---
***
"Dear, No one."
Anne Fiore, an eight year old girl, muttered as she wrote a letter. Anyone who could see doing this would be incredibly confused as to why she's saying the words she's writing, then again she is a young girl so they could bla it on immaturity.
"How are you doing? I'm sorry I didn't reply right away, were you waiting for my letter? If so, then yay. If not, then boo." Anne giggled as she continued writing.
"My parents were strict, it's kind of annoying. They wanted to et ugly fatties. Those slly and dirty fatties wanted to play the zither for them. I don't want to but my parents said that it's fine, so I guess it's fine. But I don't want to et them again, I don't like the way they stare at ."
She pouted as she wrote, she briefly stopped and adjusted the lamp nearby her desk.
"Why won't you show yourself to , Mr. No One? You told that you're ugly but I don't believe it. I want to be friends with you so that we can play together. It will be more fun to play with you rather than that…boy that my parents introduced to ."
"Anyway, forget about him. Hmph! As if I'm going to marry that boy! I don't like him, not at all. He looks at like those slly fatties."
Anne pursed her lips as she twirled the pen briefly before writing again.
"Hey, you said that you've been watching from far away right? Mom told that only stalkers do that. But I don't know what a stalker ans since she didn't explain, but it shouldn't be that bad if that's what you're doing right? After all, unlike them, you never treated like a doll. You treated like a friend, but you won't shoe yourself so does that an that we're invisible friends? That doesn't make sense."
"Well, I'll be waiting for you to show yourself. I don't believe your ugly. And even if you are, it doesn't matter. You know where I live, just knock and look for okay? I'll be waiting."
Anne was about to fold the letter but she rembered sothing, so she continued writing.
"Ps. I saw an very pretty earring today, it was worn by an Aunty I t at a party. I wanted one but my parents said that they're not making them anymore, plus it's expensive. It's a pity though, I super duper like those earrings. Anyway, send a letter right away okay? *Kisses~"
***
Anne's face reddened so much as she rembered the contents of the sa letter that she's holding right now.
Mark who was sitting beside her, can't even look at her as he too rembered the childish and cringy mories from his youth. He was red from his neck all the way to his ears, he's also sweating a lot for no particular reason.
Anne wanted to find sowhere to bury herself so that she could never be seen again. She was mortified. All this ti that she pushed these mories at the deepest recesses of her heart, rember them fondly every once in a while, never in her wildest dreams that her pen pal from before was literally beside her all this ti.
"A-are you…really him?" Anne asked without looking. There was a very awkward atmosphere between them.
"M-mm…" Mark nodded, also couldn't bear to look at her.
After a round of silence, Anne couldn't help but said.
"Well…this is, uh…unexpected."
"Yeah…"
"…"
Silence reigned once more. Thankfully there were no other person here other than them or else it would've been more awkward.
It really shouldn't have been a big deal. They were just two innocent kids back then, who happened to beco friends from writing to each other…albeit secretly.
But that wasn't the point.
The reason it beca so awkward is because Mark was Anne's pen pal back then. It was more because of a specific thing that Mark wrote, oh so boldly.
***
'Wait until we get older. I'll beco really, really handso and strong just like my Dad, then I'll show myself. Don't you dare get any husband before then, okay! I won't take any wife other than you!'
'I'll be your husband! I'll marry you when we grow up. We will have many kids and we'll live happily ever after just like the endings on your fairy tales. I'll make you happy and protect you with my life! I promise.'
***
Inside Mark's brain.
'Dear god, make it stop.' Mark wanted to cry but had no tears, as mories ca rushing in. 'Seriously, what the heck is wrong with ? Why did write that? And I brought this to myself too!'
'…but it's not like anything changed really. But please, mories. My cringy mories, spare of humiliation.'
And just as Mark was silently begging for the mories to stop, Anne was doing the sa.
***
'Hey! Hey! You said it was a promise, so don't you dare break it! I will really wait for you. I too, promise that I won't take any husband aside from you. I'll wait for you okay?'
'I'll be a good wife and mommy. I'll love all of our kids, no matter how many there is! I an it! I'll marry you, but please don't take too long. Otherwise, my parents and those slly fatties will take away.'
***
Inside Anne's brain.
After a few rounds of internal screaming…
'Girl! What is wrong with you? Seriously? I couldn't believe I was the one who wanted many kids! Wait, no! No! Why am I thinking of that!? Am I seriously considering this? Oh my god!!'
Internal screaming once again…
'…but thus slly guy really made wait huh? Wait, no! No, no! That's not the point! Okay, Anne relax. Chill. Breathe nice and slow. Yes, just like that. This is not embarrassing at all…'
'…not at all.'
Another flashback occurred. And she's back into screaming internally again.
The silence this ti around was long. Mark wanted to say sothing but couldn't. It may not look much but he had been rehearsing for this day. He had his lines ready and wanted to say them, but no matter how preparation he made, it didn't prepare him at all.
"Uh..."
"Wait…wait! I'm not prepared, can I think this through?"
"Huh?"
"Eh?"
"What are you-? Oh…"
"Wait no! No, no. Scratch that! Forget that I said sothing!"
"But…"
"I said I'm not ready!"
"Wait, I'm not…"
"No! Don't say it! I can't just yet!"
"Yet?" Mark tilted his head.
"Wu~." Anne suddenly stood up and started marching away. She really couldn't handle it. The corners of her eyes were wet and she's feeling so lost and complicated.
Mark panicked and tried coaxing her, yet he was shaking so bad that he couldn't even bring himself to touch her. He too stood up and followed her, he was trying to explain but…
"Wait, Anne. H-hear out."
"Co on! I said, I'm not ready to be engaged just yet!"
"I wasn't proposing!"
That made her froze on the spot. She chanically looked back with a shock evident on her face. For so reason her heart sank, yet she didn't know why. Unfortunately, she didn't get to relish this feeling since the embarrassnt ate her away.
"Look, I just wanted to explain so things, okay? I-I know you're not uh…p-prepared. A-and it's not like I revealed the letter just for that, no. It's just that uh…y-you know. I-I figured it's about ti that I told you, so…"
These words sounded way better inside Mark's head but there's nothing he could. He was shaking, he felt cold, embarrassed, nervous and afraid. God knows how much he had been waiting for this mont. He even disturbed the hell out of Raven just so that he could do this.
He knows that it was falling apart but he wanted to try. He had been waiting for so long. Unexpectedly, instead of coaxing her, his words successfully made Anne cry.
Mark panicked like never before, he was about to ask what's wrong but then he heard this.
"I see, you're not proposing huh. I get it! I really do! Pardon for assuming such thoughts…"
"Do you want to?"
Mark wanted to say that inwardly but he blurted it out. And since it was out, he couldn't take it back. Nevertheless, that stopped Anne from crying. She looked down and stayed silent.
'Well, she didn't say no.' Mark thought before shaking his head, 'What am I thinking!'
Mark scratched his head and stepped closer to Anne. He didn't know what to do so he just wiped her tears while caressing her face gently.
"Alright, let's start that again." Mark said softly as he stared at the adorable face of Anne. "We made promise, yes. But we also both know that it doesn't have to be now."
Anne looked up at him, Mark continued:
"There no rush. We have ti." Mark looked at her intently. "I fulfilled a part of my promise. I showed myself to you. I'm here. I know what I feel towards you and you know that too. But if you want to, we can take things slowly."
Mark took a deep breath in and pulled Anne closer to him. He then looked straight at her eyes and told her:
"I want to know you better."
Reviews
All reviews (0)