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Never The Same Again
Part 14
By: Ashley

“Shirl, I’m home!”
            Laverne walked in the apartment carrying three paper bags filled with groceries. 

            “I got the cutest diapers, they’ve got Heckle and Jeckle on ‘em, and when it’s wet they fly south for the winter!”  She walked into the kitchen and put the bags on the table.  “Ya don’t look excited, Shirl.” 

            Shirley stood up from the sofa, a slip of paper folded neatly in her left hand.  “Laverne, I think you need to come sit down.”

            “After I put up these groceries.  Wait, no, then I gotta make dinner.  Whaddya want?  I thought about makin’ a pizza with pepperoni and onions just like you like it, but then I thought about chicken…”

            “Laverne, just come and sit down.”

            Laverne crossed to the couch.  “You feelin’ okay?”

            Shirley stuck out her left hand.  “Read this.”

            “Aw, Shirl, you haven’t written me a note since we were 14…”

            “I didn’t write it.”

            The two sat on the sofa and Laverne’s eyes began to wander over the letter.

            Laverne,

This letter is verry hard for me, but it will, without a doubt, be vary easy for you.  When I left California the first time, it was because I had to.  I’m leaving this time because I want too.  I won’t beat around the bush because, well, I don’t even know what that phrase means, but I’ve spent most of my life doing just that.  I am sick and tired of being led on and led on and led on etc. by you.  I know, I’m a grown man, and I should be over something that started when I was in the 5^th grade.  I thought that I had gotten over it, that taking care of you for the past few weeks was really just an act of friendship, end of story.  And then the other night happened and, just like clockwork, I got my hopes up again, only to have them shotz down this morning.  I don’t blame you, really.  I blame me.  I blame myself for being dumb enough to ever believe that you could have one ounce of real feeling toward me in your entire bodey and I blame myself for being stupid enough to have spent the past 20 years head-over-heels in love with you.  And while we’re on the topic, I’d just like to set the record strait, Laverne Marie DeFazio, that contrary to your own belief, your not the only person to have ever loved and lost.  There are millions of people out there who have gone thru the same exact thing, day after day after day.  And when I say millions of people, I mean me.  I’m talking in circles and ovals  and I don’t know how to stop, so I’ll just get to the point: Laverne, I have never loved and hated anyone as much as I love and hate you.  Now, you no.  And now that you no, I  wish you all of the happiness in the world because that’s really all I’ve ever wanted four you.

Lenny Kosnowski

By the end of the letter, Shirley could see tears begin to well up in Laverne’s eyes.  “Vernie, you okay?”

She blinked quickly in an attempt to push back the building tears.  “Yeah, I’m fine.”

There was a pause.  “You wanna talk about anything?”

Laverne wadded up the paper in her hand. “What’s there to talk about?”

“Well, for starters, what exactly happened the other night?”

Laverne jolted up and tossed the letter into the wastebasket.  “None of your business, Shirl,” she said as she headed to the refrigerator.  One hand took out the milk; the other hand took out the Pepsi. 

Shirley followed her, nodding.  “You do have a valid point.”

“Damn right I do,” Laverne said, mixing the contents of the containers into a glass.

“And I only have one other thing to ask you before I drop the subject entirely.”

Laverne drained the glass.  “What’s that?”

“You wanna cry about it?” Shirley asked.

Laverne nodded.  “Yeah,” she said quietly, and then burst into tears on Shirley’s shoulder.