Twenty Ninth: Not A Word
“Come in.” I said.
Ethan came in and brought a basket filled with assorted fruits. There were apples, bananas, grapes and cherries. Once he placed it on one table, he stepped forward and it seemed that he was hiding something.
After I attempt a few glances, he brought out a necklace. It was like the one Bridget gave me on my last birthday but this one was way different. It was an elegant fan shell with a brown thread inserted into a tiny hole. The color was like the sunrise we saw the other day. A strong beaming orange was brushed at the bottom and a fading yellow making its way to the top.
“That is so pretty.” I said, “Like the sunrise.”
He told me to sit up so he could tie the necklace on my neck.
“There.” He stepped back and studied the necklace. Now I have two precious sea shells necklace given by my two best friends.
“Thanks. But I’m not going to die, though.”
He laughed, “Any improvements?”
“No. My temperature’s not going anywhere.”
“It’s a bad time to get sick, Saydie. I mean, Christmas is coming.”
I thought he was going to say that the competition is coming.
“I know. The competition as well.” I sighed. “So what are you doing?”
“Well since you’re not around, I tried swimming.”
“Oh. How’s your scar?” I asked. I remembered that it had been almost a week since I saw him with the band aid on.
“I’ll take it off later.” He said as if it wasn’t a big deal.
“You know what?”
“What?” he replied.
But I suddenly refused to tell him, “Nothing.”
“What is it?” he urged.
I looked out the window, “I’ve always wanted to win the competition. I’ve always wanted to beat you to show my dad that I’m not just like everybody else. To show him I’m different.” I continued, “But then you happened. I know it’s crazy, but you really made me happy and made me forget what I wanted to do. Maybe someone wanted to tell me that the competition is not what it’s all about but having the courage to take the challenge is.”
He had gone quiet for a while.
“And you were the one who told me that.” I said softly.
He looked at me with awe and I wondered what he was staring about.
In all of a sudden, his attention shifted. I looked at him and wanted to ask what was happening. He was somehow lost with all of these. His face told a thousand words and it wasn’t what I had expected. I was baffled. There was a mysterious sign hiding in his face.
“Are you okay?” I finally asked.
But before he could even let out a word, he left.
YOU ARE READING
A Beautiful Mess
Teen Fiction"I had never thought in a million years that a boy who used to hate me, who used to make me cry, who used to play tricks on me could possibly make me fall in love with him.." Saydie was only four when Ethan started playing tricks on her: purposely s...
