If Only Love Could Save Us
They were on the swing set in the little park by the lake. It was their anniversary; they had been coming here for four years.
She had been coming here every night, since she had moved here to live with another foster family. She never really fit in, not anymore at least.
He had come here ever since he could climb out the window. He would run to the park by the lake. After a couple of these outings he stumbled upon a small clearing. He would run to the clearing and lie on his back and think of how things could be different, if only his father would climb out of the bottle.
The first time she saw him, she was walking to algebra class, while his friends laughed at her in the hall. She loved school and all of the learning, but the one thing that she could not stand was the bullying that all of the other kids put her through.
The first time he saw her, she was scurrying through the hall with an algebra book and a notebook. She had her long light brown hair down and covering her face.
The first time he really saw her, she was standing by the lake. Her arms were crossed, and she was staring out across the lake. It was a full moon out, and he could see her perfectly. Every now and then, she would look up at the moon. When this happened, he could see her bright blue eyes, and her elfish facial features. The more he looked at her the more beautiful she became. He blinked and watched a tear fall down her cheek.
The first time she really saw him, he was staring at her as she stood by the lake. It was the first night of the full moon, and she was standing there, thinking about how much she hated her new foster father. If only I could tell someone. "Why are you staring at me?" she asked in a shaky voice. She had always hated it when she sounded weak.
He jumped. She can see me? He stepped out of the clearing and stood next to her. As he moved he saw that she was shaking so he grabbed his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. She looked up at him and offered him a small smile. Oh, how he fell for that smile. "Are you ok?"
Oh no, he's talking to me, doesn't he know who I am? She dropped her gaze to look at the ground, but he caught her chin and lifted her face to look at him. As her head turned, he saw the hand-shaped, angry, red mark on the side of her face.
As soon as he saw that mark on her face, his blood started to boil. "Who did this to you?" Her eyes got big, as his voice went from soft and tender, to hard and angry. When he saw her eyes grow, he instantly became guilty, "Please tell me, who hurt you?" he asked in a soft, caring voice. But all she would do is shake her head.
Why would he want to know who hurt me? Why would he care, when no one else does?" She looked at the moon again while she contemplated this. Finally she gathered the courage to ask, "Why do you care? Your friends laugh at me everyday in school; I don't fit in anywhere at all. The only thing I have left is my knowledge, and I will not pretend, that I don't know, why you are pretending to care. All you want to do is get into my pants."
"What? Why do you think that I'm only being nice just to get in your pants?" I wonder how often this kind of thing happens. I meet the girl, no, young woman of my dreams and she thinks I'm some pervert. She looked at him and he saw all of the pain and loneliness in her eyes and in that moment he knew his life would never be the same.
How can he do that? I think he knows about what happened to me, I think he knows I'm a foster kid. "I have to go. My parents will be mad if I'm late again." He just looked into her eyes and said nothing. When she looked back into his eyes, she could see that he was indeed worried for her and he was not going to try anything. But she still would not let her guard down. She knew that she never would again.
How can she do that, it's like she's looking into my soul. It's like she knows everything about me. "At least let me walk you home. I swear. I'll be a perfect gentleman." He saw the momentary confusion before she accepted. He held out his arm and after a moment she took it. "Um, I don't know where you live." She looked at him and chuckled.
"It's on Maple Street." I can't believe I'm letting him walk me home. If my parents find out, I'll get moved again. She looked down at their intertwined arms, and slid her hand into his. He looked at her, his eyes questioning. She just smiled. He gave her a smile and she felt her knees buckle. "Here it is."
He looked up at her house, and noticed that all of the lights were off. He walked her all the way up to the door, but right before he got there she tugged him to the left. She chuckled at the confused look on his face. She led him to the side of the house, and opened a window. He smiled, thinking of how he would be doing the same thing in a little while. She noticed and gave him a look. He decided he liked that look; in fact he loved everything about her.
Once she had the window open, she hopped up in to the frame and beckoned him closer with one finger. He stepped closer and she leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. Oh my, what did I just do? I really have get away from him. He's making me do things I would never do. She leaned back and squeezed herself into the bedroom. "Goodnight."
Over the next month, whenever he came to the park, she would be there. At first they just looked out over the lake. Then one night, "I'm a foster child. My parents left me and my older brother three days before Christmas four years ago. My brother he tried, but I-I just could not let him in, so he left too." They both looked at each other, his eyes full of support and understanding, her eyes full of pain.
That's why she's so guarded. She's afraid I'll leave her. "My dad drinks. He-he, uh, hits my brother and me. Most of the time I make sure I'm there, and my brother is gone, so he's not the punching bag. Sometimes, I just can't take it anymore, so I leave and come here so I won't hit him." He looked over at her and saw a tear escape from the corner of her eye. He reached out and wiped it away.
One night out of the blue he went to the lake and she was no where to be seen. He waited and waited, but she never showed up. Finally he got up and walked to her house, he looked into her window, just to see if she was there. She was gone, but all of her things were there. He went out front, and all of the lights were off. Then he heard a small sound, almost like a knocking sound, but it was really muffled. He followed the sound over to the car and the sound got louder. Then, suddenly his blood ran cold, and he knew. He opened the driver door, and found the keys, picked them up and opened the trunk.
Oh no he heard me. I'm really going to get it now. She sneaked a peek up at him, and saw who it was. She knew if she was not in the trunk in the morning they would know someone was helping her. She grabbed the lid of the trunk and started to close it again, but he stopped her. What is he doing? I deserve to be in here, I did break that platter.
"What are you doing? You can't be in here all night." She looked at him and he saw that in her eyes, she thought she deserved to be in there. "It's not your fault; you don't need to be in there." Now I know who did that to her face that night we first met.
One year after the trunk incident, she was crying as she packed up all of her things. When she finished, she wrote him a note. He has a right to know. She brought it with her to school and put it in his locker. She knew he'd find it the following day. She hated the fact she was such a wimp that she could not tell him to his face.
He looked for her all morning, and did not see her. He had waited by her locker until the late bell rang. At the next break, he went to his locker and when he opened it a small piece of paper fluttered out and onto the floor. He picked it up and read it. The letter was something like this:
I know that when you finally read this you'll have figured out that I'm not at school. Well I'll tell you, you will not find me at home either. I've been transferred to another family. I don't know where, but I do know that I'll never forget you. You were the next best thing to getting my family back, and I'll always love you for that. You cared when no one else did. You made me feel loved and safe again. I never really fit in anywhere, until I met you. I never told you my real name, after my family left I never wanted to hear it again, but I'll tell you it's the least I can do for you. So here goes nothing, my real name is Selene. It's Greek for moon, so I'll make you this promise every night I'll go out and look into the sky, feel loved and remember you. I really do love you.
Goodbye, Selene
He whispered her name, and knew that he would never forget her and that one day they would be together, forever. He knew it deep in his heart. And at the same time she knew it too, she could feel him thinking about her and she knew she could go on. Like her father used to say, "You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have."