Chapter One : The day she called.

(Chapter Song: Heavy Heart by RIO)

 

Simon POV

 

Ever since summer hits the ground of Holy Cross Village, I knew that the THE SMITH, the punk rock infamous high school band of our school, released their second album. I knew I had to get away from everyone else that has done nothing but listen to their dire indecent music on tape more than ten times a day. And that is too much for me to bear. Well, I know this because my sister, Kim, never had one night without blasting their music out her window. 

 

I wouldn't say she's obsessed with them, I know it's just a fangirl thing. She at least explains to me, that it somehow has an expiration date so I don't have to constantly worry about it. But I don't think the expiration date she's telling me is somehow just right around the corner. I don't feel it yet.

 

But my personal experience of getting away from eavesdropping on the whole fangirling things has been a failure. Every time I put my music on, it just becomes a tiny whisper when Kim put THE SMITH.

 

It's not that I disdain the band but I only had this prevailing bitterness because ever since, Era, my ex best-friend, dated this guy Brad, she unfairly gave blind eyes to me.  She just decided to throw me away just like that.

Why do some people do that? They simply decide to stop talking to people without telling them why.

 

I still choose to believe that her intention was to focus on her boyfriend and she's just trying to be present for those moments. Brad is her first love, so if ignoring me means cherishing him, I respect her decision. 

 

Looking at her now dance to Moon River by Audrey Hepburn,  I can't help but stare at the way her body slowly moves through the song not completely bothered that her window is open and I can clearly watch the scene. 

 

She has been listening to it for almost a week now. It mostly happens at night. My mind wonders what has urged her to love that song. She never listens to the THE SMITH when she's in her room. Not even once.

 

The book closes from my palms while I continue watching the way her—

 

She turns around and catches my staring eyes, she hovers to stop the music and snaps her attention to me before drawing her window down shut. She is mad at me. I can tell. She might be embarrassed, partly. I can really tell.

 

She will never let me watch her dance to Audrey again. I hate myself. I shouldn't have stared too long.

 

I tap my desk with my pen and proceed my time into painting one of my favorite flowers. Her favorite, actually. 

 

Kim opens the door a few minutes when I begin, “Someone's calling on the telephone, ” she doesn't close the door when she's done, which means I have to take the call.

 

She never answered any calls. I don't know why.

 

I walk out of the room and march my way to the hallway.

 

“Good day. Wellis resident. Simon speaking. Parent's not home.” I pause before saying, “Parent, I mean.” I say to the phone with a flat uninterested sound in my voice. It's a memorized telephone statement. It is usually used in the business of my mother.

 

“Hey, this is Era.” The caller says. 

 

What? 

 

I almost drop the telephone right when I hear her voice. I don't actually think I heard her name right. Her voice hasn't changed. It still sounds sweet, although there's a little bit of roughness to it now.

 

“Era, yes. Hey.” I compose myself together to act relaxed when it's the actual opposite. 

 

“I know you're not a maniac, so please the next time you see me dancing or simply just somewhere inside in my bedroom doing something unusual or nothing, can you please...” She's nervous by her shaky breathing. I can tell. 

 

She continues, “I need you to look away or pluck your eyes out if possible, just as long as you cannot attempt to watch me do those things. Thank you.”  She ends the call and I am left smiling at the fact that she has to call me to say this plea. I mean it's cute. She's cute when she is embarrassed.

 

How did she remember our number in the first place?

 

I should call her again. I press a button and she picks up on the third ring,  “Hey, Era.” I whisper. Now, I am not sure what to say next.  The fact that it's been two years since the last time we talked, it gives me doubt she's ever the same.

 

“Simon, please. I gotta go.” Her voice is nothing but misery in a rush. Mystery rather. It's just a sound of saying goodbye. And this time I don't want to be left hanging on the other end again.

 

“I just want to say sorry for what happened earlier. It's not my intention to look-”

 

“I know. I'm just embarrassed, ” A small laugh comes out of her.

 

I can't believe she's laughing at this. She's laughing, literally. Not hiding it nor trying pretending to be. She's laughing at this. And she's embarrassed. 

 

I catch myself from the mirror on the other wall grinning widely.

 

“I can actually tell that you're embarrassed but you don't have to. ” I assure her just to let her know that she can be comfortable with my eyes on her. Or her with me. 

 

“Umm...I gotta go and prepare myself for the show tonight. Are you coming?” She asks. I know which shows she's talking about, but I am just going to pretend as if they never exist all over Holy Cross. 

 

I shake my head no, “No, which show is that?” I ask in pretense.

 

“It's the THE SMITH's. ” There's a shuffle sounds from the background. Perhaps she's getting her clothes on right now. 

 

I shouldn't have asked, “I don't think I  can or ever will.”

 

“Oh, but Kim's coming right? She's a big fan of them, I heard a lot.”  So she knows. I look at myself in the mirror. At me. My grinning gone and replaces by a jealous frown.

 

“Yeah, I would say.” I nod.

 

“Bye, Si.” Then she hangs up. 

 

I rush back to my room and have a quick look at her window. It's still closed and the lights of her room are on so I would assume she's getting herself ready for that show of her boyfriend. It's already 7 in the evening and that's just for me to cook dinner.

 

But I'm still here, wondering about those years that left our friendship void and unspoken. Of course, Era must have forgotten about it already. Two years is a long time to change someone's heart, but mine's still pretty much the same.