Fate Only Knows

Every time 16 year old Alex Ventras burst onto the scene all the girls swooned at his skater boy good looks. Yet the one girl Alex wants never sees him as anything more than just a best friend. Marishka, Alex’s best friend of 10 years and also his long time dream girl. Alex had always been hypnotized by her looks but then again what guy wouldn’t be considering she stands 6’0” with long black hair that stops at her waist, crimson colored eyes, a beautiful well endowed body of perfection, and a voice like an angel. Suddenly Alex snapped out of his thoughts of Marishka by flying off his skateboard. When he stood up and checked himself over making sure he was okay he heard laughing coming from behind him by the one girl he would never get.

“Why did you do that Marishka?” Alex couldn’t stay mad at her even if he wanted to because he’s so in love with her that it hurt not to tell.

“I’m sorry Alex, but I couldn’t help myself it just looked like a free opportunity with you starring off into space.” She continued to laugh as she apologized to Alex then broke into a smile that melted his heart.

The two friends picked up their fallen belongings from the prank and headed to the skate park. Instead of skating there they chose to walk so they could talk about things. While walking Marishka kept sneaking glances towards her best friend. She had liked Alex since they were 6 years old, but she could never figure out how to tell him. Alex was every girls dream skater boy standing 6’2” with a well toned body, neon green eyes that shot right through to the soul, and of course the skater boy hair he rocked was black with light blue and purple streaks throughout it. Alex is the epitome of perfection in her eyes yet Alex would never notice her or so she thought. Finally reaching the skate park Marishka didn’t notice Alex stopping and ran into him causing both of them to fall.

“Oh Alex I’m so sorry I didn’t see you I was thinking about something.”

“Don’t worry about it ‘kay. Come on let’s go skate!” Neither could resist skateboarding it was an addiction that at times put them in the hospital. Both started to perform tricks trying prove whose the better skater. Right as they were about to become aggressive competitors the skate park referee stopped them and told them to leave the park.

“That’s typical of them to kick us out right when we really get into competing.”

“Who does he think he is with that stupid striped shirt he’s not the boss of the park.” Of course Marishka always showed her anger through nonsense comments.

Alex could tell that she was upset about being kicked out. As much as he wanted to comfort her and kiss her crimson colored lips coated by the lipstick he bought her for Christmas last year he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Instead he just wrapped his arm around her shoulders like he would normally do in this kind of situation and continued to walk with her back towards the neighborhood. Silence crept up between the two and both could tell something was on the others mind yet neither one said a word to break the awkward silence that plagued them. Halfway back to their destination Marishka suddenly tripped and Alex panicked as she fell.

“Alex calm down I’m fine. What did I trip over?” They both looked to the spot that caused her to fall and found a white rabbit in the middle of the sidewalk.

“Now that’s an odd sight to see in the middle of the sidewalk.” Being curious of the rabbit Alex went to pick it up but as soon as he barely even touched it the rabbit ran off.

“Great job you scared the poor little thing.”

“If you have forgotten already that the rabbit you just called poor little thing practically could have killed you with that fall.” Marishka didn’t say a word to Alex just got up and brushed herself off looking to see where the rabbit went. Poking around in the bushes she finally found the white rabbit and yet again it ran off. Before she could continue to follow the rabbit but Alex stopped her.

“Marishka if you keep following the rabbit you’re going to end up like Alice stuck in Wonderland not being able to return home for a long time.”

“Well maybe my wonderland wouldn’t be as bad as hers maybe mine would be better and everything was the way that I wanted it to be not reversed like Alice’s Wonderland.”

After her statement she grabbed her skateboard and messenger bag to begin following the white rabbit. Alex reluctantly followed both Marishka and the rabbit to where no one had a clue. They followed the rabbit a good distance from their path before they could finally see the rabbit without moving the bushes and grass. Although when they looked up to see where they were neither could grasp any words to describe the house that stood in front of them. A three story house painted a royal blue with white trimmings lay in front of them with a patented porch complete with the homey look of wind chimes moving in the breeze. Neither ever remembered a house being here during their years of growing up they explored the areas between their neighborhood and the skate park this house hadn’t been seen by either of them in their explorations. If it had they would have remembered seeing the mesmerizing house.

“Maybe we should head back the way we came. Come on Marishka we should leave.” Alex was always the one to be cautious about things while Marishka was the daredevil that always wanted to check things out.

“Alex stop being such a worrywart okay. What could possibly go wrong it’s an old abandoned house it’s not like a person is going to come out of no where and invite us to dinner.”

Still a feeling of dread filled Alex with nervousness. Walking closer to the house they noticed the front door was open which was extremely odd for any house in the neighborhood. Marishka stepped onto the front porch of course wanting to take a closer look at the outside and inside of the house. Standing right by the door frame she knocked on it to see if she would be able to get a response if someone lived there.

“Hello? Is anybody here? We’re not robbers or anything we just wanted to see your house up close it’s really very beautiful.” No answer came back from anywhere to meet her ears or Alex’s. She motioned for him to join her on the porch and of course he didn’t refuse her wishes. Without thinking she grabbed a hold of his hand and walked into the house wanting to see more of it. The inside was just as pretty as the outside with a fireplace in the living room surrounded by cozy overstuffed leather chairs and an Asian styled rug underneath small round table that sat between the furniture and the fireplace.

In the entrance hall was a long table that had a few photographs on it but the walls were lined with pictures. Marishka had already let go of Alex’s hand without him noticing while she walked around and admired the house and its homey feel. She had just began to walk towards the stairs when he grabbed a hold of her arm turning her around to face him.

“Marishka we should go. This is someone’s home and we’re creeping through it like it’s a haunted house.” She took his hand off her arm and just gave him this pleading look as if to say that this was a chance of a lifetime to explore something that they’d never seen before and she wasn’t going to pass it up.

“Alex if you want to leave than go ahead, but I’m staying there’s something about this house that seems familiar to me but I know that I’ve never been here before in my life.”

He didn’t protest because in truth he had the same feeling that she did. Giving in to her yet again he motioned for her to continue and that he would be right behind her just in case. Together they both climbed stairs onto the second floor, which was flooded with sunlight from the open windows. Walking down the hall they noticed that there was only two bedrooms and a bathroom, then again the master bedroom had been on the first floor. Neither stopped to admire the rooms being more curious of what was up in the attic they continued on to the next staircase at the end of the hall. Alex voluntarily stepped forward in front of Marishka just in case something was in the attic that could be dangerous. Upon reaching the landing the both were gasping for breath from walking up the steep staircase.

“You ready to go in or what?” He had now started to become interested in what was in the attic.

“Yes let’s go in!”

Carefully they opened the attic door and noticed that even the attic was flooded with sunlight from the bay window that protruded out onto a balcony. Walking around the first thing to catch the attention of Marishka was the table and chair catty cornered from the window. Slowing approaching the table she noticed that someone had either been writing or reading letters at the small table. Noticing an open letter she picked it up and began to read it silently to herself.

“October 1, 2006

Dear Marishka,

I can’t help but notice you I’ve always noticed you. I know that we’ve been friends for as long as either one of us can remember, but I want to be more than just your friend. I’ve liked you ever since we first met in the sandbox when we were six years old. Over the years though I’ve started to fall in love with you. I doubt you even feel the same way about me, but I can’t hide the truth from you any longer. If this tears us apart then so be it, but I will always love you even if we stop being friends. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do I’ll understand if you never talk to me again, but I knew that this needed to be said whether it be written or spoken out loud to you. As you can tell it’s easier for me to tell you through words then to tell you in person. I hope that we can still be friends even if you don’t feel the same way about me. I don’t want to ever lose you as a friend or as anything else. Without you I would probably still be in that sandbox doing anything. You’ve changed my life in countless ways and I love you for it. I can only hope that you feel the same way or maybe that one day we’ll be together forever just like we said laying under the stars on the rooftop of my house when we were seven. Hope to hear from you soon with your answer or with a goodbye either way I won’t be mad at you.

Love forever and for always,

Alex.”

She turned towards Alex still holding the letter and her mouth a gape in shock and absolute surprise.

“Alex?”

“Hmm.”

“What’s today’s date?”

“October first. Why?”

“Because I just found a letter dated for today that’s in your handwriting announcing your love for me.”

“What!”

Alex ran over to where she was and looked at the letter. Something strange was going on because he hadn’t written anything today at all. Yet this letter would prove otherwise.

“That’s completely strange considering I don’t write anything until late at night. I haven’t written anything at all today.”

“Who knows maybe it’s a different Alex and Marishka not us.”

“Maybe”

Both were a little paranoid now about the house. Looking around again they bother spotted the open trunk with a wedding dress hanging off a hanger attached to the rafter. Walking over to the trunk they noticed that pictures and letters filled the trunk full. The one picture that caught their eyes though was a wedding picture that looked identical to them. The Marishka in the picture was wearing the wedding dress that was hanging right by the trunk.

“Ok now this is completely freaky.” Alex nodded his head in agreement while he flipped the picture over in his hands to see who these people were.

“Oh man now that’s freaky.”

“What’s freaky?” Panicking at the mention of freaky Marishka slowly looked over his shoulder and saw what exactly was freaky. The names of the people in the photograph were identical to theirs.

“What do you think this means?” Questioning whether what they were finding was real or not they decided to leave the house.

“Maybe we did step into a wonderland, but instead of it being absolute nonsense it showed us our future.” Of course someone had to come up with a logical answer and it always had to be Alex.

“That could be it. So are you really in love with me like that letter says you are?”

“Marishka, I would be lying to you if I said that I didn’t.”

“That’s good to know since I’m in love with you too.”

Alex stopped dead in his tracks and she just turned around to look at him in the moonlight. Night seemed to have crept upon them while they were in their future wonderland but it didn’t bother either one of them to be in the dark.

“You are?”

“Yeah I’ve been in love with you since we were kids I just never knew how to tell you that I was.” Without even saying a word Alex leaned down and kissed Marishka for the first time in ten years and they would always have each other from that moment on into their own forever. After they stopped kissing they wrapped their arms around each other and finished the walk home knowing that they we’re always going to be together just like they said when they were seven. Who knew the truth that lay in their words when they were seven? Only one thing knew and that was fate.