Sally & Marie

It was that romantic time of the year where winter and spring meet. The weather starts to rise. The sun comes out to play a bit longer. More people are using the sidewalks. It’s quite beautiful when you take a step back to look at it all. And so was she.

I didn’t know her name on the account that I didn’t know her. Maybe it was the way she giggled and really meant it. Her head fell back as her mouth opened wide enough to show her teeth as she laughed like no one was watching. The joke probably hadn’t been that funny but it didn’t matter. Her best friend I assumed, due to their physical closeness, looked mortified at the resounding loudness. This seemed to make the woman laugh louder. Shortly after, the best friend joined in as they fell into each other. Even I couldn’t help but give a little chuckle. 

I missed that; having a good time with the people I loved. I had just moved to a different city for a change of scenery with hopes that I’d be inspired to finish writing my new book. My label had given me a $20,000 advance. This would make most people happy. While the majority of that money funded my move, unfortunately, I am not most people. To me, an advance was the company’s passive way of saying that the second book of my series ought to be better than the first. 

I’m a published writer on a deadline with writer’s block. Which, by the way, was unusual. I never get writer's block. The ideas are always floating around in my mind. The characters can always take on a new adventure, whether it be of self- discovery or finding buried treasure. I guess the difference between then and now is that there are expectations. Before my work was well-known, I was just an artist expressing myself through words that seemed fitting. These days, I am no better than mainstream music. It is no longer about art, but what sells. 

As the train came to a halt, Sally & Marie (yes, I named them) skipped off the train, leaving me to feel lonely once more. It must be nice, I thought, as I watched them until they became too blurry to be visible. Returning my attention to their empty seats in front of me, I noticed a little black book wedged in between. One of them must have left it. A journal seemed like the kind of thing Marie would use. She was more quiet, more observant. Almost immediately and quite embarrassingly, might I add, the curiosity jolted me forward. 

Feel free to judge. I am a writer who can’t write. For the first time in my 4 cold months here, a light bulb went off in my head. I know it’s not the moral thing to do. Yet, here the abandoned journal was and here was I. I thought about it for a split second. I mean, I gave them names. At this point, I was invested in learning more about the characters. 

After skimming the pages, it turns out that Sally’s real name was Nina and Marie’s was Lara. What’s even more shocking is that they weren’t best friends, they were lovers. Lara was planning on proposing. I should’ve known though. She looked at Nina the same way I did. Closing the book of their life, I couldn’t help the smile that etched across my face. Like water, ideas began to flow. The second book of my series, “Love bring me Peace” would have all new characters with a different plot. It wasn’t a continuum of the first book, rather a take on love from another perspective. 

Sally and Marie would be the main characters. They loved each other. They will always love each other even if in the end, they go their separate ways. Sometimes love is as cliche as the saying, “If you love someone, set them free. If they come back, they’re yours; if they don’t, they never were.” Marie will get tired of being a background character in the life of the boisterous, Sally.

She’ll begin to analyze everything she gave up for this love, and everything Sally got to hold onto. She’ll get bitter. Sally will notice the distance too late. Marie cheats. The guilt eats her alive. She confesses her sins on her knees. They cry. They argue.

Ultimately, Sally decides its best to pack her bags and leave. Marie doesn’t plead. Deep down, they know that Marie would never walk away despite the sacrifices she’s made. She loved Sally too much. Sally loved her just enough to see that if they’d stayed, Marie would never be completely happy. The end. 

Looking up, I checked to see how far I was from my stop. I had a book to write.