"I'm James. Yeah, I'm here a lot. My roomie is a bit..um..crazy. He's not my biggest fan, and it's just easier to avoid than to deal with it, you know? I come hang out here and do homework or just chill. I really love coming here after hours. It's quiet. Sometimes I bring a book up here to read. And I've totally always dreamed of doing a dance party up here. The acoustics would be amazing. And...now I'm rambling. Sorry. That was a simple yes or no, wasn't it?"
"Ha. You're fine. It's good to know I've got some company in my love for this place." Hannah wasn't sure what was different, but talking with James was easy. She's forgotten what real conversations were like. "I've always spent a lot of time here. I was in a triple my freshman year, I totally understand the need to escape."
"I guess it is an escape. So what are you escaping from now?"
"Myself."
"Oh. I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to intrude." They'd finished moving the piece and now stood awkwardly around, unsure what the next logical step was. "I'll just get out of your way. Thanks for the help."
"No. It's fine. I needed it. Probably more than I knew. I haven't really dealt with some stuff; mostly because I didn't know how. I mean I still don't. It's just that I just can't let her go. Like, that's not how I function. And I don't really know how to tell people that. I feel totally selfish. We weren't best friends. We used to be close, but in the end I didn't really know anything about her. I don't have the right to feel this bad about her. I just.. I just don't know how to come back."
Her back up against the wall, Hannah sunk to the floor and pulled her knees to her chest. And she cried. Finally. She put her head down and sobbed. She just let go. Ten minutes later, she had cried herself out. After she'd finally calmed down, she looked up to an empty room. Great. She had scared him away. Probably scarred him for life.
The next day, Hannah was back in the studio. She found herself standing in front of James' mirror. She may not understand herself, but he seemed to. Now if he could just help her figure herself out. She gave up on the mirror after a while and ended up back at her work station.
There was a paper crane sitting on her desk with a note underneath. "Sorry I disappeared. I'm not so good with crying. Or girls. Please forgive me. Maybe this will make you smile."
It did make her smile, and gave her an idea. She'd start with James' and create a flock. One thousand origami cranes. A legend said anyone who folded 1000 paper cranes was granted a wish; this story spread with a storybook about a Japanese girl who had leukemia, a book Hannah's mom read to the girls when they were young. A fitting end, a memorial flock of cranes for Michelle, and a healing wish for Hannah.
*For more information about the story of the origami cranes and a little girl's wish, check out Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr
"Ha. You're fine. It's good to know I've got some company in my love for this place." Hannah wasn't sure what was different, but talking with James was easy. She's forgotten what real conversations were like. "I've always spent a lot of time here. I was in a triple my freshman year, I totally understand the need to escape."
"I guess it is an escape. So what are you escaping from now?"
"Myself."
"Oh. I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to intrude." They'd finished moving the piece and now stood awkwardly around, unsure what the next logical step was. "I'll just get out of your way. Thanks for the help."
"No. It's fine. I needed it. Probably more than I knew. I haven't really dealt with some stuff; mostly because I didn't know how. I mean I still don't. It's just that I just can't let her go. Like, that's not how I function. And I don't really know how to tell people that. I feel totally selfish. We weren't best friends. We used to be close, but in the end I didn't really know anything about her. I don't have the right to feel this bad about her. I just.. I just don't know how to come back."
Her back up against the wall, Hannah sunk to the floor and pulled her knees to her chest. And she cried. Finally. She put her head down and sobbed. She just let go. Ten minutes later, she had cried herself out. After she'd finally calmed down, she looked up to an empty room. Great. She had scared him away. Probably scarred him for life.
The next day, Hannah was back in the studio. She found herself standing in front of James' mirror. She may not understand herself, but he seemed to. Now if he could just help her figure herself out. She gave up on the mirror after a while and ended up back at her work station.
There was a paper crane sitting on her desk with a note underneath. "Sorry I disappeared. I'm not so good with crying. Or girls. Please forgive me. Maybe this will make you smile."
It did make her smile, and gave her an idea. She'd start with James' and create a flock. One thousand origami cranes. A legend said anyone who folded 1000 paper cranes was granted a wish; this story spread with a storybook about a Japanese girl who had leukemia, a book Hannah's mom read to the girls when they were young. A fitting end, a memorial flock of cranes for Michelle, and a healing wish for Hannah.
*For more information about the story of the origami cranes and a little girl's wish, check out Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr
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