The Years After

Chapter 31

        Hulk and the squad left. I had to walk home. It was March and days were still cool at night and all I had was a plain blue t-shirt, so I felt kinda cold. The way to the Palace was a bit long, but I enjoyed the trip. I took off my shoes, and felt even cooler, but I enjoyed the peaceful trip along the shoreline. The water was cool at my toes and once it retreated I felt the cool sand caressing my soles. This was real peace, when could it be like this forever? I asked myself in silence.

        "Soon." A voice behind me answered, it sounded familiar. I turned around, in defense as instinct, but it was just Nicole. Her green eyes twinkled in the darkness, but I felt them distanced. I didn't look at her the same way anymore.

        "Oh," I said calmly, "Hey."

        "I wanted to talk to you. I waited posed beside that tree, knowing you were going to take this way home." She said smiling. 

        "What do you want to talk about?" I asked her.

        "Well, I was thinking..." She paused. I stayed there looking at her in patience, " I started to think if I really loved you." She stood there, awkwardly. I shrugged and then replied,

        "To be honest, I have thought of that too."

        "Really? Well I know I love you, but I realized it was not romantic love. It was more like that special feeling you have towards somebody, that is not love. I know we kissed and the promise and all, but I never really felt the thing. It's hard to explain." She paused and looked at me awkwardly, waiting for a reply.

        "Nicole, it's okay. I didn't really feel it either. It was more like a want. It's okay, I always mostly looked at you like a friend with benefits, don't get me wrong. It's okay that you came up and said it. Don't worry, no hard feelings. It's completely okay." I answered.

        "Are you sure?" She asked.

        "Yes. I am and are you?"

        "Yes. Absolutely." She answered. We just stayed there for a while, the sound of the waves in the background. She then went up and hugged me. "You give me comfort though. Around you I feel like I have a family. Ever since the day I lost my parents and Mason, I've been feeling hollow. You gave me security. I saw Mason in you. Don't get it wrong. Probably that's why I got attached to you." And I just stayed there like, did she brotherzone me?, I didn't mind anyway, so whatever. She sat down on a rock at the edge of the shore and then patted at the next one for me to sit. "Hunter was always harder on us. He didn't let me cry, so I had to keep everything in. He also kept everything to himself. Mason was warmer. He comforted me on all those restless nights I had and when I cried he was there to wipe my tears off or cry with me. I really loved him. Everynight I go to sleep knowing my parents died, because I feel it, but something tells me Mason is still alive." She stopped an looked at the sea, her eyes were moistening and after a while a tear rolled down her eyes. "I just don't know where he is. I just miss him so fucking much. I wish he was here with me." I wrapped my arms around her, instinctively. I always do that with everybody. I don't like to see others cry. She stayed there for a good five minutes, and then she started to take something out of her pocket. It was a small pouch. Inside it had something like a locket and a rolled piece of paper with a red bow around it. She took out the locket, it was a square with a heart engraved on it and her name on the back. I opened it and inside were three openings. One had a picture of her parents. The next two nearly broke me, it was a picture of her, Mason and Hunter. Hunter was smiling and he also had dimples, like her. Then it was her and Mason. Mason had his arms wrapped around her, both of them looked like they were laughing, because they had big smiles and their eyes were closed. They looked happy. On the last one, Nicole was hugging both of them and both of them were giving her a kiss in the cheek, she was laughing on this one too.

        "You all look so united and happy." I mentioned.

        "Yes, that was the best day of my life. It was three years ago, on my birthday when I turned thirteen. My parents made a picnic and they bought me a small camera. I took many pictures, because I loved capturing moments. I took a picture of my parents and then my parents took pictures of my brothers and I. I was very happy and I felt like nothing could ever go wrong. Well three months later, they took my parents and Mason away. Hunter was going to be taken away, but he escaped from the Soldiers and ran into the forest. My parents got taken away immediately because they were in the living room. I was in my room with Mason talking and laughing when we heard the Soldiers asking my parents if there was anybody else here. Mason immediately got up and opened the window of my room and helped me up, I thought he was coming with me, but they got him. He told me to run into the forest, so I did. Crying every step along the way. When I reached the forest, I looked back and my house was on fire." She stopped. "I waited in the forest for an hour, in darkness posted behind a tree when I reached into my pocket. That day I went to a photography store, looking as touristic as I could, I had the camera and 40 tourist dollars. I grabbed three lockets and asked for them to be engraved with our names and the pictures to be put inside them. The lady gave me the small pouch and put all three lockets inside. I took out Hunter and Mason's and was going to give them at dinner, but we didn't even get to that part of the night, and the lockets burned with the house."

        "That is very sad." Is all I could say. I was kind of broken because I didn't know this story.

        "It was, very." She said sadly.

        I put the locket back in the pouch and took out the rolled up piece of paper. I looked at her with, "and what's this," face and she said, oh that's for Mason too. Don't open it, I want him to do it. 

        "But he's not here." I said

        "No, but you have to promise me you will find him." She said, and I just sat there like,

        "How am I supposed to do that?" 

        "I don't know, but you'll find him. Promise me." She looked at me with piercing green eyes, I felt it in my soul.

        "Okay, calm down. I will find him and give this to him." I said and then asked "why can't you do it yourself though?"

        "I want you to do something for me. You will give him the locket. Take care of it." She answered.

        I just took the pouch and put it in my pocket. I got up and said, "let's go, it's chilly now."

        She nodded and we walked and talked all the way to the Palace. Staring at the stars and taking in the city lights. Even though the city was dead, the skyline still lit up with mixes of all the colors. Colors making different patterns and them reflecting in the blue sea water. It was just beautiful. No words, or expression. We finally arrived at the palace and she said that she was going to stay the night. I didn't mind, after all we were still friends and it was late. We got to my bedroom and she said she would just stay in another one, I nodded and Cindy gave her a visitor's quarters. I immediately fell into my bed and faded away.