riverrun Vol. 47

60
was, and I saw the carpet where her sleeping bag once was.
“Vienna?” I searched the room while the phone was still in my hand, and I leaned
over the bed did not see her sleeping bag. My phone buzzed. When I unlocked the
screen, I saw I had a text… from Katie.
“Hey! You ready for the concert tonight?!” My heartbeat picked up, and my eyes
darted to the top of the screen to briefly see the date. April 7, 2017. The date
made me pull my head back a little, as I squinted my eyes. My eyes still felt exhausted,
but I couldn’t tell if it was because I was tired or if I was crying.
There was only one way to find out. I checked my email inbox to see if the DE Inc.
email was still there. It disappeared as well. My fingers scrolled up and down on
the screen, only to find nothing. All the newest emails I had were from April 7,
2017.
“Ok ok, I just downloaded the CD on iTunes. I’m gonna have this ish memorized
by tonight!” Katie’s text flashed on the top part of my screen.
Every bone in my fingertips wanted to respond back, but I sat, sinking into the
cotton sheets, unable to move. Eventually I shut my phone off, and threw it to the
side of me. I put my elbows on my thighs and put my hands to my mouth. Holy
hell. Air filled my lungs as I shut my eyes. If everything was happening like it did
months ago, I needed to ask Katie to come over so we could jam out to the CD together
and talk about life.
Feeling my arms tremble from the stress running through my veins, I picked up
the phone again. “Do you want to come over and we could jam to the track?” I hit
send and my face scrunched up.
“Yeah man! I gotta shower first but I’ll be there in twenty.”
Twenty minutes. I hopped out of bed, brushed out my hair and watched as the
black dead ends snapped off my head and wrapped around in the bristles of the
brush. When, I leaned over my dresser into the mirror, I saw my brown eyes staring
back at me, and fine red veins travel up to my cornea. Trying to ignore the
exhaustion prevalent in my eyes, I pulled open the top drawer and pulled out a T-
shirt with droopy letters, a bra, and jeans. By the time I was done getting dressed
and staring at myself in the mirror, the doorbell rang. I shoved my phone in my
pocket and ran through the bedroom door and up to the front door that was next
to my living room and kitchen. My hand fell on the doorknob and even warmer air
entered my lungs.
I opened the door, and a girl with red hair that stretched down to her waist stood
before me. Her eyes, which I’ve complimented before, were bright green and
curved slightly down at the tips. The corners of her lips were slightly up, and her
arms were crossed over her shirt that was covered in floral patterns.