In My Art

Chapter 20- Lemon Sticky Note

Song- Max Richter- The Four Seasons Recomposed: Spring I

…/…

“This just might be the first time I like your choice of movie,” ID says. “You’re very much welcome,” I replied. “Okay, time for the boy talk now,” I said, as we were all seated on the floor, pillows and duvets with snacks everywhere.

“Why are you pushing for this anyway?” ID asked. “Lex and Jane have been holding out on us for a long time. I can’t even recall Lex giving us feedback concerning their first date and they’ve been on two more dates since then. Jane is just being super secretive and it’s not cool”.

“That is so true. You guys have to start spilling, now” ID says. “Look, Cole and I have been taking things really slow and it got slower because of the exams. I mean, we study together, but we don’t hang out as much anymore. I explained my stance on relationships to him and he claims he understands, so yeah. We’re just sort of in a place right now”.

Lexie’s explanation made a lot of sense. “But how was the date? Do you think you guys can be something more?” “The dates were amazing honestly. He’s a really sweet person and he knows how to make me smile, which is one thing I like about him, amongst others. So yeah, right now, it’s possible that we can become something more. Maybe over the holidays”.

“Aww,” I cooed. “I’m happy for you,” ID said. “Over to you, missy,” Lex says to Jane. “I told you guys already, this party is going to be the best way for me to spend more time with him, get to know his intentions and everything”.

“You don’t know his intentions, yet you’re smiling hopelessly while texting him, wow”. “It’s not easy Char, he’s really cute. He’s the cutest at writing epistles and his compliment game is topnotch”. “You know what, let’s start from the beginning. What’s the dude’s name?” ID asked.

“You don’t know his name?” I asked in disbelief. “No, why?” “Well, I thought she’d have told you but it looks like she didn’t tell anyone of us,” I said. “I didn’t tell ID on purpose, yours was just a mistake”. “Wait, what?” ID says, shocked.

“I didn’t tell you because you know the person and, well, you can be you and scare the person away or tell me I’m settling for less, which I know I’m not, so yeah, that’s why,” Jane explains. I could understand Jane’s perspective, but then again, friends are always supposed to tell each other the truth, no matter how bitter it may be. ID’s methods are just extreme, that’s all.

“Okay, I wouldn’t judge. Just tell me who the person is,” ID says. The silence that filled the room could only be considered as Jane weighing her options. “It’s Rohan,” she finally gave in. “Rohan!?” Lexie hits her side with so much force that ID says, “Oh, Rohan. I heard something else”.

Jane gave her the ‘Of course you did’ look. “That’s a cute name,” I said. “Yeah, and he’s the cutest. I already told Ty that we couldn’t work out, mentioned priorities and all of that, and surprisingly, it ended on good terms. We went to get lunch after the conversation”. “And you’re sure he got the message,” Lexie says, which makes me laugh.

“Did the study date work out well for you two?” I asked. “Yup! It only happened once though, because at that time, I hadn’t told Tyler and, well, it would’ve been weird for us to go on a second study date”. “You guys studied together?” ID asked, as though Jane hadn’t just said it.

I don’t know who this guy truly is, but something was fishy. The way ID kept asking questions and responding to the different looks of unbelief made me more curious. Is Jane just crushing or is there more to it all than meets the eye? I guess the only way we’d find out is at the party.

…/…

“You have thirty minutes to finish this round,” the examiner said. There I was sitting in the examination hall, losing sight of what was in front of me. During the past two days, I had allowed the Last Paper Syndrome to consume me. I allowed it and it did!

Now, I’m seated in front of a desktop, with its screen staring at me. I’m supposed to be able to interpret the words I see, but all I can think of is how I’d finally be free from all the studying and narratives and characters and major headliners for a while.

The thought of snow also takes residence somewhere in my head. I watched the news earlier before coming to write the exam and there’s the probability of it snowing by tomorrow, which meant that I needed to talk to Dan tonight because he really needed to wake up.

“Ten minutes more,” the examiner called out. “Charlotte, get your head in the game,” I said to myself. The art of remembering the words on my notes is something I have long developed since the early days. To read for pleasure is to watch a movie with the writer as the director, but to read for academic purposes is to remember the words as they are on the pages.

The paragraphs, the punctuation marks, the letter cases, and the fonts. I have trained my brain to remember exactly how the page is. It’s like I take a picture of the page and I remember how the words follow each other, one after the other.

So, why was I finding it hard to remember this particular paragraph? It’s just before the second lemon sticky note, a little to the left, so it’s not aligned with the rest. I could remember the last phrase but the starting words were teasing me, dancing around in my memory. Present enough for me to notice they were there but also present enough to be out of reach, or in this case, out of access.

‘It’s just one question, the last question’ I said in my head. Then, the weirdest thing happened. From the last word of the paragraph, I started tracing the words and they started appearing one before the other, till the paragraph was complete. “Yes!” I screamed internally. The semester ended in the best way possible, the most risky way, but the best way!

“And rise!” the examiner yelled.

…/…

“Remember when you took me to the cliff when I told you I didn’t like snow? I told you that I didn’t see the beauty of it and the fuss other people were making and you said “Don’t worry, you’ll see”. I saw it that day, Dan, and I could see you smile because you saw me see it.

We watched the first snow of the season fall together and I know that was when we formed our special connection. I stopped seeing you as my cousin and you became my older brother. You’re my brother, Dan, and I really need you right now.

“Charlotte, you need to say what you just said again,” my dad yelled. “What?” I asked, really confused. “Say what you said again,” he said.

“You’re my older brother and I really need you,” I said. “Crackers! Char!” “Dad, call the doctor!” I yelled. My body was in my room but my mind was in the hospital room with Dan. “Dad! Dad!” I called out, but no one replied.

“Char,” he said, with the weakest voice.