Last words said

“Brandon!!!” I find myself yelling as I run across the street to his house.

Narrating: 

~Brandon is my best friend and neighbor, across the road. Him and I had a connection. A love connection you could say. Even though we were in 7th grade, I knew I loved him. He’s the guy I wrote about in my diary. He’s the guy I loved and wanted to marry.~

Brandon quickly turns around, right before he opens his door. 

“Hey, what’s the rush princess!?” I smiled at his nickname for me.

I finally caught up to Brandon and gave him a huge hug. We hugged tighter than usual. When we pulled away, he had a worried face on. 

“Rosalie? What’s wrong?” 

I couldn’t look in his eyes, so I looked down and whispered quietly. 

“I’m moving.” He took my face in his hands and made me look at him. 

“What did you say?” 

“I said I’m moving!” I practically yelled at him and he dropped his hands, shocked. I never yelled at him. The only time I ever yelled at him was when we were 9.

Today marked the day I broke our promise. I yelled at Brandon. I immediately apologized and he didn’t take it.

“What do you mean your sorry? Rosalie your moving! We will be separated. Wha..wha..what is happening?” He started to have an asthma attack. He was freaking out. I immediately took out my inhaler I hold for him, out of my pocket and gave it to him. He took it. I quickly did what my mom showed me to do with him when he has attacks, I grabbed him, and sat him down on the porch swing. 

“Deep breaths, Brandon. Please, deep breaths!”

He listened and took deep breaths, then used the inhaler, he kept repeating that for a while.

When he finally calmed down. We talked. 

“Your moving? Your moving? Your moving? 

He was saying those words over and over. Every-time he said those words, ‘your moving’, he sounded it out different to try to make since of it, I guess. All I could do was sit there and nod. I felt so terrible.

We sat there in silence for a while.

“I’m sorry Brandon. I am. But I can’t do anything. My moms job got moved to LA. We have to move and I hate it. I even asked if I could just move in with you so we’re not separated, but my mom said no.” He looked at me with those brown eyes and nodded. 

“Yeah I understand Rosalie. It’s just we were getting to 8th grade and now you have to move?” I nodded. As we stopped talking we sat there. 

~10 minutes later~

“Rosalie!” Brandon said loudly, he turned sideways to look at me. He shocked me, I jumped, and turned to him on the swing. We looked each other in the eyes. He had the biggest smile, so big I could see it in his eyes. 

“Promise me, when we graduate high school we will find each other and marry.” He had the biggest smile, after he said this. I couldn’t resist it. He was just too cute. I smiled really big back. 

“Fine. I promise!” We pinky promised again and hugged each other so big. 

“How much time do we have?”

“Well we have to leave by Friday. So, we have tonight and tomorrow.” 

“Ok perfect. That’s plenty of time. To hang out and have fun.” I agreed and we sat in the treehouse all the rest of the day. 

“I’m going to miss you Brandon.”

“I’m going to miss you too princess.” 

We sat there and cried together until dark came upon us.

We then got up and out of the treehouse. 

We were walking to the front of my house. Brandon said goodbye and I did the same. I walked to my house and he walked to his. Before, we entered the houses we looked back at each other and waved. Then we both headed to bed. 

~NEXT MORNING~

Brandon came over for breakfast today. We sat down at my table, and waited for my mom to finish making breakfast. Brandon sat next to me today since it was our last day together, for a while. My mom came in with the food and then we ate. 

“So Brandon, since I see your sitting on that side of the table today, I asume Rosalie told you we’re moving.” Brandon looked at me then at my mom.

“Yes, Mrs. Carter she did.” He said sadly. I could tell he hated that we were moving because he called my mom Mrs. Carter instead of Julie. The rest of breakfast went quietly. Once, we finished my mom told us we could go out and play to have as much time together as possible before we left. We immediately raced to the treehouse again. This time I won. But, really I think Brandon let me win. I didn’t say anything as I helped him up and we sat down in the hammock. We sat there, talking  about all the memories we had together in this treehouse. 

“Omg! Remember the time I fell out of the treehouse and broke my leg?” Brandon asked and I laughed.

“Of course I do. It was funny but not too funny.” 

“That memory was my favorite.” He smiled while saying those words. He was all too cute. I hated that I was leaving him. We spent all that day remembering memories, of what we have had together.

“So your leaving in the morning?” I put my head down and nodded. 

“Yeah yeah I am.” He took my hands, I then looked up at him and saw his face. He had tears in his eyes and a fake smile on his face. I couldn’t help it but, share a tear or two as well. We sat there crying together. We cried so much that we both slept in the hammock all night. 

In the morning, my mother came up to get us. She woke us up and told me it was time to go. I nodded and she left the treehouse to let us say goodbye. 

I looked at Brandon, he was laying there, propped on his elbow looking into my eyes.

“I have to go!” 

“I know!” He looked at me sadly. I got up and stretched. Brandon got up as well. As I was walking to go out the treehouse and down, but before I could go down, Brandon grabbed my hand and turned me around. I was shocked but, faced him anyway. When I turned to face him, I looked into his brown eyes and then he grabbed my face and we kissed. 

The kiss was wonderful. It was everything I ever dreamed of. The kiss was short but sweet. When we broke away, he said those words I needed to hear. 

“I love you Rosalie.” I was shocked but so happy he said those words. 

“Oh...Brandon.” I couldn’t quite find the words. He looked at me and walked away. He walked down the treehouse and was heading to his house. I quickly ran down out the treehouse. 

“BRANDON!!” I yelled. He turned around and I ran to him. I crashed into him and kissed him. When we broke away I smiled. 

“I love you too Brandon!” He smiled at those words. I took his hands and we looked right into each other’s eyes. 

“I promise you Brandon when I graduate I will come straight back here and find you. I will keep that promise for my whole life.” He nodded at my promise and we walked out to my moms car, holding hands. 

My mother and his father smiled at us holding hands. When we reached the car we let go. We smiled at each other one last time.

“Goodbye!”

“Goodbye to you too princess!” We said our goodbyes and I got in the car and my mom drove off. Brandon watched me go. I looked out the window and watched him till I couldn’t see him anymore.

*************************

7 years later:

************************

It’s been a year since I’ve graduated school. I have had the worst years, since I’ve left Brandon. I can’t even imagine that he would even still remember me. But, I am a keeper of my promise and I told him I wouldn’t break the promise of heading back and visiting him. So, I’m on my way back to Brandon and that wonderful town I once called home. 

I finally made it back to my hometown. I drove right to my old neighbor hood. It hasn’t changed a bit. The only thing that I had noticed that changed was, my old house. It wasn’t so...homey anymore! The people who bought it must not like decorating. I was saddened to see that it had changed. But, before I started crying, I parked my car, outside of the one house, which was the real reason I came back to my old town. 

I parked in front of Brandon’s house. Hoping he still lived there, I got out of the car, smoothed my pink dress down that I was wearing, and walked up his drive way to his door. Every step I took made me, even more nervous, and scared.

I mean walking up to my childhood best friends house, was pretty scary. I mean I’m 19, and nervous that my childhood best friend, will not like me anymore. Or worse he has a girlfriend! I kept running these scenarios through my head. I’m also nervous because we haven’t talked in a while. I mean yeah we talked when I moved. We talked for a year or two then we drifted apart. He had football, I had writing class. It was just too much I guess. 

I finally made it too his door. I was standing there ready to knock, but something was stopping me. I was afraid he wouldn’t answer. But, I finally got enough courage and knocked.

Three times I knocked, and no answer. But, as I went to knock again, someone opened the door. I was completely and utterly shocked at what I saw. 

From what I saw, it made me sad. It made my heart shatter. Instead of Brandon or his father answering the door it was a little girl. She was around 2 years old. I was scared. Scared that maybe Brandon had a daughter. I know it’s an enormous conclusion to jump to but, it scared me at the thought of him moving on. 

I mean of course I don’t actually expect him to marry me, when he sees me. That was just a stupid childhood, wish. I just want the chance to spend time with him and say goodbye. I need to say it before it’s too late. 

I leaned down to the little girls height and asked if her parents were home. 

She simply ran away and yelled for her dad. I was scared. What if that dad was Brandon? 

A few minutes later her dad came to the door. The man was tall, dark brown hair, and hazel-green eyes. If it weren’t for those hazel-green eyes, I would be freaking out right now. But, luckily those eyes saved my heart. 

Brandon had brown eyes, not hazel-green. So, I knew it couldn’t be him. 

“I’m sorry to bother you and your family. I was just wondering if you knew where Brandon Flinch lives?” The man smiled and simply pointed across the street to my old house. 

“There.” He said pointing. 

“Thank you!” I simply shook his hand and walked down the driveway and over to my old house. 

I was even more nervous now that I new Brandon may or may not be living in my old house. But, most importantly I was asking myself the question why!?

I walked over to my old house. I finally made it too the driveway and walked up to the door. I got ready to knock. 

But, instead I walked away. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t knock and face myself to him. I walked away to my car with tears in my eyes. When I reached my car, I unlocked it and got in quickly. I sat there for a minute crying over my steering wheel. 

The Shell Tell Motel. 

I know kind of tacky but, it was the most classic motel known in this town. It had a pool, nice rooms, no crappy motel things. It was an upgraded motel, you could say. 

I settled in room 12. I decided to stay in and not go out. I can’t risk myself getting seen by any of my old friends and them recognizing me and them possibly telling Brandon I was in town.

******Next Morning******

I woke up to the sun shining. I grabbed my wallet and headed to the diner, just five minutes away. I knew the owner or at least used too. 

I made it too Bob’s BL&D. As soon as I walked in and saw Bob he immediately perked up and walked over to me. He gave me the biggest hug. We both were so happy to see each other.

“How has my favorite customer been? Jeez it’s been like 10 years since I last saw ya!? Brandon has been in here everyday in that same booth.” He pointed to the booth in the corner. 

“Same booth everyday crying and so sad about you leaving.” I teared up at his words. I couldn’t believe Brandon was all alone in that booth crying because of me. It saddened me to hear and I didn’t want to see or tell Brandon any news anymore. I couldn’t break his heart again.

“Wow I can’t believe me moving had that impact on him. I’m saddened others that.”

“Yeah. He was torn up but, I could always tell when you called because he wiped the tears and put a fake smile on. He really wanted to make you happy he really cared. He couldn’t let you know it was hurting him. You two were meant to be. Just life happened to get in the way.”

“Yeah life did get in the way...”

“But all that matters now is that your back and can be with Brandon again.” He smiled so big, I couldn’t resist smiling back. Even if it was a fake one. 

After talking he took me too the booth I always sat at and I ordered pancakes, hash-browns, and coffee. I opened my bag and got my laptop out. I sat it in front of me and unlocked it. Going on to Facebook I quickly looked up Brandon on Facebook. A bunch of Brandon Flinch’s popped up but, there was only one I was interested in. It was him. I could recognize him from a mile away, especially with those beautiful brown eyes. 

I clicked on his profile and looked at his pictures. Lots of pictures with him and his dad, him with his past girlfriend, and his cats. The one that stuck out the most was the one of our treehouse. He was climbing the ladder and his caption was a simple (sad face and a broken heart)

It broke my heart to see that. I stopped scrolling and wiped some of my tears away when I heard Bob saying my name. 

“Rosaline, your pancakes, hash-browns, and coffee.” He smiled while handing them all to me.

“Thank you!” I grabbed his hand and he simply said ‘your welcome!’

When he walked away I dug in. As I was cutting my pancakes, I heard the little bell go off, for when someone walks in. I didn’t think anything of it, considering it’s been going on and off for a while. It wasn’t until I heard a big gasp and foot prints running towards me. I then put my knife and fork down and looked up.

It was Brandon. He was here. I couldn’t believe he recognized me. I got up and he squeezed me tightly in a nice hug. I was shocked to see him, as he probably was as well. 

We broke apart and looked into each other’s eyes for a while. 

“Rosaline!? What are you doing here? Not that.. I’m um...not happy to.. see um you!..” He stuttered though his words and all I could do was giggle. I forgot how cute he was when he got nervous and stuttered. He smiled at my giggly self. 

I pointed to the seat in the booth and we both sat across from each other. He looked at me and I knew he wanted an answer to his question. I took a deep breath, put my plate to the side and thought of a good answer. 

“I um..decided to come back. I guess.” He nodded. 

“Well it was a great idea.” 

“Yeah yeah it was!” I said as enthusiastically as I could, with a fake smile, because little does Brandon know I’m not back here because of good news. 

We both ate in peace and when we were done we both got up and walked out together. 

“So where are you staying?” 

“Just down the road from here in a motel!” He shook his head. 

“No no no. My best girl can’t sleep in a motel! Come to my house you can sleep in the guest bedroom.” I was honored he offered but, I couldn’t take the chance. 

“No it’s ok!” 

“What!? Why not?” I could tell he was confused. 

“Because I just got here you know! I want to explore a little before I decide I’m staying.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I mean I’m not here for the reason you want me to be Brandon. I’m not here to get together with you. I’m here to say goodbye.”