misses you too, it's crazy, I'm her older sister yet she still had more love in her little heart for you than she did for me. She always asks when you're coming back, she wants to play Peter Pan with you again, she wants to be your little fairy sidekick.
It's weird because I also miss Ethan, I didn't talk to him much but whenever you was out I used to sit in the front room with him and he had a way with words that made me spill all my secrets out to him. He knew more about me than I knew about myself.
Lessons are also a lot less interesting, I no longer have someone to laugh with over Miss Taylor's subtle beard, or no one to write secret notes to about how Kaylee has become more of a tangerine. Lessons don't feel right and it's all because one important factor is missing- you!
We haven't really spoken much since you've left and I've hated every moment, I know I only have myself to blame but I've come to terms with everything now and I'm ready to forgive you and embrace you back with open arms, or as much as that can happen over paper.
How is LA? I hope it's treating you better than you can imagine, and I hope you're enjoying the Sun that only visits England in the Summer. I hope you can come to visit soon, or maybe even video call, it's mostly because I'm missing your face. I can still picture it, every detail about it, and I know it sounds bad but you were my best friend for many years, and picturing your face provides the comfort I crave, especially on the stormy nights.
I sometimes forget that you've gone on nights like those, I sit up in bed, expecting you to soon climb through my window, ready to hold me in your arms and assure me that it's all okay. I usually sit up for hours until I realise that you're not coming, that it's probably not even raining where you are, how should you know that I'm scared at that very minute?
It seems that I'm stuck in a routine that I still try to follow despite its impossibility, you're not here so I can't do anything the same, yet I still push to try to and it only ends in my failure and sadness. It's hard.
I really hope that life is going a lot better for you there than it is for me here...
Lots of Love,
Gracie xxx
With a deep breath, Gracie carefully slips the handwritten letter into a pale pink envelope. She'd poured her heart and soul into the letter and she was worried that Grayson would dislike her after reading it due to the dark tone that her words held.
"Gracie, Gracie, Gracie!" Maddie shouted, pattering up to her older sister and holding her arms up.
"Is Gray-Gray coming today?" She asked, her face holding innocence and hopefulness.
Sighing, Gracie lifted her younger sister, resting her on her hip.
"Grayson isn't coming back for a while Mads, I told you this, he's gone on a... long holiday..." She tried to explain, not wanting to hurt het younger sibling.
Despite her attempt, the little girl's bottom lip still began to tremble.
"But I want to play Peter Pan!" She whispered, looking at Gracie with big eyes that caused her heart to ache for her.
"He does too, trust me Maddie, but he can't right now, he's busy in a place far away..."
Maddie nodded slowly and sadly, but there was nothing she could do to bring him back, no one could bring Grayson back, not even his best friend.
"Come on, let's watch Peter Pan instead."
The older girl's suggestion cheered up the young girl considerably and she snuggled into the sofa with her blanket while Gracie put the film on.
As it started, she sat beside Maddie on the sofa, wrapping her arms around the little figure who laid the blanket on her sister as well as herself. Gracie's heart warmed at the kind gesture but it soon became heavy again as the cartoon boy came into view. It was strange, Peter and Grayson looked nothing alike yet Gracie couldn't see anyone other than her best friend on the screen.
Maddie instantly became absorbed in the film, but soon the overwhelming sense of fatigue won over and allowed her to drift into a soft slumber. Her long hair fanned out around her, even managing to find its way into Gracie's mouth.
Gracie removed it gently and stood, lifting her sister and carrying her upstairs, just as she reached the princess-themed bedroom however, a loud crash of thunder echoed all around. Maddie jolted awake and instantly started crying, clutching onto Gracie in fear. Their parents were out for the night so it was just the two of them. Gracie had to push away her fears.
Laying Maddie in bed, Gracie climbed in beside her, cuddling up to her as they had during the film. For a while neither of them said anything, they just embraced the warmth and slight comfort that the duvet supplied, though they both knew that it was short-lived.
Maddie scooted closer to her older sister as another loud boom erupted.
"Gracie... I'm scared..." She whispered, looking up at her, hoping that she'd be able to make her fears dissolve.
She couldn't.
"Me too Mads, me too."
-—-
End of chapter 1
Quite sad but cute!
Please vote and comment if you liked it!
-Ellie 🌻
