Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Stephen Chbosky and Pocket Books own the world of Charlie and his friends. I am only borrowing.

I heard what he had to say

"Tomorrow, I start my Sophomore Year of High School. And believe it or not, I'm really not that afraid of going. I'm not sure if I will have the time to write anymore letters because I might be too busy trying to "participate".

So, if this ends up being my last letter, please believe that things are okay with me, and even when they're not, they will be soon enough.

And I will believe the same about you.

Love always,

Charlie"

That was the last letter I ever received from Bill.

Yes, his name was not Charlie but Bill. In fact, in his letters to me, Charlie or Bill, named himself after my husband. My husband's name is Charlie. He was Bill's English teacher in High School.

And if you haven't put one and one together yet, let me tell you, Bill was sending all of those letters to me, McKenna Morrison, his English teacher's then girlfriend and now wife.

Yes, Charlie had read those letters that Bill sent me but not until it was too late. I, myself did not put two and two together until Bill mentioned about visiting my husband and I in his Town House. Mind you, the letters did not reach me in that Town House. We were still decorating that place. Our address had not changed then. We had our respective apartments' downtown. Bill sent me those letters in that address.

By the time I finally plucked up the courage to show my husband his student's letters, it was June.

I had never seen Charlie so devastated. I had never seen Charlie cry so hard, ever. I knew that this kid meant a lot to him but i never understood the depth of Charlie's affection for Bill. He loved Bill like a Father.

It scared me and maybe I am guilty of feeling a strange sense of happiness that night. I chose to be with a man who wasn't terrified of the depth of his feelings. I was proud of him. I knew that my husband cared deeply but he did not shower that care on just anyone and I was lucky to be one of those people and so was Bill.

Charlie gave Bill books to read and they often chatted at length in the coming years till Bill finished High School. Charlie never told Bill that he knew about the letters. It would be unfair.

He attended our wedding with his family and looked absolutely dashing.

My husband said that Bill dated a girl for a while in High School but he had attended his Graduation Prom with Patricia. In case, you are wondering who Patricia is, it is Sam.

After school ended for Bill, Charlie and he did remain in touch with e-mails and letters but that was a long time ago and now it is just Holiday Cards.

My husband has made peace with that saying that Bill is a grown man now. It has been twenty one years and everything has been okay, not that we knew if it got bad but I really hope that it did not.

Like I said, it has been twenty one years and we have been married for twenty three years with two kids.

Although, I have to admit, I wasn't very up and coming about Bill's letters in the beginning. I read the first one or two letters and stopped reading them but they kept coming and I kept stacking them in a cupboard. I even considered using those letters as a fuel to cook my sweet potatoes one evening in my barbeque but I didn't. I don't know why I didn't burn them. I just thought that it won't be right. Then one night I decided to read what he had been rambling about.

The next letter which arrived, I read that. He wrote that his sister had got an abortion. I read all his letters after that, the ones that came before and the ones that came after.

One of the reasons I stopped reading his letters is because I thought that he was trying to get me to sleep with him but never did he ever asked to meet me. I was so wrong about him and I feel horrible about it. It will never stop breaking my heart.

Bill is the reason that I pay good attention to my kids just the way he wanted to pay to his own.

I can't lie. His letters still haunt me and I hope he is having a good life with Patricia or whoever he chose to be with and his family and Samuel. I really do.

It has been twenty one years now and I really hope he is okay. He deserves it more than anyone I know.