Dear Jade, 

Jade has been my partner in crime since ninth grade. We met during our homeroom period at the Alexandra Academy of Arts. Both were selected to go to this prestigious school where the most creative people come together and are able to fully study their passions. The school is located on the farm lands in Switzerland; isolated and far away from any sign of modern technology. That’s one unique thing about Alexandra Academy of Arts; its number one policy is technology is forbidden to be on campus.This includes: computers, phones, smart watches, anything that resembles the twenty-first century. Even mentioning using the internet could get you detention. The school believes that these devices disconnect ourselves from reality, taking every last ounce of creativity, until your brain becomes drier than the Sahara Desert. No one really opposes this rule because we were all once perceived as outcast, from the people who spend hours on their phones, judging everyone based on their follower status to see if they are deemed to be socially acceptable. Being able to talk about how social media ruins our lives, was able to spark a conversation between Jade and I. We would talk for hours about the little things we found in life fascinating. We would only hangout with each other everyday. She is the only person that makes me want to continue to go to this school. I mean she enjoys hanging out with Alix Schuyler. This tall, brunette guy with circular glasses who comes from a small town with a passion for making sculptures; that’s who I am portraying. But I am a fraud. A terrible person who has been lying to the person he loves because I am ashamed of the family I was born into. A family where laughter is never heard, and smiles are never brought. Living in an old cold family heirloom, cursing the family from experiencing the joy of feeling loved. This ten bedroom mansion is the house to the wealthiest family in Long Island, New York. A house where I dread being in for three months during summer break. My name is Charles Driscoll, a sad lonely boy who is torn to choose a career in continuing the family business, or pursue a career in sculpting. I mean everyone has their own skeletons in the closet, but it’s been three years of knowing Jade so now there is no going back. We are in our last year of high school both planning about what our futures hold. I know that my future wants to contain Jade in it, but I was worried she didn’t feel the same way. After every school year ends we could never keep in touch, so a part of me does not want this year to be the last year I would ever see her. I wanted to make it special. I wanted my parents to know about the girl who kept me going, never living in my mind for three years. I want them to meet this amazing girl who is so intelligent and determined in achieving her goals. This girl who is amazing at creating such heartfelt stories. I read almost every story you publish, and each time you handed me another story to read; I was blown away. I was always so proud of you, I knew that if anyone graduated from this school and became a huge success it would be you. I wanted my parents to realize that you, Jade Watson, would be the girl that I wanted to marry. Parent Day is in three days, and both of us dreaded these twenty-four hours. Although, my parents were not pleased that I did this by myself, but were relieved that they didn’t have to be obligated to entertain their son for the whole year. They came because my parents have some business overseas, and thought they would make a deal with the mayor in order to sell their oil here. I knew you hated talking about your parents, and when you did, all I saw was your eyes become glossy. I tried to seek you out those days when the school announces anything family related, but you vanished. As much as we used to hangout, it felt like I didn’t know you at all. Parents Day arrived and I was so anxious I felt like throwing up any minute. Jade always said, “To never show emotions to the people who would use it against you”. As my parents arrived I greeted them with a stone face, analyzing to see if they would care enough to talk to me today. We began to walk around the school, barely saying anything that was not related to the family business. I rolled my eyes because I hate how my family makes a profit from slowly destroying our environment. We get to a table where I am sitting across from them. In order to break the suffocating silence, I began to talk about my classes. It was as though they were watching paint dry when I was explaining how I create my sculptures. My anxiety got the best of me, when I abruptly mentioned your name. My parents looked at each other with a concerned look. They began to ask multiple questions about who you are. I eagerly told them because it was the first time they ever found interest in my life. I should have known from the looks on their faces that they were planning something. Something evil that would affect your future, but here I was obvious, expressing the happiness you have given me. Jade I should have taken your advice. Surprisingly, my parents decided to stay for a couple of days to discuss business with the mayor, but unknowingly they were seeking a private investigator. The following Friday, my intuition told me something was bound to happen. We were both sitting next to each other in the homeroom, when the school dean Mrs.Muller requested you to follow her to her office. Both stared at each other with a concerned look because, due to the fact you have broken a school rule. It seemed like ten hours waiting for you anxiously to come back but you never return. Nothing could have prepared me for the day you left me. My heart still aches because the last image that I have of you, is your frightened expression when you left the classroom. The weeks after you vanished my life seemed empty. I never knew without you there, I couldn’t operate as myself. I was hoping that you would come back. I was hoping to wake up from this nightmare, I was hoping to see the love of my life again. It was after graduation, when my parents confessed about what they did. They scolded me it was idiotic for believing in your family story. They said you never came from money, but a trailer park living with your sister. After they sought out your real identity they told the dean all your history, and that’s when you discovered mine. From all honesty and from the bottom of my heart, those were not my intention to hurt you in any way. I still love you no matter where you came from, and I am truly sorry that you had to find out this way. I know you may not forgive me, nor love me anymore, but I hope one day we can meet again as Jade Waston and Charles Driscoll. Jade, I know you love writing in every aspect, so this is a letter of mine, to show you how our beautiful friendship has come to an end.

From yours truly,

Charles Discroll

It’s been a year of doing tireless paperwork for the family business. I still ponder about the letter sent. I feel as though I poured my heart out, and got nothing in return. I guess I deserved it, but deep inside I feel like I never received the closure I needed. As I was scrambling through the mountains of paperwork, trying to find an excel sheet, a few papers fell on the floor. Picking up the papers from the ground I found my letter. My heart froze because it said return to sender.