Something You Lost

"The Boy Across the Hall"

Sometimes it's not just about what is lost, or even lacking in a life. Lacking is just that of course. A general emptiness, or lack of being in a person's life. And then there's loss. It could be the little kind. The directions downtown, where are my keys, how can I end up with so many single pairs of socks loss. Then the loss that's harder, that knocks you down and takes your breath and doesn't always give it back. Your life, someone else's. Even what it feels like to really laugh. Too many people stopped valuing laughter.

But then there's those times it is something else.

"...hi."

"...hi."

It doesn't seem like a lot. It sure as heck doesn't feel like a lot. Not yet, at least. He looks and she looks back and the flutters just go one way. But then that's they way it goes, right? She's steady and he's smiling.

It is a really nice smile.

"The weather's been pretty great, huh?"

And a really nice day too it seemed.

"Yeah." She's still smiling. There isn't any reason not to, really. "I mean, not that I think it an ever be GREAT great, of you know what I mean. Great's a person to person sort of thing, I think, maybe pancakes for breakfast. Even acing a test but is it really physically possible for everything to be great? It's like everything being cute. There was this girl I knew once and everything was cute and I really don't....see how...."

He's doing that thing again. Staring at her. Fred's mouth clamps shut and fir the first time she notices his eyes. Chocolate syrup.

They're... great eyes.

And the fluttering's got a lot less one-sided. The apartment landing? A little smaller.

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