Today is the Lover (2019) album’s fourth birthday. In honor of his momentous occasion, I wrote a story based on its most underrated track: It’s Nice to Have a Friend. Many people don’t get it. But I wrote this for those of us that do.
Sidewalk Chalk Covered in Snow
The school bell rang sharp and shrill. It startled Sophia. She was deep into her art book. She had been drawing the perfect house. Well, drawing was underselling it. She had been designing it from top to bottom. She was in fifth grade but that didn’t stop her from preparing for college. How else was she going to graduate summa cum laude from Stanford?
“Ms. Anderson, it’s time to go.” Mr. Davis looked irritated with her. He must have been calling her name for a while. She didn’t mean to get sucked into her work, she just never wanted school to end. School ending meant she had to go home. She really didn’t want to go home.
By the time she had made it outside there was snow on the ground. She had a mile walk and she had left her good coat at home. This was going to suck.
“You can borrow my coat if you like.” A little boy her height held out his coat for her to take. His voice was muffled by a bright blue scarf that was wrapped around his entire head. Sophia could only make out his bright green eyes.
“If I take your coat, what will you wear?” The little boy shrugged. A chill went through her. If he was really offering, she would take it. A coat would be much better than her thin T-shirt.
He looked pleased when she nodded her head. He dropped his backpack and helped her put on his coat. It had fur on the inside. She immediately felt better.
“My house is just a five-minute walk. My mom can drive you home!” He pointed directly in front of them. It seemed like they lived going in the same direction at least.
“My name is Charlie.” The little boy said as they started to walk. Sophia had to speed up just to keep pace with him.
“I’m Sophia. Why are you moving so fast?” She supposed it could be the fact that he was cold but by the joy in his eyes she didn’t think that was the case.
Charlie slowed down slightly and then gave her a look. “My mom makes chocolate chip cookies every afternoon. The quicker we get home the warmer they will be. And you want them warm.”
Sophia understood his hurry. She would love a fresh warm cookie. As they walked Charlie talked up a storm. He told her about his classes and his mom. He told her how his new stepdad was the coolest person in the world. Sophia just listened to him. It was nice.
“This is where I do all my chalk drawings. My dad got me a new set!” Charlie was pointing at a patch of snow on his sidewalk. She could imagine what he would have drawn. She wished she had chalk. Or a mom that would let her defile the sidewalk.
Ms. Shannon was waiting at the door for them before they could even knock. She gave Charlie a hug and ran her hands up and down his arms as if to warm him up. Then she looked over at Sophia.
“And who is this, Charlie?”
“That’s Sophia. She’s my friend. Can you give her a ride home? After cookies though. Please, Mom.” A friend. Sophia did suppose they were friends now. He had given her his coat. Ms. Shannon just nodded her assent and brought Sophia into the house.
Charlie was right, the cookies were worth running home for.
It became their daily tradition. Sophia and Charlie would walk to his house after school. Ms. Shannon would be waiting with cookies or pie or hot chocolate. Sometimes Sophia would come inside to play video games or just hang out. Charlie didn’t mind when she went on tangents about columns or when she beat him at his video games. In turn, Sophia didn’t mind when he needed her help in math. Or when he called her Fee-Fee despite pretending to hate the nickname.
When they reached sixth grade, Sophia’s mom finally gave her permission to have sleepovers at Charlie’s house. It only took knowing him for three years. It was not like it was even a real sleepover. Charlie had been going on and on about wanting to go camping and Ms. Shannon finally said they could make a camp in the backyard for his birthday.
Sophia took camping as a challenge to create the best tent ever with their limited supplies. Charlie brought her sheets, chairs, and paper clips. She could definitely make it work.
She didn’t make it work. She somehow managed to put several holes in the sheets with the paper clips. Charlie wasn’t much help. He just kept laughing at her. Finally, she decided to just throw the blankets over the chair.
Ms. Shannon brought them hotdogs and smores. All of which were blue. She had known Charlie long enough to not question it.
“A toast! To you turning twelve.” She dinked her hotdog against Charlie’s.
“A toast to hopefully getting taller than you this school year. And to finally beating you in Mario Kart.”
“Hey, I let you win that round. It’s your birthday but trust me I’ll kick your tail tomorrow.”
“Sure, Sure. I’ll hold you to that Anderson.” He nudged her shoulder with his then. A warm feeling flooded her. She was so grateful for him. And for Ms. Shannon. And for this moment.
Charlie passed her a note in their makeshift tent. ‘You are my best friend.’ She wanted to respond, but he was already drooling in the corner. Instead, she just whispered to his sleeping form, “You’re mine too Charlie. You’re mine too.”
Sun Sinks Down, No Curfew
The sky was light pink with the sunset. It felt like a sweet hello or maybe a bittersweet goodbye. This was their last weekend together before graduation. Sophia would be going to Stanford. She was going to study architecture. She was also going as far away from this little town as she could get. That also meant being away from Charlie. They had been attached at the hip since they were eight years old. This would be the first time they had been separated in nine years.
They were on the roof of his mother’s house together watching the sunset. This had become a part of their routine. They would walk home, eat cookies, do homework, and then go up to the roof for the rest of the night.
Tonight, felt heavier than any other on the roof. Sophia didn’t want to leave. It would only be four years. They would see each other every break. He even promised he would come to visit when he could, and Ms. Shannon would book tours in her area.
“Want to play twenty questions?” He must’ve known she was feeling bad. She was sure he felt it too.
“What’s your favorite color.” He always started with questions he knew the answer to like he somehow knew it would ease her into wanting to talk.
“Green. What’s yours?” Of course, she knew the answer.
“Grey. What’s your favorite food?”
“Your mom’s cookies.”
“They are great.” Charlie moved closer to her where she was sitting. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
“Have you been stressed out lately?” So that’s what he really wanted to talk about. Sophia just nodded her head.
“Me too. Do you want to talk about it?”
“Is this part of the game?” Charlie nudged her shoulder.
“I just don’t want anything to change.” She hoped he didn’t hear her voice wavering. Hoped he wouldn’t feel the fear in her body.
“Nothing is going to change for us. We are going to be us, just apart for a little while.” She wanted to believe in him.
“Ask me another question, Charlie. Any other question.” Charlie considered her for a while.
“What do you dream about ‘Fee-Fee?”
“Building something permanent.” Charlie took her hand then. His hold was trepidatious like he was building up the never to ask her something.
“We’ll build something permanent then. You and I.”
Charlie held her hand tighter. They had no curfew. They sat under the stars for hours and for a while there was no impending separation, no fear for the future. Just the two of them.
Feels Like Home
The church bell rang loud and clear. Sophia was dressed in white. The lace tickled her shoulders. She was breathing slowly, trying to slow the thump of her heart. Today was the day. The first step to her future.
“Are you ready Sophia?” Ms. Shannon was dressed in a midnight blue gown. Sophia didn’t really know how to answer her question. She didn’t even know how to speak.
“You look beautiful.” Ms. Shannon stroked her hands through Sophia’s hair and placed a blue comb in her curls.
“I wore this for my wedding day. It’s been passed down from my great-grandmother. I know your family didn’t come today but now you have something borrowed and blue. For luck.” Ms. Shannon placed a gentle kiss on top of Sophia’s forehead.
Sophia just shook her head. “You are wrong. My mom is right here with me.” A few tears gathered in the corner of Ms. Shannon’s eyes.
“Hey! No crying on my wedding day. You’re going to make me cry. This is supposed to be a happy day!” Ms. Shannon laughed.
“Wait till my son sees you. There won’t be a dry eye in the house.”
The wedding was a small affair. Just Sophia and Charlie’s friends that they had met in college and those they knew from high school.
Ms. Shannon walked Sophia down the aisle. Sophia held her hands so tight she thought she might’ve bruised something. Ms. Shannon didn’t seem to notice or care much.
“Don’t let me fall Mom.”
Ms. Shannon was right, Charlie did cry. The second their eyes met he had to turn lean on Grover, his best man, to keep himself steady. Sophia held it together. She would not ruin her makeup. Silena worked too hard on her face.
Seeing Charlie was like coming home. It always was.
The ceremony was a blur. The priest made jokes about how they had been attached at the hip longer than they’d been alive. He talked about the trouble they constantly got in. The audience all laughed at his jokes. Sophia chuckled at the right times.
She finally focused when it was time for their vows. Charlie went first, unfolding a bright blue paper out of his tuxedo pocket.
“Sophia you are a marvel. You call my bluffs. You don’t let me get in my head. You hold me accountable. Everyone always said that I was never just Charlie after I met you.” He paused and took a shaky breath.
“It was always Charlie and Sophia. And it always will be. Nothing has been the same since I saw you outside of that elementary school. Since I gave you my coat, which I never saw again by the way. I love you, babe. I love you, Fee-Fee. I want to build a foundation with you. You are stuck with me, now.” She couldn’t help herself. She had to kiss him.
“We aren’t at that part yet, Sophia.” The priest laughed. Sophia made the universal symbol for ‘hurry up then’.
Sophia doesn’t remember what she said back to him. All she knew was that she loved him. Oh, how she loved him. He was everything she ever needed.
They walked out of the church hand in hand, ready for their future.
The guests threw rice at them as they made their exit.
It looked exactly like the snow from that very first day. The day he walked her home.
It’s Nice to Have A Friend
Happy Birthday, Lover! Hope you guys enjoyed this silly little story.
Why I almost teared up when they had to separate I’m a bit of a sucker huh
I wanna know what his drawings looked like haha