I'm on a roll with new ideas. Do ya like? PLEASE REVIEW and tell me! If you don't review, I won't know if anyone really LIKES to read or enjoys. Full story or mini?
Bold print is Shane's POV, the regular print is Mitchie's and most italics is the letters!
~Fruitsmiles
Open-ended Letters
Chapter One- Post Script (ps)
Deer Mitche-
Hi. My name is Shane. I am a first grader at Lincoln Elem. My teachres name is Mrs. L. She is nice. I guess we are pen pals this year. I like dragons and pancakes. Next week we are writing bigger notes! I will be happy to here from you!
Shane
Dear Shane-
Hi Shane, you forgot the i in my name after the h and before the e. It is ok though. You spell things funny. My teachers name is Mrs. Hobart she is a great teacher. She brings our class cookies every Friday if we all get good points on our work. I never had a pen pal before. I like pancakes too. Dragons scare me though. I like to write a lot. I write poems.
Sincerely, MitchIe.
ps. I capitalized the i so you will not forget it in the next letter.
Dear Mitchie-
I think I spelled your name right. I not a good speller. Mrs. L says I need practice. Your teacher sounds so cool! You never told me what school you go to. Mrs. L says I not able to say where I live but I can say the state. I live in California. Where do you live Mitchie? California is all the way on the West of the country by the pacific ocean. You write poems? That is sooo cool! Can I hear one? I figured out to spell hear the right way! Did you know that there is two ways to spell it and other words too! Like to too and two. I think it is really confusing. It gives me a headache. Do you understand? Maybe you can teach me more! Mrs. L sometimes forgets to teach them to me. I need lots of practice.
Sincerely, Shane.
ps. What does PS mean?
Dear Shane-
Practice makes perfect. It is ok your not a good speller. We are just learning how to spell big words and write good. I am not too good either but my teacher tells me I am the best in the class. I live in Texas. It is close to California. I am by Mexico and the Gulf. And I only let my bffs see my poems so if you become my bff by the end of the year I will let you see my poems. I think it is really silly that words that sound alike have different spellings and meanings. I do understand though. What confuses you? Maybe I can help! Just remember that practice makes perfect. I believe in you Shane!
Sincerely, Mitchie
ps. I am not sure what PS means.
These were the first letters we had ever written each other. It was so simple, so long ago. Now, eleven years later, we are in high school; the same high school and we fail to even recognize one another's existence. Shane's too caught up in playing his music and I am too involved in writing music. Since the first week of school he has not said one word to me. He knows who I am. But I guess I can't say much, I haven't made much of an effort to talk to him either. He's always been a shy guy. I would know; we wrote letters back and forth until the end of our eighth grade.
Dear Mitchie-
I can't believe we are saying bye! You've helped me learn so much this year. I spell better and I read better too! Thanks for explaining commas and contractions like can't, don't and won't. I understand what they are now! I don't like saying goodbye to people. I know I haven't met you but I like talking to you. I can tell you things that my brother's think are stupid or my friends think are annoying. You listen to all my stories and I really like that. I'm going to miss you! I'm going to talk to Mrs. L and my Mom about writing letter's over the summer just like you want! Will you talk to your Mom and teacher too? I really like you Mitchie and I hope we can be bffs forever. You are so cool for a girl! I think it's fun talking to you because I am a shy kid. Sometimes I say too much or say stupid things that make people laugh so I have been quiet this year. I am going to be more not shy next year because I want to make more friends. I hope I hear from you before school ends. I guess this is goodbye.
Sincerely, Shane
ps. Have fun at Disney Land!
Dear Shane-
It makes me sad that school is over. You have taught me that I can be silly and goofy and smart at the same time! I like to be this way. I don't like just being smart all the time. I am so so happy that I taught you things. I understand that you don't like saying goodbye. We don't got to though! My Mom and teacher called yours and they said we can write letters now! Our parents just got to read them before we mail it! I want to be bffs forever too Shane. I know I told you I would write you a poem when we became bffs so here it is:
Sun, bright, dark, shady, friends like stars, they never end, be mine forever so I won't have to let go again.
I know you don't like goodbyes and the poem explains that. I don't like goodbyes either but we don't gotta say bye now if we are friends forever! I can't wait to tell you all about Disney Land! I'll write you a letter from there! I'm going to miss talking to my best friend while I'm gone! Have a good start in summer! I'll write soon!
Sincerely, Mitchie
ps. Disney Land won't be as fun without you!
Our last letters of first grade never truly ended. They continued throughout the summer and never stopped. Not until I moved to California, that is. I moved here to get a start on my music career and Shane had been so excited. I moved during the summer and he wouldn't shut up about my arrival. I was excited too; I would only be living a few streets from him. When I arrived we hung out everyday like we had been best friends all our lives; we had, but just never got the chance to meet face to face. The summer heading in to freshman year, I got one last letter before my move:
Mitchie-
This is surreal to me. You're finally coming to California. I never thought we'd meet. I am looking forward to seeing you; the pictures we've exchanged don't suffice. I am looking forward to hearing your voice in front of me as you sing, not over the phone, and seeing you without the screen of my computer blocking us. I have to make this quick because I have music practice soon, I hope you have a safe trip. I am excited. Call me when you land. I'll meet you at the airport.
Much Love,
Shane.
ps. White or red roses?
Shane and I's relationship have never been romantic; it still isn't. It was a simple best friend relationship. I don't have feelings for him or anything, and from my understanding he doesn't reciprocate any. I just hate that we haven't exchanged words since school started. Not a letter, a call, a text, an email. Nothing. It's been a month.
Sitting on my bed, I log on to my computer; I skim my emails and college applications. A pop-up appears with Shane's Skype name: aspiretolive64824 I accepted the call. Shane's face appears on the screen.
Mitchie and I haven't spoken in a month. Once school started, my best guess was that the both of us had our own lives to live. I wasn't trying to make it seem as though I was ignoring her but the longer we went without talking, the more I realized how big of an idiot I'd been to her. I was the one to stop replying after all. Walking inside, I realize today is the day I man up. I walk in to my room and log on to Skype. I dial her. To my surprise, she answers.
"Hey Mitch." She smiles at me, "Hey stranger." I crack a smile at that one. "Words cannot begin to explain how sorry I am." I explain. She shrugs, "Words aren't gonna fix things. You owe me more than that." I nodded, "I know, how about we catch a movie this Friday? I'll even take you to the best steak house in town." I wink at her jokingly. She chuckles at me and I smile wider. "I honestly thought we both had gotten too busy for each other." I admit. She shakes her head "Nah. You just stopped everything. I figured if you didn't care to talk to me, I didn't care either." I watch her expression fade. "Mitch, that's not it at all. A few days after we stopped talking I figured you were mad at me and then a few days after that I chickened out. It continued like that until today." She nods, "What makes today so different?" She questions. "I miss you." I admit with a soft smile. She rolls her eyes, "Yeah right." I shake my head, "Really, Mitch. I've missed you." I see a little red appear on her cheeks and I smile.
"Best friends forever, remember? No matter what." I state. She smiles, "I should have never promised that." She speaks slowly. I watch her as she watches me. I feel as though she can read me like an open book. I know how she writes things, I know how well she observes. Every time I look in to her eyes I think about what she sees in me, what she thinks of me, hell, I don't know why I seem to care so much. I rarely care what others think of me. Mitchie, she's different. Good different. I like it.
What do ya'll think? Should I continue? Mini story or full?
~Fruitsmiles