Is There Somewhere

From running, to jogging, to simply walking, Adriel walked off the football field with his sweaty blonde hair sticking to his forehead. He patted his neck and face with a plain white towel while his friend, that was right beside him, was speaking nonsense. Tonight, since tomorrow is the homecoming game, all the football players wanted to go out and party for celebration but all Adriel wanted to do was study. Of course, he was claimed to be a party pooper at times but he didn’t care, being a party pooper meant he’d be better off in the future.

Arriving at the stands, he picked up two gatorades and tossed his friend one which he flawlessly caught. He chugged all of it then threw it in the trash right beside the stand, turning around, he saw his friend still drinking the beverage.

“I’m gonna head home now.” He announced, and his friend shrugged as he took the drink from his mouth.

“You go ahead and study with that big brain of yours.” His friend laughed, walking closer to Adriel then passing him after patting him on the shoulder. Out of all the people on the team, he was the only one who didn’t like going to parties because he didn’t like the hangovers, he didn’t like getting high when he could be in his bed, plus, parties were draining...period.

Looking around the field, it almost seemed vacant if it wasn’t for the coach still standing in the middle and a couple of other players. He didn’t bother saying bye to the other people so he just left, heading right for the school. In his locker, he had his textbooks which he desperately needed for his test on monday. It was going to be the weekend after friday, which was the date for the homecoming game. When he walked into the building, he was greeted with the quiet that was engulfing him in. No one else was here either, except maybe the principal but she never came out.

He unlocked his locker with his code and stared inside the boring compartment, it had nothing but his books. His mother insisted that he should put pictures in it but he decided not to because he didn’t want a big mess at the end of the year. After grabbing what he needed, he closed the locker then came face to face with a note taped on it. His brows furrowed in confusion, in neat handwriting that wasn’t cursive was his name in large letters. He picked it up carefully to make sure the tape wouldn’t rip off the paper and put it into his pocket.

A sigh escaped his mouth as he wondered what it might be about, could it be from that girl who was crazily obsessed with him? He hoped not, if so, he was going to burn the note. Adriel’s fast paced steps and long strides quickly took him to his car. It was a 10 minute drive and he wished it would’ve been a five minute drive to get to where he lives. Sighing again, he started the car and left, leaving the forsaken school.

---

It was night time now, and in his fumbling hands was the note. His green eyes couldn’t take it’s sight off of it, I mean, no one wrote notes anymore, right? He didn’t know why, but his stomach was beginning to feel queasy and he was getting nervous. When he arrived at his house, he had forgotten all about it because he went straight for a shower then spent hours on his homework and studying. It all hit him when he was about to go to sleep, which was 11pm, the current time. Realizing it, he literally went back into the dirty laundry hamper to dig it out.

So, that’s how he had gotten in this situation; half way snuggled into his thick, soft, black sheets wearing nothing but his boxers. He sighed, for the 1000 time today, and opened it. The first thing he was greeted with was his name in the same neat writing as it was on the front of the note.

Dear Adriel Remington,

You’re probably wondering why you’d be receiving this but I promise you that this isn’t another Hannah Baker story. I just need to get some weights off my shoulders, so I wondered ‘why not Adriel?’

I mean, you’re barely talkative, you study a lot, you’re conservative...you’re quite the opposite of the crowd you hang around with so you seemed like the perfect candidate. Also, if you’re wondering, I’m not someone you know- I’m just another person blurred in your background just like everyone else’s. I have no bone to pick with you, I just want my secrets to set me free in the most oblivious way possible and it’s perfectly fine for me because me and you will never talk. You won’t find out who I am; it’s like talking to a stranger.

Why not my friends? Lmao, what friends? I’m sure everyone has them, but me? Haha, I think not. I can be in the middle of a Beyonce concert and still feel lonely. My friends are too busy googly-eyeing your clique, always, just like every other girl in school. Don’t get me wrong, all of you are attractive, but I like sticking with personality first.

One year, I remember, me and you had to do a project together and I thought I had to do all of the work like every other time before but you surprised me- me and you worked together like you had promised. It was a kind gesture, it may have seemed like a little one to you, but when you haven’t had much kindness all your life, you cherish the little things. That is why little things matter so much to me.

Anyways, you don’t have to keep reading them if you want. Although it’s very therapeutic for me, I’d understand. I wouldn’t want letters coming in from a stranger that wants to spill their deepest, darkest secrets. If you want to continue reading them, then I have another one that will be waiting for you after the game; it’s in the abandoned art room that no one visits. It’ll be right behind the door, if you don’t get it, I’ll know. Won’t tell you how because you’ll try and figure me out.

If you do, thank you. Thank you, a lot. For me, I see this as a self-recovery journey. Thank you.

Sincerely,

From the person who wrote this letter

He stared at the letter, and just stared. No emotion was whirling around inside, but somewhere deep within was a foreign feeling. He was curious, but he wasn’t sure if he could just know someone’s secrets like that. With a frown, he put the note under his pillow and drifted off into another reality.