Never Let Me Go

Story Sent in by Ewan:

Helen was a vocalist and guitarist in a local band. I was in another music group, and we found ourselves playing the same show one night. Between sets, I spoke to her and she gave me her number. I called her a day or two later, and after a couple of phone calls, we set up a date in a coffee shop.

I arrived there first, and stood back a little way from the counter, to wait for her. She arrived and hugged me, then turned to the menu, hanging over the counter. Then, she did something strange: she hugged me again, tight.

She buried her face in my chest and I asked her, "What's wrong?"

She said, "I don't know. I don't know."

I asked, "Do you want to order something?"

She held me tighter and didn't answer. I moved back, but she clung to me and moved back with me. I asked, "Helen, what's wrong?" She pressed her face into my chest and trembled. I asked her, "Do you want to go?"

She made a motion like a nod, and with some effort, I led her outside. It didn't help that she held me tight the entire time. Once on the sidewalk, I asked her, "What do you want to do?"

She pulled away from me slightly and I saw that she had tears in her eyes. She shuddered. I asked, "Are you okay? Do you want to sit down? What's wrong?"

She looked down, at first, I thought, because she was ashamed of her behavior. I said to her, "It's okay. Just tell me what's wrong."

She broke off, shoving away from me, and said, "Stop asking me that! Same thing, over and over! 'What's wrong?' 'What's wrong?' 'What's wrong?' Nothing's wrong!"

I asked, "Then why are you acting like a five-year-old?"

"Me?" she asked, incredulous, "Me? You're the one acting like a five-year-old!"

"Fine! Let's go get coffee, then."

"Oh, you're too late for that! Too late! Everyone's going to hear about this!" She turned and stormed away.

I wasn't sure who the "everybody" was that she was talking about, but it didn't matter. When I saw her at future shows, she was always cordial, but she never mentioned a thing about our date, and neither did I.