My wine bottle's low
Watching for the snow
I've been thinking about what
I've been missing in the city
******
“Hunter!”
Hunter turned. Blake was so relieved. These days Hunter had been so busy… It was so hard to find him during his free time. Luckily, Blake had had years of tracking his bro.
“Blake… Hey! What’s up?” Hunter strolled up. “Walk with me?” Yeah, Hunter was still busy. Head teacher had lots of responsibility.
Blake fell into step as his fingers stroked the three notes in his jean jacket pocket. How to begin… that was the problem.
Silently the two walked for a moment. Hunter stopped suddenly and looked at Blake. “What’s wrong?” He paused and when Blake didn’t respond, Hunter tried again. “Come on, bro. Spill it.”
“I think Tori and I are having trouble.” Blake shook his head… this was only the beginning… but you had to start somewhere, right?
“How so?”
“I’ve been away a lot with Factory Blue and all.”
“So she misses you?”
“Dunno… but she’s not as open anymore. It’s like she’s different… a stranger again. Like we’ve turned back time. Like we’re starting over and it’s not that fun this time.”
“You still like her? Right?”
“Yeah. I still feel strongly for her… with all we’ve been through… it’s hard not to…”
“But?”
“But well… I’m distracted… she’s distracted…”
By? With you, I mean…”
“I keep thinking about other people sometimes… when I’m alone… when I’m on the road… when I dream… sometimes, even when I with her. I still love her, but I think I’ve lost my connection with her.”
“Other people?”
“Well, actually… other person…”
“Who?”
“Bro… I’m not comfortable not thinking about her… I’m really not comfortable yet about thinking about someone else… I really don’t want to say names yet.” Blake looked at his feet.
“Okay. Do what you feel, bro.”
“It’s just… well… I wouldn’t have even come back last weekend… But Tori sounded weird on the phone. She wasn’t able to talk to me… So I came back and met her at the beach. She just sounded weird. I don’t think I’m making her happy anymore. So after the movie I bugged out. I went back to moto.” Blake kicked a stone. “Then I came back to Blue Bay again last night. She was out with her mom and sister. She still hasn’t called me. And then I found this on my pillow last night.” Blake pulled one of the notes out of his pocket.
Hunter opened the first note. His eyes flickered with amusement and fascination. He whispered the words as Blake flinched.
“Watching from afar
Thunder swells within my heart
Thunder joins my storm
-Blake? This is a haiku! Someone wrote a haiku for you?”
“Yeah… I guess.”
“Any idea who left this for you?”
“I wish I knew. There’s one I hope it’s from, but it’s highly unlikely.” Blake handed him the second note.
“Same person as who you’re daydreaming about these days?”
Blake only chuckled. Hunter unfolded the second note.
“Hmph… Was this on your pillow, too?”
“No. It was on my door this morning.”
“The Wind is sparking
Arcs of lighning fill the air
I’ll ride this storm out.
-This is pretty good. Both of them are. It sounds like whoever it is really is in to you. Could it be Tori?”
“Nah… it’s not her writing, plus she’s been out with her mom. I’ve been at the tent the whole time watching my cell phone, hoping she’ll call so we can talk. She would have had no time and there was no trace of her. Whoever it was is real good… and used to leaving no trace.” Blake handed him the third note. “And then there’s this.”
“You’re staying in the spare tent on Wind Academy grounds, right?” Hunter’s eyes widened as he read.
“Storms swell within me
Thunder could break from water
Wind takes rain away
I walk between the storms now
I reach for thunder, for you
-Woah!”
“Yeah, I found that when I stepped outside the tent to watch one of the classes warming up. So anyway, the fact that I’m on Academy grounds eliminates all non-ninja.”
“Marah’s happily chasing Dustin now.”
“Kapri?”
“Writing haikus? Nah!” They spoke simultaneously.
“Well, that leaves CyberCam.”
Blake looked at Hunter and tried to cover his uncomfortable shrug.
(To be continued...)
Where now?
