The Mystery Boy

The White family was a very posh group, they never were incredibly special nor kind. The only thing that made them so popular was money. Sylvia (she goes by Sylvie) was the exception. The whole family had beach blonde hair and crystal blue eyes even if it wasn’t natural. Sylvie would never let her mother, Gretchen, bleach her hair, she would always cry and scream; and she had her grandmother’s emerald, green eyes. Sylvie was the first-born child, and she was hidden often by her parents because she didn’t fit their brand, but when Mother Gretchen and Farther Peter were blessed with Constance, the baby with light brown hair that could be bleached easier than Sylvie’s chestnut brown, and crystal blue eyes, they finally had a child that they could brag about. When Sylvie turned sixteen her parents didn’t bat an eye; but when their favorite baby Constance turned thirteen, it should be obvious that they threw a huge party to celebrate.

While Constance was playing with her very snob-ish friends, Sylvie was just sitting on the couch waiting for this whole thing to end. She knew better to think that it would be a short party. The clock seemed to strike eight so slowly. There were not many interesting things to look at in the White’s house, only old fancy paintings of dirt and grass, and shiny expensive vases with weird looking, odd smelling flowers in them. As the things to look at got fewer and fewer Sylvie started to watch Constance and her friends, which was an awful idea. After a moment of looking at Constance and her friends, they noticed and started to talk loudly about her.

“I wonder sometimes if you’re even related to her?” said one. Another piped up, “What if she was adopted? That would make her even more of a loser.”

Constance stopped them and said, “Hey!... You’re totally right, she probably was adopted, but that doesn’t make her more of a loser. She is already the biggest loser, yet.” All the girls laughed, then it was time to open gifts. Of course, Sylvie hears that all the time from her sister and her sister’s friends, but that day it got under her skin. Seeing her little sister get things that she never got, and to see all the love her parents gave to her little sister was pushing her to the edge.

When Sylvie’s emotions bubble to the top like that she would usually just cry in her room, but that was where they were keeping the coats from all the guests. She knew her Mother wouldn’t even notice if she left, so she went upstairs to her room, she opened her window, and she climbed into the remarkably close standing tree. When she closed the window, she could no longer hear the noise of the party. The fact alone that she couldn’t hear her sister’s party was making her mood slightly better.

It was a fall Thursday night, in the north-western city. So, it was quite cold, but Sylvie didn’t care. The sound of leaves falling, owls hooting, and slight leaf crunching kept her mind off the cold winding wind. As a few minutes had past the sound of singing and more leaf crunching added to the mix of sounds that Sylvie was listening to. She tried to spot the noise but for a good moment, she couldn’t seem to pin-point the person who was singing, with a soothing voice, closer and closer to her.

When the person walked out into a streetlamp’s light, Sylvie could finally see him. He looked like he was holding a dim flashlight. “If my flashlight goes out, before I get home, Mom is going to killll me.” He kept singing that over and over. Sylvie let out a small giggle when the boy tripped, and his voice squeaked. The boy looked around for a minute with his flashlight trying to find where that giggle came from, then he pointed the light up at Sylvie, right in her face. “Oh. A really pretty girl, in a tree heard my voice crack, that’s embarrassing and creepy at the same time. I would ask you why you are in that tree, but as you might have heard, my mom might killll me if I don’t get home, so bye cute creepy girl!” he sang.

Sylvie was shocked and flustered by being called pretty, but she responded with “Bye goof ball boy!” As the boy kept walking away Sylvie tried to keep her eyes on him, but he soon left her line of sight. ‘That boy said I was pretty, he called me cute! He also called me creepy twice…...but cute!’ Sylvie was so flabbergasted that a boy would call her anything let alone cute, and she had never been called pretty by anyone before either. The whole experience looped in her head many times. Each time she blushed a bit more.

The thoughts of that boy made the time fly by, and after what felt like a minute Sylvie heard voices walking out of her house and her parents wishing them goodbye. Before her parents went back in the house, Sylvie rushed back inside. Constance was too distracted by all her new gifts that she didn’t notice that Sylvie plopped herself back on the couch.

“Darling, you have to go to bed now, it is ten pm” said Mother Gretchen softly.

“Uhh, fine mom” Constance puffed.

“You know tomorrow is a school day” Mother said still being kind.

“I KNOW! I’M NOT DUMB” Constance screamed while running up to her room.

Sylvie just followed her angry sister not saying one word. ‘Wow I really think she didn’t even notice me going up the stairs, I’m good at this’ she thought as she got ready for bed. Every time she was about to get to sleep the thought of that boy kept her from slumber. She wished she could get a good look at him, not when it’s dark. She wondered if that boy called all the girls he met pretty and cute or was that just for her. She hoped to get to see him again and actually get to talk with him. She really wanted to hear him sing or even just talk again. She desperately wanted to know his name. After a while, the thoughts and question turned into dreams.

That morning Sylvie got ready for school with a pep in her step, she was praying to see this boy at school. Driving Constance to school every morning was the most boring thing ever but today she had that boy in her mind. ‘I wonder if I’m crazy to think of someone like this after only seeing them once’ she thought as she parked the family car next to the school. Usually, Constance would rush in, not to be seen with Sylvie, and today was the same in that way. Her friend Beca would always wait for her by the door and talk to her while they walked to their class.

“Sylvie! Wow, you’re not late? That’s super surprising” Beca said teasing her friend.

“Yeah, I can’t believe it either. But I’m here early for something special” Sylvie started to blush.

“What is special today? Why are you blushing? Wait did you meet a boy?!” Beca hoping for more ammo to tease Sylvie with.

“Um, not really, but yes” she started to walk faster and faster trying to avoid those ‘boy’ questions.

When class started Sylvie could not focus on anything school related there was just too much on her mind. ‘Does he come to my school?’ ‘How much older is he to me?’ ‘Is he younger than me?’ ‘Why was he walking at night?’ ‘Will I ever see him again?’ Forcefully she was awoken from her thoughts by the announcements.

“Attention students, there is a paper airplane throwing competition from three-thirty to four, there is volleyball practice from four to seven- thirty, and today is pizza day” Beca poked at Sylvie trying to get her attention.

“Sylvie, you’re coming with me to the paper airplane thing,” she whispered.

“I have to bring Constance home,” Sylvie whispered to her friend.

“You’re coming, it’s not an option,” Beca said with an evil grin.

“I’ll get in trouble,” she said trying to get out of it.

“You are coming with me!” Beca said slightly louder. The teacher heard her and said “Mis Beca, do you have to say something right now?” “No ma’am, sorry,” Beca said quickly. Sylvie tried ridiculously hard not to laugh.

The whole day went by so slowly, every class was just ‘boy questions.’ Beca would not stop asking them aloud. Sylvie was terrified at the thought of saying the things that were in her head. Usually, she would tell her friend everything, but she only saw this boy once and now she can’t get him out of her head. What if Beca thought that she was a boy crazy wacko. So, the questions that Beca asked her about this boy were scary because she didn’t want to seem crazy.

“Why aren’t you talking to me about this boy thing?” Beca asked right before the first paper airplane was thrown.

“Because there isn’t a boy thing” Sylvie was a bad liar.

“Why are you lying to me?” Beca looked right into Sylvie’s soul.

“I’m not…oh, look at the time, it’s my turn to throw my airplane.” Beca obviously rolled her eyes at her goof ball of a friend.

Trying to pay attention to throwing the airplane Sylvie really wanted to win this, but her thoughts were only on the boy. ‘Get out of my mind!’ ‘What is his name?’ ‘Get out of my head!!!’ ‘What does he look like?’ ‘STOP!’ ‘Fly the airplane to him.’ Then without thinking her hand let go of the airplane, and it went flying.

“SYLVIE! How did you do that?” Beca screamed.

“Wait, what?” she looked around, “what did I do?”

“How did she do that?” one of the boys said in shock and envy.

“What did I even do?!” she said in a daze. The teacher that was holding the paper airplane competition was counting the feet that Sylvie’s airplane went.

“Sixty feet!” he said in shock.

“Sixty!” all the participants yelled.

“You’re joking” Beca said nudging Sylvie.

“I shouldn’t even go; I can’t beat sixty feet” pipped up one of the kids.

After the competition was over and the scores were tallied, and the winner was going to be called. Every student was crawling with excitement.

“And the winner is…” the teacher paused for dramatic affect. “Sylvia White!” the teacher finished with as much voice so that it could be heard over all the screaming, they were already screaming after the S.

Sylvie was so happy that she came to the competition, and even more happy that she won. When everyone started to congratulate her, she remembered that she was late to get home.

“Thank you, but I have to go” she said to everyone who was trying to talk to her.

As she was looking for Constance, for a brief moment in one of the windows she saw someone standing outside in bright pink cloths, ‘Constance, phew’ Sylvie thought racing to get outside. She tried to explain herself to Constance, but all the responses were, “you’re in trouble” “you’re in trouble.” And when they both got home, Constance’s chant was right.

Sylvie didn’t care that she wasn’t allowed to see Beca or have her phone for a week; she had enough things to think about. She wondered how she could see him again, she had so many questions that she didn’t ever think would be answered.

She paced the room for a moment thinking about how she could get him to answer her questions. Then she thought if only a speedy quick paper airplane that she threw could reach him. So, she started to make a paper airplane and on one of the wings she wrote the designation of her favorite spot: a park bench under a beautiful willow tree.

Then when the paper airplane was done, she had the best idea, she could hope that he would pass her house again and she would wait in her tree and throw the airplane at him, then he could meet her there. That would be the best thing that could happen!

If he didn’t pass by her house, she could just keep the paper airplane until he did.

It was a very cold evening, but to see this boy again Sylvie would do anything. The freezing wind was brisk on her feet, but she was too excited to be cold anywhere else. It was about seven- thirty when she got in the tree, the time felt as if it went by so slowly. The more time she stayed out there the colder she got and less excited she became.

Sylvie started to get doubtful that she would ever see this boy again. When she was about to go back inside, she heard that voice that was stuck in her head that whole day.

“I don’t want to run, but my flashlight sucks, and if it goes out, then Mom is going to killlll me” he sang. That repertory song gave Sylvie so much happiness. She was hoping that he was the same boy, she had this lovely feeling that it was, so she took a chance.

“Hey, mystery boy! Catch!” she said throwing the paper airplane. It was the scariest thing, but the airplane flew smoothly into the boy’s hands.

“Oh, you’re the girl in the tree! What is this for?” he asked tapping his foot on the ground.

“I know you have to get home, or your mom will kill you, so just meet me at the spot it says on the plane” Sylvie said smiling so hard.

“Ok…” the boy said walking away and looking at the plane.

“At noon!!!” she yelled.

The thought that rushed through her head was ‘what if that wasn’t the same guy?’ Sylvie did have some hopes that it was him, but maybe it wasn’t.

Even though it might not be the boy, she was meeting him at noon, and she had to tell her mom. Her mom was probably going to say that she couldn’t, but it was Saturday, so there was sight hope.

When she went downstairs, she saw her mom making food. She was nervous to ask but was so excited to go.

“Hey, mom, can I go out tomorrow?” she asked holding her hands together so that they would stop shaking.

“I told you already that you couldn’t go out with Beca so you should know the answer” Mother Gretchen said not even looking at her daughter.

“But I won’t be going with Beca…” she said now extremely nervous.

“Who will you be going out with then?” Mother asked still not looking at Sylvie.

“With a new friend, I can even bring Constance if that will make your response a yes” she said groaning in her mind that now she had to bring her snobby sister.

“Are you going to the park?” mother ask with a pursing her lips.

“Yes.”

“Then, I guess you may go” she said still not looking at her daughter the entire time.

“Thank you so much” she said with a huge smile. Then her mother looked at her with a slight smirk. “Constance, darling! Your sister is taking you to the park tomorrow!”

The smile of Sylvie’s face when down. She knew that Constance would not want to go, and she would force mother to say no to her.

When Constance stomped down the stairs, Sylvie knew that yes was done.

“Mom, I have things to do! I don’t want to go to the park” Constance yelled.

“You and your sister have to do things together sometimes, so I have made up my mind. No complaining” mother said upturning her nose.

“But mom! I hate her!” Constance yelled, stomping her feet, and flailing her arms.

“I understand mom, I will take Constance to the park” Sylvie said hoping to stay out of this fight.

“Thank you, you can go to your room now. Constance, I want to speak to you alone” mother said shooing Sylvie away. ‘Thank god’ she thought as she walked to her room. She could hear her sister and mother argue for a good long while.

The thought that she was about to meet the boy that was stuck in her mind was the most exciting thing, she didn’t even want to listen to the argument.

The night went the slowest as it could have possibly gone. She was only waiting one night but it felt like eternity. She couldn’t sleep she could only think, and the thoughts were so good for a moment, then they got sour. She thought that the guy would be mean, or a creep. She was hoping that he was the prince of her dreams, but what if he was the troll under the castle.

When morning came Sylvie got up at the crack of dawn and prepared to be the most beautiful that she could ever be. She took a shower, did her hair, put on a cool outfit, she thought to put makeup, but she didn’t want to, so she didn’t.

As she went downstairs, she saw her sister still in her pajamas, and that sparked her nerves.

“Why are you still in your pjs?” Sylvie asked with a shake in her voice.

“Because it’s morning, that’s what I wear” Constance said.

“You need to get ready! We need to get to the park soon” Sylvie said panicking.

“Uhh, I can eat my breakfast before getting ready” her sister said rolling her eyes.

It felt like every bite that Constance took was slower and slower, and when she finally got dressed Sylvie was practically jumping off the walls. As they left the house and walked to the park, the flowers in Sylvie’s stomach were growing so large and they started to bloom in her throat.

When they got there, they waited; they were thirty minutes early so Sylvie thought that they would have to wait for thirty more minutes. After what felt like an hour, which was only five minutes; Sylvie heard her sister groan.

“Uhh, why does he have to be here?” her sister said in a high whiny tone.

“Who are you complaining about now?” Sylvie asked rolling her eyes.

“It’s Zack from my class…and he brough his nerd brother! Could this day get any worse?” Constance actually sounded like a dog whining to get inside.

Sylvie knew what Zack looked like, because of Constance’s constant complaining, so when she looked around for just a moment, she spotted Zack and his brother.

They seemed to be walking towards Sylvie, and she had the brilliant thought, that Zack’s older brother could be the mystery boy that she had been waiting for.

That thought was soon proven correct by the voice that was stuck in her head coming out of the boy in front of her.

“Hey, my names Oliver. We met when you were in that tree…twice” the mystery boy said smiling.

“Oh wow, you look really like your voice…oh yeah, my name is Sylvie” she said smiling at this handsome, dark haired, brown/golden eyed, and a tall and toned boy.

“Hey constant” Zack said with a jolly smile.

“IT’S CONSTANCE!” Sylvie’s sister said running away towards the park. Zack followed her saying sorry.

“Sorry for him, my mom told me that I had to bring Zack” Oliver said looking at the ground, blushing.

“Oh, it’s fine. My mom told me to bring Constance too, so I understand” she said blushing as well.

It was awkward to start talking to Oliver, but they both had lots of things in common and Sylvie really liked listening to his beautiful voice. After twenty minutes or so of talking Constance came to Sylvie and complained all about Zack and his annoyance. It made Sylvie very happy.

“Please can we go home…” Constance whined.

“No way, I’m having fun. We can wait until dark” she smirked at her sisters shocked face. Then she continued, “And besides he’s probably trying to impress you because he likes you.” Constance gaged, and both Oliver and Sylvie laughed.

“Why aren’t you going home” Oliver said mocking Constance’s voice.

“Because miss prefect always gets what she wants, and I want to spend time here talking with you, so if that means she doesn’t get what she wants it makes it all as much sweeter” Sylvie smiled.

Oliver smiled, and Sylvie bushed. That whole day made her so happy, and it brought a lot of joy and giddiness when Oliver gave her his phone number.

When she got home, before dark, her mind could only think of the next time she could see Oliver and talk to him and look at his handsome face.