• I awoke with a jolt, a few droplets of sweat on my temples, sliding down to my cheeks to drip onto the bed sheet. My breathing was desperate, like I was suffocating. Bad nightmare I reassured myself. None of that happened. I never met the guy, or got his letter. Though I couldn’t sleep even with this. I glanced around before I laid my head back down. Something caught my attention, a piece of paper on my desk. Wait, there shouldn’t be anything on my desk I thought quickly, throwing the covers off me and approaching my desk. I picked up the letter and opened the square-folded paper and read:

    Dear Ashley,

    I must apologize for what happen yesterday. It seems you weren’t feeling well and I feel as though it was my fault. I do hope to talk to you later. Don’t worry. I will write again soon.

    Sincerely,
    ~Your secret admirer~

    My mouth fell to the floor. It was real?! I cried in my head. I fainted on him too?! I’m the worst! I groaned loudly; my hand started to hit my forehead repeatedly with the ball of my bone-skinny hand. I felt worse knowing he would try again. It was then that I noticed his handwriting. I was too busy trying to get to class; moreover it shocked me to read a letter from a guy. I realized how beautiful the handwriting was, written so perfectly. No smudges, blobs, errors, nothing. Who was this guy?

    My mother, Gail, knocked on the door, “Yes?” I asked. “May I come in?” she replied. My heart sped up; I had to hide the letter! I ran swiftly to my desk drawer and slipped it in there, then jumped back on my bed. “Come in.”
    The doorknob turned and a short, brown-haired woman with dark chocolate brown eyes and a skinny frame walked in. Her eyes were more serious, but with a mother’s caring worry for her child. I tilted my head as she plopped down on the edge of my bed. “Honey, I was worried when you came back they way you did. It was like you had asked someone out and they rejected you, you looked that terrible.”
    I paused, that reminded me, how DID I get home? “O-oh” I stuttered. “No, I wasn’t rejected or anything” I started plainly, besides I was the one who did the rejecting.

    Her thin curved eyebrow arched even more. She sighed and said “If you feel like talking, you know I’m always up for it.” I nodded at her and she smiled back, tickling at my weak spots. I screamed giggles, my hands fighting hers as a tear or two dropped from my eyes. I was then gasping for breath when she stopped; she patted my forehead then kissed it. I pretended to be grossed out by it and we smiled into each other’s faces. My mom surprised me as she pulled me into a tight bear hug and quickly skidded out of my room.

    I sighed loudly and fell back into my pillows. My clock was flashing 10:00, like it was trying to signal me or something. I ignored it and closed my eyes, the room was then pitch black and my mind went elsewhere.