My friend Anne

One of my best stories. I read it somewhere else and did my own version of it. I wrote it for an exam and I got full marks :D

MY FRIEND ANNE

I looked, looked away and then looked again. I could not believe my eyes. There in front of me stood the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

She had shoulder length auburn hair pulled back into a ponytail. Her eyes were the color of a green fir tree in winter. She was wearing black sweatpants and a grey workout t-shirt. Her cheeks were red from the early morning chill and the best thing about her was her smile. It was a smile that could light up a room on a dark night.

She was leaning against a tree by the side of the path breathing in the cool morning air. I walked towards her trying to act casual but actually I was desperately hoping that she would notice me. After all, I wasn’t so bad looking with my dark hair, athletic body and brown eyes.

She turned towards me and was very surprised. “I didn’t think anyone jogged on this road anymore,” she said. I smiled and answered, “You surprised me too. I have been jogging here only for a few days now but I am sure I would’ve remembered a beautiful face like yours.” She laughed out aloud and it sounded like the delicate notes of a Chopin concerto. “I am Jesse Roberts. I live just a few blocks from here,” I introduced myself. “Well, I’m Anne Metcalfe and I’m glad to have met you. I’ve got to go now,” she said and jogged away before I could say goodbye.

I finished the round of the deserted cliff road and went back home. Try as I might I couldn’t get her out of my mind. The next morning I arrived at the path 15 minutes early and made my way to the tree where we had met yesterday. Sure enough, there she was looking as beautiful as ever.

I ran up to her and wished her a good morning. She smiled at me and I blurted out, “Would you like to jog with me?” I was hoping she wouldn’t just refuse and run away from me. I was sure she thought I was a stalker and waited for the pepper spray in my eyes. “Well sure, I would love the company,” she answered. I smiled in relief and we started jogging together.

“How come Ni haven’t seen you here before,” I asked. “I just moved here 2 days back and heard of this beautiful path where no one jogged, so here I am,” she replied. “Maybe one of these days I can show the sights around the city,” I ventured. “I don’t think so,” she said. My heart stopped. Had I moved too fast? “I am a very busy person. The only time I get is in the mornings.” She continued. I heaved a sigh of relief. “No problem! We’ll meet here every morning then,” I said. “Ok! It’s the end of the road now, see you tomorrow,” she waved and ran away.

From that day on we met every morning and jogged together. I told her about my life as a lawyer, my childhood, my family and my secret desire to be a writer. She told me of her studies, her childhood in Texas, the death of her father and how she lived with her mother. It was a very casual friendship and I loved that hour we spent together everyday. I walked around with a smile on my face and a bounce in my step. My best friend Joey was surprised at this sudden change in my behavior and I told him about Anne and how we jogged together. Joey asked me how she looked and I described her every little nuance. Her perfect smile, her long tapered artist’s fingers, her laughter everything. Joey listened to all this but as I went on, his smile disappeared. He asked me, “Hey Jesse, is this girl’s name Anne Metcalfe by any chance?” I was surprised because I hadn’t mentioned her surname. “Yes, how did you know? Do you know her,” I asked. Joey went pale as if he had seen a ghost and took me to his bundle of old newspapers.

“What’s up, Joe,” I asked. “Just wait,” he answered. He rummaged through his newspapers and gave me one of them. He pointed to an article and asked me to read it. As I read it my heart literally stopped and the paper fell from my hand. In it was a news item dated to 2 days before I met Anne,

“STUDENT DIES IN HIT AND RUN”

Anne Metcalfe, a university student, died instantly when she was involved in a hit and run accident late last night. The driver was believed to be driving under the influence. The police are investigating the matter. . . . . . . . . . . . .”