Chapter 9- Sounds
Four years have passed, since Shaun's departure. Mandeline went to college as planned. Shaun was still in Minnesota and Mandeline never heard from him in years. Mandeline completed college, majoring in journalism, and was now looking for a job in writing. Since Shaun left, she had only received one phone call from him so far and the conversation lasted only about five minutes. This was the conversation:
______________________
Shaun- Hello, Mandy?
Mandeline- Omigosh! Shaun! I can't believe it's you! How are you? Are you ok?
Shaun- Yeah, I'm doing . . . good.
Mandeline- Good enough to come home?
Shaun- Mandy, I thought we talked about this. You know I would come home if I could, but I just don't have that privilege right now, ok?
Mandeline- I miss you so much!
Shaun- I miss you, too.
Mandeline- Do you think you'll EVER be able to come back? Ever? Even if it's years from now?
Shaun- Mandy . . . . . . . I'm- I mean . . .I- I- have to go.
Mandeline- Already? But you just called!
Shaun- I know, Mandy. Good-bye
Mandeline- Shaun!
Shaun- I love you, Mandy. And don't you EVER forget that.
_______________________
And that was the last time she had spoken to him. And that was more than two years ago. Now, she had completely lost contact with him. He never called, and she couldn't call him, since she didn't have his phone number. He never wrote, and she didn't have his address. So the only way they would have contact was by seeing each other in person, but Mandeline didn't know where Shaun was located at in Minnesota. So the chances of them being reunited were very slim. A very fine line indeed.
Of course, it had been a hard year for Mandeline. She slaved at her schoolwork and moaned in misery of her beloved's separation. But somehow, behind the grief, misery and work, she managed to attract the attention of a young man. He went by the name of Josh. Josh Goldman. He also attended Mandeline's college.
A few weeks after Shaun's five-minute phone call, Josh had asked Mandeline out on a date. Mandeline agreed; she knew Shaun wouldn't want her to live life alone. After that first date, they went on another. Then another. And another, until they had been dating for almost more than a year. Josh was a great guy, sure, but he just wasn't Shaun. But Mandeline remembered Shaun saying to promise not to wait for him, and she the last thing she wanted to do was break a promise to him.
On their dates, Mandeline never spoke a word about Shaun. Josh didn't have any clue at all that she was, before, madly in love. Sometimes on their dates, they would do something that reminded Mandeline of Shaun, such as eating Italian, and she would have to ask Josh to take her home early because of the stabbing pain she would suddenly feel in her chest. At night, she would cry herself to sleep, thinking of Shaun, and what they could've been today. She never got over his loss. You would think that she would move on with her life and stop crying at night, but she never did. She held on to his love . . . forever.
One day, though, something happened that lit up Mandeline's world. No, Shaun didn't come back. But miraculously, he called. Mandeline was sitting on the loveseat swing alone on a Sunday afternoon. She was crying. Looking at the empty spot beside her. The spot where Shaun should've been sitting; there with her; loving her. Well, she was out there mildly swinging below the warm glowing sun, when the phone rang. She couldn't have cared less that the phone was ringing, but knowing that she was at home alone; she went to get it anyway. She went into the living room and picked up the old fashioned Victorian phone.
"Hello?" Mandeline said into the receiver.
"Mandy! It's-"
"SHAUN!!! Oh my god, Shaun, it's really you!" she screamed so loud, Shaun had to pull he phone away from his ear,
Shaun laughed. "Of course, it's me, Mandy."
"I miss you SOOOO much."
"Same here."
"Well, are you doing ok?"
"Great."
"Really? So you're actually feeling kind of better?"
"Yeah, I am."
"So are you finally ready to come home to your long lost sweetheart?"
"Long lost sweetheart? Where was I when you turned into Juliet?" he said jokingly.
"In Minnesota, when you should've been HERE with ME."
"Yeah, well . . . ."
"So what have you been up to?"
"Nothing . . . . . "
"Well, I just finished college. Journalism."
"Wow, that great! Congratulations. I'm so happy for you!"
"I am, too. Thanks."
Shaun laughed. "Well, it's nice to know that even though I didn't do college, at least my girlfriend did."
Mandeline agreed nervously. Girlfriend? She didn't know Shaun still thought of her as his girlfriend. This could lead to some trouble . . . .
When she was thinking about all this, she heard some shouting in the background. At first, she thought it was coming from outside of the house, but then she heard Shaun say, "Mandy, hold on." Then she heard it. The shouting . . . the arguing . . . running through her head:
"She has a right to know!" a woman's voice said.
"I can do what I want!" That was Shaun.
"Well, then, tell her! It's for the best, believe me!"
"I have a choice here, and I'm not gonna tell her."
"But you don't know if something happened! There could've been another one!"
"I don't care! I really don't!"
"I just don't want to see her hurt! I don't want to see YOU hurt!"
Just then, Shaun rushed back to the phone to talk to Mandeline. He was breathing hard.
"Hello, Mandy?"
"Shaun? Who- what was-" she was at a loss for words.
"Mandy, I'm sorry . . . I have to go, now. I love you." And he slammed the phone.
~ Authors Note ~ Yippee!!! I think this is one of my best chapters!! I actually like this one. Well, stay tuned cuz this is NOT OVER. To be continued. Submit a review, please! Tbc!
PS- Siggy, people! Look at the siggy! URL on chapter 7!
Four years have passed, since Shaun's departure. Mandeline went to college as planned. Shaun was still in Minnesota and Mandeline never heard from him in years. Mandeline completed college, majoring in journalism, and was now looking for a job in writing. Since Shaun left, she had only received one phone call from him so far and the conversation lasted only about five minutes. This was the conversation:
______________________
Shaun- Hello, Mandy?
Mandeline- Omigosh! Shaun! I can't believe it's you! How are you? Are you ok?
Shaun- Yeah, I'm doing . . . good.
Mandeline- Good enough to come home?
Shaun- Mandy, I thought we talked about this. You know I would come home if I could, but I just don't have that privilege right now, ok?
Mandeline- I miss you so much!
Shaun- I miss you, too.
Mandeline- Do you think you'll EVER be able to come back? Ever? Even if it's years from now?
Shaun- Mandy . . . . . . . I'm- I mean . . .I- I- have to go.
Mandeline- Already? But you just called!
Shaun- I know, Mandy. Good-bye
Mandeline- Shaun!
Shaun- I love you, Mandy. And don't you EVER forget that.
_______________________
And that was the last time she had spoken to him. And that was more than two years ago. Now, she had completely lost contact with him. He never called, and she couldn't call him, since she didn't have his phone number. He never wrote, and she didn't have his address. So the only way they would have contact was by seeing each other in person, but Mandeline didn't know where Shaun was located at in Minnesota. So the chances of them being reunited were very slim. A very fine line indeed.
Of course, it had been a hard year for Mandeline. She slaved at her schoolwork and moaned in misery of her beloved's separation. But somehow, behind the grief, misery and work, she managed to attract the attention of a young man. He went by the name of Josh. Josh Goldman. He also attended Mandeline's college.
A few weeks after Shaun's five-minute phone call, Josh had asked Mandeline out on a date. Mandeline agreed; she knew Shaun wouldn't want her to live life alone. After that first date, they went on another. Then another. And another, until they had been dating for almost more than a year. Josh was a great guy, sure, but he just wasn't Shaun. But Mandeline remembered Shaun saying to promise not to wait for him, and she the last thing she wanted to do was break a promise to him.
On their dates, Mandeline never spoke a word about Shaun. Josh didn't have any clue at all that she was, before, madly in love. Sometimes on their dates, they would do something that reminded Mandeline of Shaun, such as eating Italian, and she would have to ask Josh to take her home early because of the stabbing pain she would suddenly feel in her chest. At night, she would cry herself to sleep, thinking of Shaun, and what they could've been today. She never got over his loss. You would think that she would move on with her life and stop crying at night, but she never did. She held on to his love . . . forever.
One day, though, something happened that lit up Mandeline's world. No, Shaun didn't come back. But miraculously, he called. Mandeline was sitting on the loveseat swing alone on a Sunday afternoon. She was crying. Looking at the empty spot beside her. The spot where Shaun should've been sitting; there with her; loving her. Well, she was out there mildly swinging below the warm glowing sun, when the phone rang. She couldn't have cared less that the phone was ringing, but knowing that she was at home alone; she went to get it anyway. She went into the living room and picked up the old fashioned Victorian phone.
"Hello?" Mandeline said into the receiver.
"Mandy! It's-"
"SHAUN!!! Oh my god, Shaun, it's really you!" she screamed so loud, Shaun had to pull he phone away from his ear,
Shaun laughed. "Of course, it's me, Mandy."
"I miss you SOOOO much."
"Same here."
"Well, are you doing ok?"
"Great."
"Really? So you're actually feeling kind of better?"
"Yeah, I am."
"So are you finally ready to come home to your long lost sweetheart?"
"Long lost sweetheart? Where was I when you turned into Juliet?" he said jokingly.
"In Minnesota, when you should've been HERE with ME."
"Yeah, well . . . ."
"So what have you been up to?"
"Nothing . . . . . "
"Well, I just finished college. Journalism."
"Wow, that great! Congratulations. I'm so happy for you!"
"I am, too. Thanks."
Shaun laughed. "Well, it's nice to know that even though I didn't do college, at least my girlfriend did."
Mandeline agreed nervously. Girlfriend? She didn't know Shaun still thought of her as his girlfriend. This could lead to some trouble . . . .
When she was thinking about all this, she heard some shouting in the background. At first, she thought it was coming from outside of the house, but then she heard Shaun say, "Mandy, hold on." Then she heard it. The shouting . . . the arguing . . . running through her head:
"She has a right to know!" a woman's voice said.
"I can do what I want!" That was Shaun.
"Well, then, tell her! It's for the best, believe me!"
"I have a choice here, and I'm not gonna tell her."
"But you don't know if something happened! There could've been another one!"
"I don't care! I really don't!"
"I just don't want to see her hurt! I don't want to see YOU hurt!"
Just then, Shaun rushed back to the phone to talk to Mandeline. He was breathing hard.
"Hello, Mandy?"
"Shaun? Who- what was-" she was at a loss for words.
"Mandy, I'm sorry . . . I have to go, now. I love you." And he slammed the phone.
~ Authors Note ~ Yippee!!! I think this is one of my best chapters!! I actually like this one. Well, stay tuned cuz this is NOT OVER. To be continued. Submit a review, please! Tbc!
PS- Siggy, people! Look at the siggy! URL on chapter 7!