16 comments

Romance Contemporary Sad

Based on a true(ish) story.

*Note: I have written something similar before, maybe check that out first. Here’s the link:

https://blog.reedsy.com/short-story/r9eae7/


She casually walked into the store by her grandma’s side.

He chose to walk the short distance to the store to get his ma some milk and bread. 

She scrutinized the carts, carefully selecting a somewhat clean one. 

He strode past the little creek by the highway’s edge. 

She and Mema walked over to the produce section of the small market. 

He saw his buddies hanging out across the street at the park. 

She studied an apple and put it in the small cart as Mema selected some broccoli. 

He sighed and continued on his way, nearing the store front. 

Finished with the produce, she pushed the cart around to the cold section. 

The automatic doors made way for him instantly, and he found himself inside Blacktail Market.

She glanced over the list, quickly gathering dairy products, anxious to get back home. 

He trudged up to the teeny bakery, inspecting the loaves as his mind wandered to fishing on lazy summer days. 

“Mema, c’mon! Choose one milk already! It’s not that hard!” she said, exasperated.

He blankly selected a prize sourdough loaf and shuffled over to the dairy. 

Finally, Mema selected the best of the best milk and set it in her cart. 

He turned the corner, surprised to see other beings in the store. 

She saw a boy turn down their aisle and heat rose to her cheeks.

He nodded at the elderly woman and the girl beside her.

She suddenly couldn’t think straight, as if this boy’s presence upset the balance. 

He peeled his eyes off the girl and retrieved the red milk carton. 

She hurriedly pushed the cart down the aisle and around the corner, hoping to evade his wishful glances.

He glanced back over, but she had already gone. 

She quickly ushered Mema over to the checkout. 

Slowly, he closed the door, crestfallen that she never glanced back.

I hope this will all be over soon, she said under her breath.

He walked over to the checkout, his only thoughts on the girl with the fair hair. 

To her horror, he was checking out just a lane behind her!

His gaze rose to the girl, hoping that she would turn around. 

Nervously, she snuck a glance at the boy in the red shirt. 

He presented the gift of a smile. 

She reluctantly accepted and returned the favor.

His heart seemed ablaze in his chest; his mind was far away, pretending the future. 

She quickly averted her eyes and focused back on putting the things in the cart. 

He sighed dreamily, as the checker waved her hands in front of his face. 

She shyly turned the cart around, as she waited for Mema to find her wallet. 

He snapped out of it and paid the grumpy grocer. 

She sighed; he looked so cute putting his bread and milk in a bag.

He caught her eye and smiled again as he headed toward the door. 

Snap out of it! You’ll probably never see him ever again, her conscience hissed. 

His mind wandered yet again as he headed home. 

She waved Mema onward toward their car; perhaps she could catch one last glance at him, if she hurried. 

He took his time shuffling across the parking lot. 

She caught his eye and shyly smiled at the boy in the red shirt. 

He smiled and winked back, joy filling his heart, as he skipped the rest of the lot. 

She hastily shoved the groceries in the car and jumped in the back seat. 

He practically flew the rest of the way home, not even pausing to think about his friends hanging out. 

“Hurry, Pop, hurry!” she chided her grandfather who was in control of the vehicle. 

“Man, that was the best grocery trip of my life!” he said as he came to the door.

“What in the world is your hurry, child?” said Pop, but she barely heard him.

“Ma, I got your milk and bread…” his voice drifted away, never to return.

Presently, as they rode home, she glanced left and right, trying to see where the boy in red went.

He disappeared inside the house, still thinking of the fair-haired girl at Blacktail. 

A group of five boys hanging out came into view;

her eyes scanned the boys, but none were the boy with the red shirt.

He sighed, locking the fantasy deep in his mind.

She lost him, as if he had disappeared completely from existence.

He settled into the couch, pondering what could have been. 

Crestfallen, she laid back against the car. This was it. The boy in red was gone forever. 


September 10, 2022 00:44

You must sign up or log in to submit a comment.

16 comments

Danny -
12:44 Sep 11, 2022

do my eyes deceive me or is this another wolfi stori? Of course another wolfi stori!!! :Ooo (ahh i know i still haven't read your other two stories, but bear with me i am trying to kill the schoolwork before it multiplies even faster) you manage to outdo yourself every time i see one of yours on my lil activity feed, i mean i say this all the time but really THIS WAS AMAZING!!! IT MIGHT BE MY FAVORITE ONE YET <33 hitting danneh and everybody else right in the feels :') i feel like the pacing was perfect on this, and your prose was simply s...

Reply

19:34 Sep 27, 2022

Ahhhhhhh the multiplying schoolworkkkkkkkk i saw this thing once where it said "Never is not ever, blush is blood rush, and studying is student dying" I feel your pain dannyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Reply

Danny -
00:38 Sep 29, 2022

aaaah yes misssaaaaaaaaaa, you are bacc!! i was just thinking about you not so long ago :') how are things?

Reply

11:46 Oct 03, 2022

Hiiiiiiiii things are greattttttttt wbu????

Reply

Danny -
10:57 Oct 08, 2022

yayyyyy that's good to hear :> same heree got any songs you covered recently? hehe <3

Reply

01:21 Oct 11, 2022

:DDDDDDDDDD good to hearrrrrrrrrr yessss i covered skinny love and it sounds bad but also a little okay if you know what i mean i'm decent irl but it sounds bad on recordings xD

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Dhwani Jain
06:08 Sep 11, 2022

This was so short, fun and sweet!!!! BTW, how are you here, but not here?😭🥰😂

Reply

Show 0 replies
Unknown User
09:24 Sep 23, 2022

<removed by user>

Reply

Show 0 replies

First! I really liked She and He, and He and She was really sweet! The consistently alternating lines are really fun to read, and make it clear who's POV the story is focusing on. Great job! I liked this particular line: She suddenly couldn’t think straight, as if this boy’s presence upset the balance. At first I thought, What balance? Answer: The balance of eVeRyThInG. I noticed one typo so far: He peeled his eyes off the girl and retrieved the red milk cartoon. [cartoon] should be {carton}. Based on a true(ish) story? 😉

Reply

Dhwani Jain
06:11 Sep 11, 2022

Guadalupe! Flow is real stealthy in this matter...we won't know until we know. Anyways, how are you?

Reply

I'm doing well! How are you?

Reply

Dhwani Jain
08:12 Sep 12, 2022

I'm good. I got a couple of new stories and I saw that you did too. I'll read yours as soon as my exams end. How did your summer turn out?

Reply

My summer has been great! We had our County Fair, and I entered some stuff in the arts and crafts contest, and won a few dollars. There weren't a lot of carnival rides, and most of the ones that were there weren't that great. My sibling and I ended up riding the Tilt-A-Whirl twice in a row with a friend we ran into, and then we rode it a third time after she left. My sister said "I feel sick, three times was too many," but I felt great, and could have gone again. I'm going to read your stories as soon as I can. How was your summer?

Reply

Dhwani Jain
06:12 Sep 18, 2022

What is Tilt-A-Whirl? Anyways, your summer sounded fun. We don't have many county fairs here..... Thanks! It was okayish, but it ended like, three-four months ago in JUne TvT

Reply

Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply

Bring your short stories to life

Fuse character, story, and conflict with tools in the Reedsy Book Editor. 100% free.