Love Left Unsaid
I like this story I wrote and I hope that you all enjoy it as much as I do too. I wrote it thinking of my daughter while stuck inside on a cold Febraury day. It was around Valentine’s Day and that inspired me. I had long wanted to use my daughter asa character in a story and this is what I came up with. I wrote it the pantsers way, I just let the charcter dictate what happens. It started with an image of a girl crying at a school bonfire. And thus “Love Left Unsaid” was born. Enjoy!
P.S. I apologize for the grammar erros and such.
Love Left Unsaid
By: Carlos A. Arce
This is it. This is the day; I will not give up until I find him, and give him his birthday gift. Zyanya grabbed her cellphone and called her friends.
“Trish, have you heard anything about where Nate might be at after the Snowmageddon Snowball Fight Tournament?” She asked. Zyanya spun around in her white fuzzy swivel chair, staring at the ceiling, waiting for Trish to answer her question.
After several heart-pounding minutes of listening to her friend talk about the latest gossip, Trish answered her, “I honestly could not tell you. I was too busy thinking of what I was gonna wear to the event.”
“Thanks, Trish.” Zyanya answered as she hung up and slammed her phone on the desk. One by one, they all told her the same thing: they didn’t know where he would be. She rushed over to the computer and thought of friends they had in common to locate him.
“Yes,” she yelled at the picture of her friend Joe, as she threw her arms in the air with delight. “I know this is borderline stalking, but a girl has to do what a girl has to do.”
Her fingers moved at a furious speed, typing up the email. I know Joe can help me. Besides, Joe and I were always cool in middle school.
She sent it and waited patiently. In a matter of minutes, she heard the beep of an incoming message, and her heart almost stopped. Zyanya, come on, girl, open it. Do not chicken out now; you always accomplish what you set your mind to. Why should this be any different?
She took a deep breath, grabbed the mouse, and her finger clicked on the right button. She closed her eyes and turned away slightly, not wanting to see the email. After a few seconds, she exhaled and opened one eye, looking at the email with caution. The email contained a large GIF of a kitten shrugging its shoulders with question marks over its head. Underneath the gif were the words “Just kidding, I know where he will be. At the BONFIRE.”
“Oh Em Gee! Of course, Zyanya, where is your head tonta.” Zyanya was beside herself with joy at finally knowing where Nathaniel would be. She jumped up from her seat and ran to the mirror. She took a quick glance at herself up and down, and imagined it was Nathaniel she was standing in front of. Hello Nathaniel, congratulations on your victory. She thought to herself as she stood on her tiptoes, making herself look taller. She held both her arms to her back, and she swung her shoulders back and forth, smiling and batting her eyes.
I have a special gift in celebration of your victory and birthday. I hope you like… She paused as her mom interrupted her to come and eat her Menudo before it got cold.
As soon as she was done with her Menudo, she got up and ran to her room.
“Hahaha,” her uncle laughed. “Someone must have a date tonight.”
“Ay, Tio.” Zyanya said, rolling her eyes as she closed the door to her room. She planned out her day and what she was going to say. She laid out her clothes — black fleece leggings and a black and red lace-top sweater with black snow boots lined with fleece wool. She could barely contain her excitement as she danced around her room. Today will be magical.
***
Hours later, she got dressed, wrapped the gift, and put it inside her purse. Everything was going great until it dawned on her. Transportation! Zyanya slapped her forehead and threw her hands up in despair. Now what?
She threw herself onto the bed, lying on the bed frustrated and exhaled. I can ask Mama for a ride, but I know she is way too busy. If I bother her, she might put me to do chores too. Tio! I will ask Uncle Joe for his snowmobile. He owes me one.
“Uncle Joe,” she yelled out to him. She ran downstairs and jumped in the air, landing on the sofa next to him.
“Tio, you remember how you said you owed me one, last time I covered for you.”
“When did I say that Zyanya?” Uncle Joe asked.
“You know, when you broke mom’s heirloom vase.” Zyanya reminded him, with a devilish smile sweeping across her face. She leaned on Uncle Joe’s shoulder and gave him her best puppy-eyes look she could muster.
“What do you want?” Uncle Joe asked, squinting his eyes at her. He knew he had trouble telling his only niece no, especially when she gave him those puppy eyes.
“I need the keys to the snowmobile.” Zyanya said, extending her right hand out to him and motioning for him to hand them over. He shook his head in disbelief at her, and he facepalmed his forehead.
“Mom, about that vase, you remember it?” Zyanya raised her voice enough for her mom to hear her all the way in the kitchen.
“Si, I remember it, whatever happened to it?” Her mom inquired. “My Mama gave it to me full of roses when your Papi passed away.”
Her uncle’s eyes widened, and he pressed a finger against his lips, trying to shush Zyanya. He got up and motioned for her to stop with both hands, muffling his laughter simultaneously. “Mija, please don’t do this to your favorite Uncle. Me va matar, she will kill me.”
Zyanya got up, put one hand on her hip, and the other she extended, motioning again for the keys. All the while, she tapped her foot on the floor, trying to contain her laughter. She knew she had already won the standoff. Her uncle bowed his head, his shoulders dropped, and he put his hands in his pockets.
“You win, Nanas. You win.” He said, handing over the keys and shaking his head with a muffled laugh. He sat back down onLazyboy and threw his hands up in defeat. “I am defeated, can I at least watch my show in peace?”
Zyanya jumped for joy and squealed. She blew him a kiss and hopped back to her room to grab her white wool-lined jacket. Nathaniel, here I come.
***
The door flew open as Zyanya came racing out, and was stopped frozen as the chilly wind hit her face. A shiver ran up and down her body, but she didn’t let it slow her down. She jumped on the snowmobile and turned the key. The motor sputtered, but died. Oh, come on, give me a break, will you?
She thought for a second about everything her Uncle Joe had taught her about riding one. Then she remembered, she primed the engine and tried again. This time the engine started up, purring like a kitten. As she pulled out of the driveway, she heard her uncle Joe yell something, but could not make out the words.
Zyanya zoomed through oncoming traffic on the old snowmobile with skilled determination. Her heart was beating fast as the wind kicked up snow and covered her. The adrenaline and excitement of finally confessing to Nathaniel her love for him. almost blinded her to an oncoming car. She swerved, leaving behind an angry driver yelling into the cold winter wind.
Finally, she saw the open arena, and she skidded into a parking spot, jumping off, and throwing her helmet on the snowmobile. Okay, we are close to the moment of truth. Let’s do this.
She gathered herself, dusting the snow from her jacket. She took a deep breath and began walking towards the entrance to Snowmageddon. Her heart pounded and body shook from excitement more than the cold.
“Excuse me, young lady.” The man taking the ticket said. “Can I see your ticket?”
“Yes, of course.” Zyanya replied. It’s in my… “She couldn’t find the ticket in her pockets.
“Ticket, please.”
“I’ll be back.” Zyanya ran back to the snowmobile to retrieve the tickets. She found them and ran back, waving them at the security. The security guard waved her through and opened the door for her. As she stepped in, her heart sank at the thought of not finding Nathaniel before he left the event. How am I supposed to find him in this crowd?
“Zyanya.” A shout came from somewhere in the crowd. “Nathaniel won the Snowmageddon snowball fight tourney.”
Zyanya looked around on her tiptoes, trying to find who was shouting to her. It was Joe, her and Nathaniel’s friend. “Where is he, Joe?”
“Who knows where he is in this massive crazy crowd?” Joe replied.
“I need to find him.” Zyanya said as her eyes scanned left and right for him.
“Last I saw him; his teammates were carrying him away.”
“I will find him, if this is meant to be, I will find him.” Zyanya said as she took off zigzagging and squeezing through people. In the distance, she heard Joe yell something about a room, but was unable to understand it.
Come on, Zyanya, squeeze through. Faster. Time is ticking. How bad do you want this? She saw an impenetrable wall of cheering fans as they shouted obnoxious approvals.
That must be him and his teammates. That is where he is. She looked for something she could climb to see if she could spot him. Against the fence stood a 4-foot stack of plastic crates put there by the sellers after they restocked their shelves. She bit down on her lip and stepped over to climb them. From the top of the stack, she saw the teammates walking into the boys’ locker room.
I am almost there. Now I just need to figure out how to get past that crowd and get his attention. She let go of the beam she had been balancing herself with, and the crates shook beneath her.
No, no, no. Oh God, not now. I am so close. She tumbled down as the crates buckled under her. She felt a sharp pain in her right leg and arm, as well as the sound of tearing cloth and tumbling crates.
Great, I am covered in dirty snow and my clothes are torn. Her face, and she blew the snow from her face, growing more determined. Well, at least I’m now on this side of the fence. She exhaled and rolled her hands into fists. She limped and breathed through her curled lips like a mad bull. Her eyes were set on entering the boys’ locker room one way or another to attract his attention. All eyes turned to her as she limped into the room, and the guys shouted at her. “I’m here for Nathaniel, and I’ll not leave until I see him,” she blurted out.
“Young lady, you are not allowed to be in here.” came a booming voice from behind her. She turned around and stared at the security guard’s big round belly. Her eyes widened as she gazed up at a six-and-a-half-foot angry man. Her expression changed from determination to fear as she was lifted out of the locker room and towards a group of people dancing around a huge bonfire. She found the closest seat, and her heart sank in sorrow as she watched her hopes burn with the bonfire. A tear fell as she dropped his gift in the melting snow.
“I am so sorry, it turned out this way, friend.” A familiar, comforting voice came from behind her.
Zyanya looked up, tears running down her face. “Trish! Please tell me where he is.” She pleaded.
“He left right after the event.” Trish responded, hugging Zyanya. “His parents came and picked him up, and they are headed to the airport.”
“I guess it was not meant to be.” Zyanya cried into her friend’s shoulder.
Image is Ai generated by: dezgo.com/