Best of Quarantine

Dear neighbor,

You just moved in at just about a horrible time. I never got to meet you, talk to you, do something, with you before the world kind of went to hell. I was planning to give you and your family a pound cake (something my mom was going to force me to do) yesterday before the world went to shit. My mom's bought whole stacks of toilet paper and rice, what about you?

Welcome to quarantine! Let's make the most of our 93-day lockdown. Whipee.

But, I hope this letter finds you well, (I still don't know how I'm going to send it to you, throw it at your window? Do a paper plane? I have no clue, I'll figure it out). It's kind of sad how we're both stuck in our houses until the quarantine is over huh? Schools out of the question. I would've introduced you to my friends if I got the chance, but I don't know if you'll even like my friends. Sometimes, I don't even like them.

My mother has taken away my phone until further notice, she said that staring at it will make me get the corona??? I don't think it's true. So, I guess you're the only outlet I have to the outside world.

I hope you write back, it would truly be embarrassing if you didn't.

Oh, god, I just realized I don't even know your name. And yet here I am sending you a what looks like a damn love letter. Please don't get scared, I really just want a friend, that's all.

My name is Lucie, you can call me Lu- everyone does. And by everyone I mean my mother and my cat. I know, I'm pretty popular around here.

What have you been doing during quarantine? I need some new ideas. I've been writing, reading, making TikToks' a lot (I know, I've reached a whole new low), and trying not to go mentally insane in my household.

Sometimes when my mom makes me anxious and I can't sleep, I go out onto the roof and count the stars. It helps me calm down. When I get distracted by something- like the cool night sky, the dark violet canvas that's right above us- my heart gets calmed down a lot. I don't know, I need to do something to keep my anxiety under control. I would count the stars, but there's just a billion under there. I'm not sure you could relate, I'm sorry if I weirded you out with something this personal, but I just needed to get my words out.

I feel like my words are like the stars in a way. I have too much to say that it's just endless, but I feel like they'll just get too lost among other words that they'll become meaningless.

Hopefully, that doesn't happen with you. I don't want my words to become meaningless, I want someone to read them or else I will literally go insane.

It's kind of scary outside. My mom doesn't let me go out of the house, but when she does to make me take out the trash she makes me go in a whole hazmat costume. And since we don't have a hazmat costume, she makes me wrapped in trash bags. Someone, please collect my mother.

I keep saying this virus is no big deal, and that it's just my mom making my anxiety overthink some more about this pandemic, but I'm actually scared. It feels really lonely actually, being at home. My mom doesn't talk to me unless it's to nag to me or tell me more information about the virus that she's collected from Facebook.

Please end my misery.

I hope this virus goes away soon, I just need to get meet someone. Anyone at all.

Let's make the best of quarantine, huh?

I think I'm going to send this by a paper plane. DON'T get freaked out. I'm just kind of sad and need someone to talk to. Unless... you're the one that's weird...

Whatever. What's done is done.

My name is Lu. What's yours?

Dear Neighbor (or Mikey),

You wrote back, oh my god. I was so surprised to see that you did. I was thinking that maybe I scared you away. Bless that I didn't.

It's around 3 am again, I can't sleep. I'm on my roof and I'm wondering how the hell you don't see me, and if you do- do I look like a creep or like a sexy Catwoman, waiting for a criminal?

Neither? Ok, thanks.

My mom just burst into my room and screamed at me because I didn't wipe the door handles before I slept. Then she threw a box of sanitizing wipes at me slammed the door shut. Whipee, fun times.

I can't sleep again. I think my insomnia's getting worse. Yesterday, I slept at almost 6 am because I was up reading and watching that movie you recommended, (really? Les Les Misérables? 6/10). I try to get myself distracted from my anxiety, and that ends up with even more bags underneath my eyes. I'm smart, right? I think I am.

I really don't think I'm making the best of quarantine. It's always the same cycle. Wake up at noon, do my homework until 7 pm, read and write until midnight, contemplate my life and the fate of the world at around 12 am to 2 am, and then I come out to my roof and count the stars. This is getting bad.

Really bad.

You told me that during your quarantine you play guitar, play video games and eat, sleep and repeat. No offense, but how boring. With my next paper airplane, I'm going to attach some of my short stories so that you can critique and laugh at my writing some more, it'll be fun!

The stars are really pretty tonight Mikey. The sky is a mixture of dark blue and green, like the ocean. I miss the ocean. I miss the beach. I haven't been there in so long. There's like an infinite amount of galaxies and planets in front of me, I don't know if I can count it all.

I feel sleepy, but I just can't sleep. My eyes are heavy, but there are so many more words that I can write. Is this normal?

Anyway, I'm glad that you don't think I'm a freak, but the Bon Jovi playlist that you sent me in your letter, I'm starting to think that you're the freak.

I'm kidding. I'll listen to it when I try to sleep again, I'm sure it'll put me into a better mood.

Thanks for writing back.

Luc.

Dear Mikey,

Ah, another night of me not sleeping, what else is new?

This quarantine got me going INSANE. ABSOLUTELY INSANE.

Guess what my mom made me do now? SANITIZE. EVERY. SINGLE. KNOB. IN. THIS. HOUSE.

Basically, anything that I can pull. She yelled at me because I didn't do the drawers in her bedroom yet. Crazy, right?

Thanks for sending me yet again another playlist. The Bon Jovi did help me sleep last night (morning?), and I surprisingly had a dreamless sleep, so thanks for that.

I'm listening to the playlist you send me right now, I love Rick Springfield. Jessie's girl? A classic.

The night is starless tonight, and it made me kind of sad. But I'm less anxious today, at least now I can be distracted by the songs you suggested to me than the stars. It's not like I can count every single star in the galaxy, but I can count the songs you give me every night. So, thanks for that.

By the way, that short story I gave you the other night was supposed to be sad, NOT, FUNNY. I honestly don't know why I even started giving you my old stories, I NEED CRITICISM, NOT FLAME.

But I'm glad you enjoyed it overall. And, you're right, Ariadne needs a girlfriend-not a boyfriend. What was I thinking?

I saw you playing your guitar today, thanks for waving back at me. It just occurred to me that I don't have your number or any kind of social media. But, I don't want it. I like sending letters. It feels more... heartwarming to me, you know?

I think sending letters is more fun than spending all night playing cup pong until one of us rages and throws our phone out the window.

Crap, it's almost 4 am. I should go. My heart's calmed down now. Thanks for the songs.

Lu.

Dear Mikey,

It is 3 am, and I am more tired than usual. My mom yelled at me for not wearing a mask when I took out the trash again. So, as usual I am out on my roof trying to make my hands stop shaking.

Your playlist is playing again, and what do you know?

It's another starless night.

I like this song "Mr. Blue Sky" by Electric Light Orchestra. I wonder when this quarantine will end and when we'll get a blue sky again. I hope one day I get to hear you play your guitar underneath a blue sky.

Today you flipped me off at your window, was that revenge for making Ariadne be in a love triangle? THE STORY NEEDS SPICE OKAY? SPICE! PEPPER! THAI CHILIS!

But I like your idea of making Ariadne immortal. I'll weave it into the plot somehow. I think I'll change Ariadne's boyfriend's name to Mikey because he's kind of annoying. Like you.

I'm kidding. I'm kidding. You're... kind of like my only friend during the quarantine. You're the only one who's been checking up on me. Even my friends don't check up on me.

I like writing to you.

This playlist today is making me sleepy. I'll go to bed now. Thanks for the songs.

Always,

Lu.

Dear Mikey,

You're right, Ariadne is kind of annoying. I'll try to make her less annoying.

Tonight, my mom wasn't as bad. In fact, today in the house was kind of... peaceful. There wasn't that eerie kind of quietness, as usual, we actually had a conversation today that didn't involve her yelling at me, and there was actually a comforting kind of silence.

The movie you suggested today was eh. Lady Bird was good, but I just... didn't really like it? I don't know. Do you have any more movies for me to watch?

When I re-read my story, I realized that you were right. Ariadne and Mikey's relationship right now is kind of toxic, but thankfully her potential girlfriend Lucille will save the day. Original name, right?

Tonight at 3 am, I am now eating a banana cake while listening to your new playlist. "Out of Toilet Paper" what a great name for this playlist. I like it a lot. (Btw, I'm sorry that my mom bought all the toilet paper at our neighborhood Wal-Mart. Really, I am).

I wish you could have some of the cake I'm eating. Truly, it is absolutely bomb. Maybe at the end of this quarantine, we can count the stars and eat it together?

Sometimes I wonder if you see me when I'm up on my roof. Do I look crazy? I'm just eating banana cake...

Today, you smiled at me and pointed at the poster I have in front of my window. And yes, that is a poster of Daniel Radcliffe when he was Harry Potter. Let me breathe.

Do you think I'll write something as phenomenal as J.K Rowling did? And don't lie. You told me that Ariadne reminds of you the little mermaid. But ANNOYING.

I'm getting tired now.

Disappointed again,

Lu.

Dear Mikey,

Please write back. I desperately need new songs. There aren't any stars tonight.

Trapped again,

Lu.

Dear Mikey,

It's only 11 pm, and I'm in bed. Your songs helped me. I feel tired.

Lu

Dear Mikey,

I slept at 10 pm with your songs, and I finally got enough sleep.

Thank you.

Lu.

Dear Mikey,

It's been months of us writing to each other. Of you reading my stories, of me, listening to your music. I don't count the stars anymore.

When will I finally meet you?

Thanks for the songs, Lu.

Dear Mikey,

It's raining tonight, and I don't bother going outside anymore. My hands stopped shaking. I know the stars will always be there to count, but so will you.

Thank you.

Lu.

Dear Mikey,

I like you a lot too.

Love,

Lu.