Here's a short story inspired by the song "Dear Maria, Count Me In" by All Time Low. I hope you enjoy!
Dear Maria,
I miss you. You don’t call anymore, you don’t write. You’ve become a ghost of my past, someone I can’t reach but can’t forget. I’ve written to you a thousand times, but every letter comes back to me. Where are you?
They say you’re famous now, living large in the big city. Do you remember where you come from? We grew up next to each other; we were best friends. We used to play in the streets with the other kids, pretending to be anything and everything. Some days, we were rock stars; others, we were astronauts. It was all pretend, but it was better than the life we had.
I always knew you would make something of yourself someday. You weren’t born for the trailer park, and I wasn’t the only one who could see it. People were drawn to you like moths to a flame, and I was no exception. There was a spark in your eyes, and I knew the fire that burned in your heart. You always wanted more from this life, more than what our parents had. I always considered myself lucky to have you as my best friend.
We talked about the future seriously, under the shelter of our blanket forts. While our parents were gone, working their lives away for scraps, we would dream big. Getting out of here, making it to the city, going to school… You said you wanted to help people, maybe be a doctor or something. You said the debt would be worth it, in the end. I said I wasn’t smart enough, so the best I could hope for was a stable 9-to-5 job in an office somewhere. Maybe I could make it in finance; I was good with numbers. My real dream was always music, though. It was a well-kept secret that only you were privy to.
Reality came knocking on our doors fast enough. School was easy for you, not challenging enough, so you started cutting classes. You made friends with other kids, and we started drifting apart. By the time we finished high school, I barely saw you anymore. Once in a while, you’d still knock on my window and climb into my room under the cover of darkness. We’d talk like we used to. You’d tell me you messed up and you were scared. You’d say you wanted to get your life back on track again but were afraid it was too late. I’d hold you, promise you I’d help, and you’d fall asleep in my arms. By morning, you’d be gone, and I’d be left wondering if this would be the last time I’d see you.
I graduated high school and made it into community college. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was a door out. You came to me the night before I left, and you cried. You promised we’d keep in touch, and you promised you’d finish high school soon and join me in college. “Wait for me,” you said, kissing me lightly before disappearing once again in the shadows cast by moonlight.
I held on to that night for so long, waiting for you. I would write every week, hoping to hear back from you, but I never did. When I’d call home, I’d ask our once mutual friends where you were. They all shrugged and said you left, but none of them could tell me where. Your parents left, so I had no address to send letters to anymore. I had no idea if you even read those I had sent until then. I kept writing though because despite everything, you were – are – still my best friend.
I worried about you often, fearing you might have fallen into the same traps many girls from our neighborhood did. Through the vines, I heard you were doing alright, that you got picked up by an agent and became a model. I hoped you were happy and healthy, although I did wonder if it was truly what you wanted. I would think about all those nights spent under pillows and blankets with snacks and wonder if the girl I knew then still existed somewhere deep inside. I wondered if you remembered me at all.
I know I’m still hanging on to someone who is gone. Whoever you are now, you are not the girl I grew up with anymore, and that’s okay. I need to let you go so I can stop looking at the past and focus on the future. It may not have been exactly what we had dreamed of, but it’s pretty damn good. I have a stable job, not in finance, but in IT. It’s not glamorous, and I never pursued music, but I am happy.
I met someone. We’re getting married soon. For a long time, I thought you’d be by my side on the big day, one way or another. We live in two different worlds now. I hope you are happy and that your life is everything that you ever wanted. I don’t know if this will ever reach you, but I wanted to say thank you for believing in me when we were young; I wouldn’t have everything without having someone else pushing me to aim higher.
I will always love you, Maria. Goodbye,
A.
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