Monday, June 19th, 2017:

I seriously can't believe I started writing you a week ago. A week ago, it seemed as if I was writing you hoping that it would bring you back home. Now, it's rather a coping mechanism to abstain from insanity. The question lies - Are you coming back, Lynch?  As much as I hate to say this, I think I'm starting to lose hope. You should've been back by now. 

"Rydellington is so weird," Vanessa began this morning when Rocky, her and I were hanging out in the treehouse after breakfast, "they take the 'weird' out of 'Weird Al.'" As you can guess, we were making jokes about Rydel and Ellington now that they were some sort of a couple. 

"Rydellington is so weird," Rocky continued as Vanessa and I laughed so hard, "they make a unicorn look normal by comparison." His fist met my fist as I high fived Vanessa with my other. I took the next slam. 

"Rydellington is so weird," I said with a chuckle, "they make sitcoms jealous." I received two mixed reactions from Vanessa and Rocky. I heaved a sigh. That's when the jokes halted and we got into serious business - treehouse-saving business. 

"We should put a TV up here,"  Vanessa suggested. Rocky and I erupted with agreements. 

"We should definitely put a TV up," I squealed with delight. 

"We should totally put a TV in here," Rocky piggybacked off of my statement. Our excitement muffled over each other. Okay, maybe it wasn't treehouse-saving business. The conversation about renovations to the old treehouse actually put me in the mood for TV, so we went over to my house where we put on How I Met Your Mother.  

"I'mma gonna go make some popcorn," Rocky said. "You girls want some?" 

For a moment, Vanessa and I had a quick staring contest. At the same time, Vanessa and I said, "Yes." 

I broke out of the stare and shouted, "Jinx. You owe me a soda."

"Damnit," Vanessa muttered under her breath and threw herself back into the couch. 

You may not know this memory, but it was Prom in our junior year. My date dumped me to dance with the hottest girl at school and I was on my own. Hoping that you ditched Maia, I went to seek you out. Unfortunate for me, I found you slow dancing with Maia. As crazy as it, for a moment, I almost saw you as more than just a best friend. 

"Laura." Rocky's voice breaks me out of the trance. I whirled around to find him with a large bowl of popcorn in his hands. "Will you go on a date with me?"

- Laura S. Marano