Please Be Mine

January 6, 2025

january 6, 2025

Shelly,

You didn’t answer my question about the band bus. Until you do, I will not answer yours.

I actually never knew that story about you and my mom. I remember a few times my mom would leave me at the house to go help a friend, someone who was worried their kid was really sick or a grandparent in need of assistance. I’m assuming she told me it was something like that to give you your privacy. She was always that way. Always willing to hold people’s secrets and gain their trust, unlike the rest of the Cove that loves to gossip about anything they can get their hands on. They’re still vultures here, by the way. You can’t sit at Mulligan’s and sip on a cold one without eavesdropping on some kind of story. Is it technically still eavesdropping if someone is talking super loud?

I’m really sorry about Cory, what an idiot. Seriously. Screw him. Who gives up his chance to be with Shelly Carson? I can name at least 60 guys who had a crush on you at some point in our four years in band. They would happily beat him up. I’ll lead the charge.

Actually, I take that back. Besides Hernandez, I don’t really talk to anyone from band anymore. If I reached out to any of them, they would probably want details about why you and I are talking again. I’m not sure if you knew this, but a lot of them thought that we had a thing. Which feels weird to say now, almost a decade later.

It all started junior year with that night on the band bus, coming back from Boston after marching the Veteran’s Day parade. Do you remember that night at all? It’s okay if you don’t. You decided to sit with me on the way home, and we shared our favorite music as we drove the two hours back. The guys gave me a lot of shit after that night. They’d say stuff like “you can’t seal the deal” and all that. I let them hand it to me though, because I knew the reality of the situation. There was no way someone like Shelly Carson would go for me. Again…weird to say after a decade. A lot of time has passed. I hope it doesn’t freak you out.

I should probably stop before I dig a bigger hole. If you decide you’re done talking to me now, I get it.

Jake