He smiled back faintly, before reaching for the hand she was writing with and caressed the back of it with his fingers slowly. “…I feel it slowly happening… which is. Something amazing I mean.” Jack paused before looking up out of the window at the slowly falling snow. “…when I was growing up I was bullied. Badly. I… used to go home with bruises and injuries. E-every day the other kids would.. would find ways to get to me either with… words or their hands. I don’t know why… m-my father said it was because they were afraid of me. M-my mother said it was because I was different, u-unique. Jealousy.” he forces a shaky laugh, shaking his head as he did. “I don’t s-see how they could b-be jealous of-of somebody just wa-wanting to be accepted…
…b-but after one boy p-purposely made a bee hive f-fall on me and I was i-in hospital for a week my p-parents pu-pulled me out of school entirely. So-some say taking me away f-from other people was a-a bad move be-because if only m-made my fear of them wo… worse. But m-my parents were t-trying to protect me be-because they love me. I was… was so ready to just ta-talk to people via the in-Internet when it b-became popular since it-it was easier. I couldn’t… couldn’t get hurt b-but at the same time I couldn’t… couldn’t connect.”
Jack looked at her now, and pressed hish and over hers entirely now, rubbing her skin with his thumb.
“T-then you happened.”
His touch sent shivers down her and she dared not move his hand to write. She didn’t have a lot to say to that anyone, being stunned into silence. “M..Me..?” she asked through the mask, sounding as shocked as she looked. “I could…couldn’t have..”
He gave her a small, slightly uncertain but still appreciative smile.
“You did. S… seeing how you wrote and photographed things and… and just… something about you got my attention… I wanted to… to just know you. To s-see your face and.. hear your voice and that n-never happened before…” Jack went on to explain further, looking down at his hand on hers. “…a-and I’m so glad that I, I did.”
Jack Maple 