Heartfelt - A Fiction

Tight bands constricted his chest as he stood, alone, in the parking lot, looking up into the black and starless sky. The wind, blowing into his face, brought tears to his eyes which ran down his cheeks, unabated.

He didn't care.

And maybe it wasn't all wind that made his eyes tear up.

Maybe he was feeling sorry for himself. Again.

Girls always seemed to do this to him. They always found a way to tear at his heart and leave him alone and lonely.

This one had seemed so nice. This one had seemed like she might be different. She had seemed as though she might be the one who would take care of what he wanted to give her - the one who would take his teenaged heart and hold it, and value it, respect it. Love it.

But she was no different than any other. She had left him alone and she was with all those other people and he knew she wasn't coming back to him and why did he keep doing this to himself. He knew he should have known better.

He pushed himself away from the car he had been leaning against and started walking toward the street.

A gentle rain, a mist, really, began to blow up and he knew he'd be very wet by the time he walked all the way home.

He didn't care.

He pulled his collar up around his neck, stuck his hands in his pockets, shrugged his shoulders up as close as he could to his ears and started his slow walk home.

Just as he got to the sidewalk at the edge of the lot, he felt a hand on his shoulder, pulling at him and turning him around.

She was standing there, in the misty rain, without a coat or anything.

"You're going to get wet", he said.

"Where are you going?"

"I dunno. Home, I guess."

"Why? Are you upset? Did I do something?"

"No. You didn't do anything. I just felt alone and I had to leave."

She reached out a hand and touched his cheek, rubbing his cheek dry with her thumb.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone. I guess I got too wrapped up in all my friends and I forgot who I came with."

"It's alright. It's not like it hasn't happened before."

"It just that you scare me. I don't want to get hurt and you seem so distant and I just know you'd break my heart the first time some other girl batted her eyes at you."

"No. No, I wouldn't. I just want to be with you. I like you."

"I like you, too." She pulled him toward the building they had both just left. "You want to go back inside?"

"No, I want to walk with you. Is that okay?"

"Yes. Yes it is. Just let me get my coat. And stay here, okay? Don't go anywhere?"

They stood there a long, long moment, staring into each other's eyes.

"I won't go anywhere. At least, not without you."

She ran back into the building to get her coat and he turned to face the wind which was blowing that misty rain down the back of his neck.

"No, I'm not going anywhere without you. I promise."


The music in my ear? 'Drifting' by Enya. Off the 'Amarantine' CD.

Ndinombethe.