It was the next day that Miranda came to visit her. Linda had walked straight home after school, not saying a word to anyone about it. She wanted to be left alone. She did not want anyone bringing Alex up or mentioning him. Miranda was just the person to do that. So, reluctantly, Linda opened the door for her when she heard the bell chime throughout the house.
"I haven't seen you in weeks," Miranda told her as they entered the living room. Linda walked over to her piano, but did not play. "What have you been doing hold up in all this time?
"Sitting here. Playing."
Miranda sat beside her. The red haired girl now had a concerned expression on her face. Linda knew she was only worried about her. Any friend would be with the way Linda had been avoiding everyone and barely speaking at school. They all thought she would have gotten over it by now, since she and Alex had only been together for a month, but it was difficult to forget a boy so…different.
"Linda," She said, "I know you're upset over this whole Alex-thing, but you have to move on, love. You can't spend the rest of your life waiting for him. I mean, honestly, after hearing about what he did do you still want him? Do you really want to be with someone who murders other people for fun?-
"-He hadn't meant for it to happen-"
"-Well break into an old woman's house and assault her then. What if he had done that to you? Would you want to be with him then-"
"He would never have done that to me," Linda retorted. "He never would have seriously hurt me that way."
This was half true. Alex was certainly capable of hurting her in the exact same fashion he had with that poor woman, but he never did. She liked to believe it was because he had reserved some kind of feeling for her that stopped him from critically harming her. Alex and her had exchanged a few slaps or punches to the face, but nothing that would hospitalize them.
Miranda sighed, "Well, fourteen years is a long time. What are you planning to do? Save yourself until he comes back? I mean, I know you're capable of doing something like that, but this is ridiculous. Alex is only one boy. He can't mean so much to you."
She sighed. She was not going to go with the whole 'you-don't-understand' excuse because it was so childish. Linda was not sure how to explain it herself, let alone to another person; a person who had a sensible head…unlike her. Idly tapping on the keys, she did not know what to say.
"Come out with us tonight," Miranda said. "Dinner and a movie."
"No M&D?" She asked.
"No. We all-that is to say, Elsie, Judy and I-don't really feel like partying tonight. So, we decided on something simple, and I would like it if you came. Going out isn't the same without you."
To please her friend-and everyone else-Linda agreed to go. Miranda beamed, and they began to discuss all the gossip Linda "had been missing out on". Throughout the entire conversation, she only focused her head on one thing. What if Alex never came back? What if he died in prison or was given a longer sentence by some other means? It was true, she could not wait forever. There would be a time where she would have to move on. She played her piano as she spoke with Miranda. She tried not to remember the odd dream she had had the previous night, yet it was proved impossible. Linda remembered how perfect his face had been; how his eyes gleamed brighter than anything. Her heart sunk at the thought of never seeing those eyes again.
"I'll come get you around eight," Miranda said, once the red-head was on her way out.
When Linda merely nodded, she hugged her. The embrace was soft and comforting, but it did nothing to sooth her. She watched Miranda walk down the hall until she disappeared into the lift. Then she shut the door, and went back to her work.
Later that day, as day rolled into night, Linda stood outside the steps of her building. She wore a pale pink frilly skintight dress that hung mid-thigh, with white boots that reached her knees. A short sleeved cardigan made of white frills draped over her shoulders and down. Her hair? Tied up. Linda put no real effort into her outfit tonight. She simply picked out the first things in her closet and threw them on. She hadn't wanted to go out to begin with. Leaning against the railing, the blonde waited.
That was when they came around: Georgie, Pete and Dim. Linda glared at them, crossing her arms. They had been the reason Alex had been caught. She knew they had left Alex there, blinded by milk as they ran away. She always had the feeling one day they would grow tired of Alex being the leader and try to knock him down a few notches. Those notches landed him in prison. She half hoped they would walk on as if they had not seen her, but sadly, Dim had been the first one to stop.
"Evenin' Linda," Dim said.
"Hello boys," Linda replied, not really looking at them.
"Have you heard about Alex?" Georgie asked, a shadow of a smirk on his face. "They say he's locked up."
"Yes, I had heard about it. He called me…"
"We're sorry about it, Linda," Dim said before Georgie could speak again. "He was right mean to us, he was. Maybe…Maybe bein' in jail would make him…"
"Charlie," Linda called him by his real name. She thought calling him 'Dim' was mean, especially since he was actually kind of…sweet…when he wanted to be, "Jail is going to nothing except make him worse. And when my Alex comes back, you're all going to be very, very, very sorry…"
Dim stayed silent, but Pete spoke up: "He's gonna be away for a long time. We'll be old by the time we see his face again."
Linda didn't respond to this. Dim spoke up again, pulling something from his pocket, "I…I got ya somefin' Linda…"
She turned to him to see a beautiful blue-stoned bracelet hanging from his fingers. Linda drew closer to him, taking the bracelet in her hands. It was beautiful. The kind of thing Alex would have given her. Her demeanor seemed to soften as she stared up at Dim. She gave him an amused smile.
"Who did you steal this from, Charlie?"
"An ol' hag who lives down there," He pointed down the street. "I…I thought you'd like it. You like pretty things…because you're pretty."
She gave him a smile, putting the bracelet on, "Thank you, Charlie. It's lovely."
He gave a goofy grin before Georgie pulled him away. "Alright, nuff of this lovey dovey stuff. We be leaving now."
Pete and Dim were the only ones who waved goodbye; Dim taking glances over his shoulder. For some odd reason, Linda's spirit went up slightly. Not because of Dim and his gift, but because the small pretense that this had been another present from Alex and that Dim played carrier rather than giver. Her fingers felt over the soft, clear blue stones. She would never take it off. The bracelet felt more like a reminder of Alex…because they were the color of his eyes…
Her evening with the girls had turned out to be a bit better than she had expected. They had run into a group of boys at a bar they went to after the movie. They were the upper-class types who had fancy cars and rich fathers. The boys bought them drinks; flirted with them and even walked them to the car which was a little bit away from the pub. One of them-a tall handsome brown-haired boy-took an interest in Linda. However, she only spoke to him. She would not lead anyone on tonight. She did not want anyone else. She wanted Alex.
Linda was driven home by Elsie, who said she'll meet her tomorrow afternoon at The Cove for some lunch. Walking up to her apartment, it was when she walked in that she heard Gran's voice.
"You're home early," The old woman said from her rocking chair near the window.
"Yes," Linda said, "We only went to the movies. Nowhere special."
"Well, I'm glad you've come home. Otherwise, you would have to have read this tomorrow."
In her outstretched hand was a white envelope with a name scribbled on the side. Her heart beat somewhat when she thought of who the letter could be from. Alex? She thought he would never write. Carefully taking the letter, she opened it immediately. She recognized the bold, cursive writing Alex normally wrote in. She smiled brightly.
"Thanks Gran," She told her before heading off into her bedroom.
She shut the door behind her. Unfolding the letter as she sat down, Linda could hear his voice saying the words to her:
Dear Linnie,
I know you're probably really ticked that I landed myself here. I would be shocked if you tossed this into the bin before reading. I've had you in mind for a long time, wondering and pondering. I miss you, Linnie. It isn't nice in here, because you're not here.
Signed,
Alex.
Linda finished reading the letter and casted it on the bed beside her. After weeks of being there in that horrible place all he writes are a few sentences. She should have smiled at the sweet words he had written; her heart should be jumping for joy. Linda-for some odd reason-felt worse than before. Perhaps because she knew that she would never hear him actually say those words; that he would not hold her close and whisper in her ear what she had always wanted to hear. Was it because Alex would never actually say 'I love you'?
Most likely.
