Of the Heart

[Morrighan]

Just a simple short story I wrote for my Creative Writing class.

Enjoy!

<b><center>Of the Heart </center></b>

?Will you please come in here? I have something to tell you.?

Feeling a sense of foreboding, I walked into the living room, fearing what my boyfriend was going to tell me. Our relationship hadn?t been going too smoothly for the past week. Before the recent turn of events, we liked spending time together under a large oak tree during lunch breaks, often feeding each other or goofing around. Now, he would avoid me as if I were the bubonic plague back to slaughter mankind. Did he find some other girl who was more interesting or more attractive? Was he going to call it quits and break up with me?

Bracing myself for the worst, I sat down next to him on the couch and asked, ?Yea, what is it, Sam??

He looked down, suddenly nervous. ?Oh hell no,? I thought, ?this isn?t good??

Then, just as quickly as he could manage without being hindered by his nerves, he opened his mouth to continue. The next sound I heard was a faint buzzing. His cell phone. Someone was calling. His eyes dropped and muttered a, ?sorry, hold on a moment?. He picked up the line, and while his words were benign enough, I couldn?t help but strain to hear the words venturing from the other side, as if they were a clue I needed to understand what he wanted to talk to me about.

He hung up. I didn?t want him to. I could have let him talk on the phone forever if it would stall the foreboding talk that was sending my whole mind into an incomprehensible screen of static.

Slowly, he clapped his hand against his fist. His head shaking and eyes shut tight. I couldn?t help but find a moment of calm in seeing his dark eyelashes gently curving off his cheek.

?I wasn?t going to tell anyone until after I left. But I?m moving to a different state.?

I didn?t know what to feel. Relief? Shock, yes, but for the moment, I was blank. All at once, my mind started a war against itself. Shouldn?t I be happy? As I said, our relationship was winding down, turning tumultuous. I tried to remember back when I was boyfriend-less. My world consisted of my cat, my best friend, Natalia, and my search for love. Had I really found love? Was this what love felt like? All at once, I felt guilty for thinking.

I should have known what to say, but I didn?t. How come at one moment, I could act so easily, and then the next, not know where to put my hands? My hands went from lying at my sides to coming together in nervous, fidgety motion on my lap. I didn?t even try to stall him by asking him where he was moving to.

?Umm?.? I groped for words. ?Err?where are you?uh?moving?? Dumb. Dumb! Like that would help.

?New York.?

?Ah.? Across the country. Well that would be a long distance to keep up a?no. Don?t think about it. ?When are you leaving??

?Next week.?

?Oh.?

Suddenly, he burst out, ?I?m so sorry I?ve been distant lately, but I didn?t know how to tell you I?d be moving, or if I was moving. I thought maybe if you hated me you wouldn?t be so hurt if I left and I didn?t want to hurt you but? Damn, this is coming out bad. I STILL LOVE YOU!?

My heart stopped. I couldn?t breathe. My voice came out as a squeak as I struggled to find the right words. ?Y?you?you do?? Smart, Cynthia, real smart. Now the guy is going to wonder if he was dating an idiot for the past two years.

Sam?s shoulders relaxed and he sucked in a deep breath. Cracking a shaky smile, he confessed, ?Yea.?

My lips broke into a wide grin. Somehow, that simple phrase lifted the enormous weight that had landed on my soul when he had called me into the room. I didn?t know whether to sing to the heavens or run around the living room like a maniac. I wanted to simultaneously smile till my jaw hurt and bawl till I couldn?t cry anymore. I felt like I was on top of the world, and nothing could burst my bubble. Spontaneously, I threw my arms around my boyfriend and drew him into a giant bear hug.

?I love you, too!? I shouted.

Smiling awkwardly, Sam weakly gestured towards the iron grip I had him in. ?I?can?t?breathe!?

I turned an interesting shade of red and quickly let go. ?Sorry??

?Naw, that?s okay.? Now that the situation had relieved itself of some of the more awkward issues, he seemed more like his usual self. Still, the uncertainly hung over us. Where would our relationship go from here?

Sobering immediately, I tried to redirect the path of our conversation. ?So?uh?? I fumbled for words again. Three times already! This wasn?t like me at all! ?You?ll call me?? Well, it was a start.

Sam nodded solemnly. ?Uh huh.? His brown eyes met my blue ones. ?I will.?

Sighing, I sat closer to him and wrapped my arm around his waist. Leaning my head against his shoulder, I let the sensations of just sitting there wash over me. Maybe someday, we would be together. But now?

Well, we?ll just have to see, now won?t we?

<center>The End</center>

[teardropdangel]

Whoa. I'm having a flash back...
*earlier on this year* "WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE"RE MOVING?!" I yell. :evil:
*sighs* yet here I am in this completely new house.

Thanks for writing that. It helps with re-affirming the notion that all bad things don't only happen to me.

[Eienvine]

Yay for your writing class! It produces such lovely stories. This was great- short and to the point. Way to be.

[Lady Casper]

Wow, i felt like i was in the same room with the couple, listening.

Awesome work Morrighan!