I had just finished telling Harper about Arizona when the bell rang.
"It's a good thing she wasn't gone too long so you guys could talk, right?" Alex asked. I nodded.
"I'll tell her I gotta go." I told Alex. I wrote, "Lunch is over, gotta go."
"Okay, bye, talk later." Alex dragged me off the floor and we put our lunch bags in our locker and grabbed our stuff for our next classes, separating.
"See you after school, Alex!" I called after her.
"Yours!" she yelled back.
"Got it!"
**
"So, why aren't you in school?" The words disappeared.
"We're on holiday. We go back next week, though, so my friends and I," it disappeared as Harper ran out of room, then she continued, "we're making the most out of it."
"That's cool."
"Talking would probably be easier if we didn't have to write on our arms, but instead texted or something." I shrugged, though I knew Harper couldn't see it.
"Yeah, but wouldnt that cost money? To text a number from overseas?"
"That's true... We could get Skype?"
"Already a step ahead of the game, then." I stood up from my couch downstairs and went to my room to use my laptop. I grabbed a lollipop off my candy holder and put it in my mouth.
I installed Skype again and logged in, shockingly remembering the password, changing a few things on my account since I hadn't used it since I was a child and it was very immature. After fixing up my account, I wrote, "Okay, whenever you're ready. I'm logged in to my old account."
"Woah, that was quick. here, just tell me your username and I'll add you once I got an account up and running."
"_trashed_lost_soul_"
After a moment of silence, she replied, "Oh my gosh did you make this during your "emo phase" and a preteen?"
"Oh hush. Just request me when you're in."
"Okay."
It was common for people to communicate with their soulmates, though I'm not sure if that's just through writing to each other on skin or other ways like Skype or other social media. I mean, you can find out things about them before you have to meet (the government pays for you to meet your soulmate when both of you are 18) so it's not awkward when you do.
I grabbed some of my markers and started to draw a tulip on my arm, away from where Harper and I talk. When my laptop went off with the Skype sound, I flinched from it being a surprise and messed up. I sighed then looked at the screen, smiling when I saw what it was.
It read "Harper Smith (_emotional_train_wreck_) has requested to send you the following message:" then in another box it said "I felt because your username is emo mine should be too :)" Then it had the options DENY in red and ACCEPT in green. I clicked accept and sent her a reply to her message.
"Of course, so that if I get embarrassed about it you can mention yours."
I looked at her account more while she typed. It said she was 15 (I'm 16), she lived in London, she was active currently, it showed her username and her name, and her picture was of a young girl smiling with her eyes closed and holding a cherry blossom branch slightly to her nose. The girl's hair was long and wavy, and I has suspicions it was Harper as a child.
My computer went off with a new message. "Of course. So, what is your picture supposed to be?" Crap. I think I forgot yo change my picture. Yup, it was still a hand sticking out of the water and flipping off whoever was watching.
"Shoot, I forgot to change it, hold on." I told her and quickly went to find a new picture. I settled with a picture of me Alex took before I cut my hair super short (so about a year ago) and when I had sunglasses, a long necklace, and a white shirt.
I went back to my conversation with Harper.
"It is now a picture of me about a year ago, courtesy of my best friend. I assume yours is of you as a child?"
"Yup! Courtesy of my aunt, though." The doorbell rang throughout the house and I remembered Alex and I agreed we would hang out. "I gotta go, said best friend (name's Alex, btw) is here to hang out. I'll get Skype on my phone later."
"Okay, bye."
"Bye." Just as I hit send and closed my laptop, the door opened and I saw my mom.
"It's Alex. I told her to have something from the fridge before coming up, just a heads up." I nodded and she left. I hummed to myself as I thought. Then I got up, grabbed my sunglasses and bag, both from the picture on Skype, and put the sunglasses on. I knew the bag had my wallet, and my phone was in my hand, so I just went downstairs without anything else. I already changed out of my uniform and into ripped black jeans and a grey shirt, along with a dark red jacket.
As I got in the kitchen I threw away the stick from my lollipop and sat next to Alex.
"One of those days?" She asked. I nodded.
"One of those days. hurry up so we can go." As in "one of those days," Alex means when I look ready to bolt from the country but we go aroind town instead, maybe buying some things. I pulled out my phone as Alex ate a chicken tender and installed Skype.
After signing in so I'd know if Harper texted, I asked Alex, "So, how are things with you and your soulmate?" I lowered my sunglasses on my nose and looked at Alex with a raised brow. When she looked at me, there was an emotion I couldn't place in her eyes. Then I realised, and winced. "Shit-"
"Language!" My mom interrupted from the other room.
"Sorry," I continued like she didn't say anything. "You don't have to. I shouldn't have asked." I moved my sunglasses up so Alex couldn't see my eyes. I heard Alex sigh and I looked at her again.
"It's fine, I asked earlier. So, he's doing fine, and he doesn't live too far that timezones become a problem."
"That's good," I said, and meant it as I realised that when I get home usually Harper will be having dinner, or getting ready to sleep, unless she stays up late all the time.
"Sorry, Callie." Alex put her hand on my arm and moved it up and down, as she knew Harper was in the UK.
"Yeah, well, it's the government's money, not mine." I wiped my right eye as I felt a slight wetness on my lashes and stood up, walking out of my house, not waiting for Alex.
Comments (0)
See all