It hasn't stopped raining since dawn. It wasn't loud or dramatic, just some steady drizzle that filled up the World with a gentle kind of tune.
I stood by the kitchen window, spooning my cereals. Not really the biggest fan of that but they wouldn't let me leave the house on empty stomach. Across from me, sat Aunt Fiona typing furiously on her laptop.
Tee was living for college today, his duffel bag sat by the door like a very quiet reminder that the house was about to loose its colors again.
" you will be checking in right?" Aunt Fiona asked. I turned my head to him, we weren't the closest of siblings but I will miss him. Having him around these past few weeks have been kind of settling and comforting.
"Every week" he promised flashing a grin that looked borrowed.
I looked down at my cereal again. I didn't want to look up, I didn't want to say goodbye.
When I dropped my plate, I folllowed him outside as he loaded the last of his things into the trunk. The air smelled like wet earth.
He shut the trunk and turned to me. " Hey," he said softly.
" you are gonna be okay, you know right? I am always gonna be one call away. If you ever need anything" he touched my cheeks softly.
That was strange coming from him but it was oddly comforting so I gave him a hug instead.
" sure" I said. Though my voice came out smaller than intended.
He smiled. Then he pulled out something from his pocket. A small golden butterfly keychain.
" Mom gave this to me when I was about leaning for college, said it was for luck"
He pressed it into my palm. " Guess it's your turn now, you need it more than me"
I blinked hard,swallowing the ache in my throat. " you don't need luck anymore?"
He laughed " you need it more lil sis, keep it safe "
I hugged him so tight like it was going to be the last time, like the hug will freeze time.
Then he got in the car , waved once through the rain spotted window and drove away.
And just like that. He was gone!
At school,the day unfolded the way most days do, too fast, too loud and not quite as I expected.
Grace met me by my locker , halfway through a story about how she d' spilled coffee all over her art sketchbook.
I laughed softly, balancing my books and notes. " you and caffeine are definitely a war zone"
She grinned. " yet undefeated."
In a hurry, I shoved stacks of papers into my binder. We have an English assignment due today, half a poem I have been working on it.
By third period, Mrs Lockwood was already at the front of classroom. Glasses slipping to the edge of her nose, collecting the essays.
" Don't forget," she said. " These will go into your creative writing portfolio "
My chest tightened as I dropped my binder into the pile. I didn't even think twice.
Later during lunch, Landon sat at the next table. His fork moved slowly on his tray.
At one point he looked up, eyes catching me for a brief second.
A bit of curiosity and respect.
He looked away immediately Grace joined me. My heart raced for unknown reason, I tried to focus on my meal.
Lunch ended too soon.
The bell's shrill ring cut through the cafeteria chatter, leaving unfinished stories hanging in the air. I tossed my tray into the return bin and followed Grace back towards the class. Grace still humming the same song she always did after meals. It had become a habit.
Landon walked a little behind us, earbud in. I wondered what genre of music he listened to.
"Hey" Grace said. " Are you okay?"
I blinked at her, my heart pounding twice as fast, I wonder why.
He pulled out his earbud. " what?. Oh yeah!"
A small smile . " just thinking"
" you are always thinking" I surprised myself saying.
He smirked but didn't reply, I smiled.
Something about his silence made me curious, just quietly magnetic.
Back in the class, the air was cool and still.
I reached into my bag for my letter the one I wrote late last night. It wasn't there.
My heart jumped but settled.
Right, maybe I left it on my study table because I remembered I tore it off from my journal. I wanted to rewrite it.
Landon dropped into the seat beside me, flipping his pen between his fingers. " you finished your essay late last night, didn't you?"
I raised my eyebrow. " How do you know?"
" you look like someone who had it rough last night "
That made me laugh, a small startled sound.
" you are not wrong" I admitted.
Grace sat with her art buddies but she kept constantly looking our way while smiling.
He grinned " I only finished mine this morning during first period"
" desperate times, desperate measures " he chuckled.
We both laughed quietly, the kind of shared laughter that lingers.
Then Grace walked up to us. " you two sound like an India movie, should I give you a room?"
" please don't" I said quickly.
Landon just smiled " we are not that interesting "
She rolled her eyes dramatically " speak for yourself ."
While we got caught up in our discussion, Clark the head boy rushed into the class, slightly out of breath, holding something in his hands.
" uh guys," he said looking unsure " so Mrs Lockwood said to hang this up on the creative board and that someone wrote this with their essay and she thinks it deserves to be shared."
He walked to the creative board at the back of the room and pinned the sheet there with a bright red tack.
Grace walked to the board after few seconds " woah this is deep" she turned to the class.
" who wrote this?"
The room went still for a second , everyone turned to her.
Landon stood and walked to the board, tilted his head at me " hmmm…"
Just then the board got crowded, everyone wanted to know what was written, I mean I want to know but I can go after everyone else.
" who is orabelle?" Someone shouted .
My pulse thudded in my ears.
I stared at the board and the crowd there, pretending not to hear anything.my blood stilled and went cold.
Grace traced the edge of the paper. " whoever wrote that, is very very deep"
Landon murmured " kinda sad but beautiful "
My throat tightened. I wasn't sure I wanted to vanish or vanish.
Landon kept his eyes on me as if reading all of me. " hey , are you okay?"
I blinked at him . " yeah, I am just tired"
He nodded though his eyes lingered.
Then the teacher came in for the next class, everything went blurry till the end and then it was the final bell.
Everyone kept talking about the letter, wondering who was orabelle.
" imagine having a name like orabelle, sounds like someone writing to his distant girlfriend, sounds like a poem itself"
"Yes it is" I smiled while packing all of my things quickly.
I glanced at the board again. My letter fluttered slightly under the classroom fan. Just enough for the word to tremble, like they were alive.
She had written them for no one.
And now it belonged to everyone.
As I stepped outside the classroom , Landon walked beside me in silence. I am sure he knew it belonged to me but he was so silent, I wondered what was going on his mind.
After a moment, he said " tell the writer that she has a hard core fan right here and I am expecting more from her. She made people seen"
I smiled faintly.
The walk home felt longer than usual, well Grace had a meeting to attend. Grateful for that.
The street glowed in watercolor haze, puddles reflecting the orange sunset. I tightened my grip on my backpack , every step replayed the moment the letter was pinned and read out aloud.
It was out there now.
My heart, my words, under fluorescent lights and curious eyes.
When I got home, the house was quieter than usual. Aunt Fiona wasn't home yet.
The rain started again, light patters against the window as I gently walked up to my room.
When I opened the door, my gaze fell on my mom's journal the one that started it all.
I picked up my own journal and held the pen tighter, staring at the now torn page. Unsure whether to continue writing or to drop it all.
Still I turned over the next page and wrote
Dear orabelle
I didn't mean for them to read you.
You were supposed to stay between us,the one place I could lay everything down without worrying how it sounded
Today, when I saw those words on the board… it felt like the world was leaning in. Listening.
I didn't know whether to hide or breathe
It's strange,people read sadness differently when it's not wearing your face. They call it brave, beautiful, real.
But when they see it in you, they call it too much.
Sometimes I wonder which version of me they saw in that letter. The one still trying to find her mother in old photographs, or the one pretending she's fine
Either way, the silence feels different tonight. Not empty. Just… aware.
Maybe words are like rain, they don't always fall where you intend, but sometimes they water something you didn't know was growing.
Love,
A
I stared at it a long hard time and closed it.
A soft buzz came from my phone,a call from Landon
I hesitated, wondering where he got my number from.
" Hey" he said softly
" Hey" I said.
" sorry I know it's late, but I couldn't stop thinking about that letter from class "
My pulse quickened. " oh, yeah!"
" Grace said she felt it was written for her, Jordan said the same thing, let's not leave Mary too"
My heart kept pounding aggressively.
May throat went dry. " yes, that's quite strange "
There was a pause, then he said gently…"those words were deep yet beautiful. The writer is quite the observer "
" I guess so or may be they pay attention to people "i murmured.
He hummed softly in agreement.
"Well tell your mysterious friend that she started something."
" what do you mean?"
" people were actually talking , real stuff not gossip. Just what the letter meant to them"
I smiled " that's good"
" it is " he said. Anyway just thought I do say that before I sleep. Goodnight Aria"
" Goodnight landon"
When the line clicked off, I sat in the quiet. Landon was more mysterious than she had thought. She couldn't quite place her head on what he is up to.
Still in my thoughts. My phone buzzed again, this time a video request from Tee.
I smiled. " Hey stranger"
" it's not even up to 24 hrs Aria," he chuckled.
" is Aunt back?"
" not yet, but she should be soon"
" how was your day?" He asked
" busy, stressful but okay."
"What about you?"
"The usual , you know" he sighed " just me and the boys"
" someone accidentally read something I wrote "
" a love letter ?" He teased.
" ewww, No" I cringed at that. " like a poem"
He asked " was it good?"
" I think, it made people feel things"
He smiled. " then maybe it wasn't an accident "
I let out a quiet laugh. "You sound just like mom"
" Good" he said softly . " she always knew how to turn mistakes into things that mattered"
I swallowed " I miss her"
" I know, I miss her too. but you are doing what she did best, giving pieces of herself to the world. One words at a time."
Tears filled my eyes. "That's what scares me"
He smiled again. " then it's probably worth doing"
We talked a while longer and when we hung up. The house felt less lonely.
Maybe I wasn't writing to my mom anymore but to everyone who didn't have a voice yet.
The thought of that terrified me but steadied me…..