The back door creaked as I opened it. It was a little windy outside. Heather turned
her head towards me. "Hi…" she said quietly. The wind was tossing her hair. She had
been crying, I could tell by her red eyes. She wasn't looking directly at me. I sat down
right beside her, and slid a cigarette from the pack into my mouth. Heather looked at the
pack and slowly reached for it. I held it out to her. She looked at the pack uncertainly.
She took a cigarette from it, and I lit it for her, and then mine. She took a puff, closing her
eyes and exhaling the smoke slowly. I took in some smoke and exhaled it. "I love
moments like this, nothing to bother us, just peace and quiet. Still, I figured I'd better ask
her." "How's your dad?" Heather blew out some smoke, staring off in space. "He's still
pretty quiet, but he's ok now." She stared down at the cigarette in her fingers as she
spoke. "I just can't figure out why he's changed recently." I blew out a cloud of smoke.
"Maybe he's just stressed out from work?" Heather sniffed. " I wish it were that easy…"
I glanced at her, she was staring at the ashes on the ground in front of her." I'm sure it's
nothing." As usual I fumbled out the words nervously. "I don't know what the hell's
wrong with him. Before I can even walk to my room, he bombards me with questions.
Did you see anyone suspicious? Did Kyle do anything weird? Why didn't you come
home sooner! Before I…." Heather took a puff, and then stared at the ground. She spoke
slower. "Before I can even answer, he starts yelling at me, telling me I should stay home
more often. Heather turned towards me, almost looking directly at me. "He even said I
should stop hanging around with you…." I couldn't believe any of this. This isn't the Mr.
Morris I know. Heather sniffed. "I leave my room, and he won't even look at me! He
won't say anything…I…" Her voice started to crack. I noticed tears form in her eyes. "I
don't know…what…to do…" She took one last puff, snuffed the cigarette on the
concrete, and flicked it away. "I just don't know what to do…" I snuffed out my cigarette
and tossed it aside. I should have said something, but my mind was blank. "Why can't I
think of anything to say!?" Heather needed me, but I didn't know what to say. We both
stood up. I didn't look at her, I felt like such a jerk, listening to her and not having
anything to say. Regardless, she walked over and hugged me weakly, sniffing and wiping
her eyes. She still looked upset, and there was nothing I could do. "Thanks for
listening…" It hurt me to see her like this; and she's actually glad that I listened! I didn't
say anything to help her! I felt terrible. I just want her to be happy, but I don't know how.
She looked so desperate, and I don't know why I did what I did next. Perhaps it was the
tears in her eyes, or the sorrow. Before she let go, I kissed her on her lips.
Heather felt tense at first, but loosened up. She must not have been expecting it.
She felt warm, soft. After a while, I clumsily drew back. She didn't look at me. I strained
to think of something to say. "It'll be ok…." I said softly. Heather looked up at me, her
eyes a little shiny. She suddenly hugged me tight, throwing her arms around me.
Confused, I awkwardly put my arms around her. She leaned her head back a little, still
holding me tight. Her eyes were wet as I looked into them. "H…Heather… it's ok…" It
was so strange. There I was looking into her eyes, and I could see all her sadness was
gone. It was as if I was looking deep into her, so calm, and quiet, so peaceful. She
managed a smile amid tears falling, her eyes seeing right into me. She never looked more
beautiful. I kissed her again, this time it seemed like an eternity.
We walked together to her apartment; neither of us spoke a word. I gave her one
last hug before I walked off. I could tell she didn't want to let go. When I got to the stairs,
I turned around. Heather was still standing there, watching me. She smiled at me and
walked into her house.
I walked into my house, closing the door behind me. My mom walked over to me.
"Dinner's ready, c'mon, sit down." I held up my hand. "Not now, I'm not hungry…" I
walked towards my room. She walked towards me, and stepped in front of me. "Did
something happen?" I walked past her. "Please mom, not now…" I walked into my room.
I felt light headed as I fell onto my bed. I stared at the ceiling fan, watching the
shadows. So many thoughts were racing through my head; I couldn't stop thinking about
Heather. I eyed the photo on my desk, of Heather and me. I had always thought that she
never looked so happy, but tonight, when I kissed her, she looked so peaceful, so much
happier. I stood up from my bed and picked up the photo, and looked at it closer.
Heather's smile in it looked kind of fake. Was tonight her first real smile? Was it tonight
that I really saw Heather truly happy? I put the photo back down and sat on my bed.
Heather has cried before in the past, but they were trivial things. A boyfriend dumping
her, being mocked at school, her dad losing a job. I pretty much grew used to comforting
her. Lean head on shoulder, cry, repeat. I'm not saying it wasn't sad, that it didn't also
hurt me, but she was a wreck tonight, and deep down, I knew just being there wasn't
enough, and words can only go so far. I care so much about Heather, I couldn't think of
any other way to show her how much I do. I lied on the bed and closed my eyes. "I hope
she's ok now…" I opened my eyes and stared at the photo as I drifted off into sleep.
her head towards me. "Hi…" she said quietly. The wind was tossing her hair. She had
been crying, I could tell by her red eyes. She wasn't looking directly at me. I sat down
right beside her, and slid a cigarette from the pack into my mouth. Heather looked at the
pack and slowly reached for it. I held it out to her. She looked at the pack uncertainly.
She took a cigarette from it, and I lit it for her, and then mine. She took a puff, closing her
eyes and exhaling the smoke slowly. I took in some smoke and exhaled it. "I love
moments like this, nothing to bother us, just peace and quiet. Still, I figured I'd better ask
her." "How's your dad?" Heather blew out some smoke, staring off in space. "He's still
pretty quiet, but he's ok now." She stared down at the cigarette in her fingers as she
spoke. "I just can't figure out why he's changed recently." I blew out a cloud of smoke.
"Maybe he's just stressed out from work?" Heather sniffed. " I wish it were that easy…"
I glanced at her, she was staring at the ashes on the ground in front of her." I'm sure it's
nothing." As usual I fumbled out the words nervously. "I don't know what the hell's
wrong with him. Before I can even walk to my room, he bombards me with questions.
Did you see anyone suspicious? Did Kyle do anything weird? Why didn't you come
home sooner! Before I…." Heather took a puff, and then stared at the ground. She spoke
slower. "Before I can even answer, he starts yelling at me, telling me I should stay home
more often. Heather turned towards me, almost looking directly at me. "He even said I
should stop hanging around with you…." I couldn't believe any of this. This isn't the Mr.
Morris I know. Heather sniffed. "I leave my room, and he won't even look at me! He
won't say anything…I…" Her voice started to crack. I noticed tears form in her eyes. "I
don't know…what…to do…" She took one last puff, snuffed the cigarette on the
concrete, and flicked it away. "I just don't know what to do…" I snuffed out my cigarette
and tossed it aside. I should have said something, but my mind was blank. "Why can't I
think of anything to say!?" Heather needed me, but I didn't know what to say. We both
stood up. I didn't look at her, I felt like such a jerk, listening to her and not having
anything to say. Regardless, she walked over and hugged me weakly, sniffing and wiping
her eyes. She still looked upset, and there was nothing I could do. "Thanks for
listening…" It hurt me to see her like this; and she's actually glad that I listened! I didn't
say anything to help her! I felt terrible. I just want her to be happy, but I don't know how.
She looked so desperate, and I don't know why I did what I did next. Perhaps it was the
tears in her eyes, or the sorrow. Before she let go, I kissed her on her lips.
Heather felt tense at first, but loosened up. She must not have been expecting it.
She felt warm, soft. After a while, I clumsily drew back. She didn't look at me. I strained
to think of something to say. "It'll be ok…." I said softly. Heather looked up at me, her
eyes a little shiny. She suddenly hugged me tight, throwing her arms around me.
Confused, I awkwardly put my arms around her. She leaned her head back a little, still
holding me tight. Her eyes were wet as I looked into them. "H…Heather… it's ok…" It
was so strange. There I was looking into her eyes, and I could see all her sadness was
gone. It was as if I was looking deep into her, so calm, and quiet, so peaceful. She
managed a smile amid tears falling, her eyes seeing right into me. She never looked more
beautiful. I kissed her again, this time it seemed like an eternity.
We walked together to her apartment; neither of us spoke a word. I gave her one
last hug before I walked off. I could tell she didn't want to let go. When I got to the stairs,
I turned around. Heather was still standing there, watching me. She smiled at me and
walked into her house.
I walked into my house, closing the door behind me. My mom walked over to me.
"Dinner's ready, c'mon, sit down." I held up my hand. "Not now, I'm not hungry…" I
walked towards my room. She walked towards me, and stepped in front of me. "Did
something happen?" I walked past her. "Please mom, not now…" I walked into my room.
I felt light headed as I fell onto my bed. I stared at the ceiling fan, watching the
shadows. So many thoughts were racing through my head; I couldn't stop thinking about
Heather. I eyed the photo on my desk, of Heather and me. I had always thought that she
never looked so happy, but tonight, when I kissed her, she looked so peaceful, so much
happier. I stood up from my bed and picked up the photo, and looked at it closer.
Heather's smile in it looked kind of fake. Was tonight her first real smile? Was it tonight
that I really saw Heather truly happy? I put the photo back down and sat on my bed.
Heather has cried before in the past, but they were trivial things. A boyfriend dumping
her, being mocked at school, her dad losing a job. I pretty much grew used to comforting
her. Lean head on shoulder, cry, repeat. I'm not saying it wasn't sad, that it didn't also
hurt me, but she was a wreck tonight, and deep down, I knew just being there wasn't
enough, and words can only go so far. I care so much about Heather, I couldn't think of
any other way to show her how much I do. I lied on the bed and closed my eyes. "I hope
she's ok now…" I opened my eyes and stared at the photo as I drifted off into sleep.
