The Rebels (on break)

Chapter 3: Under the Stars and Over the Moon

       "Um, hey Zach." I stammered, sounding shocked that he was talking to me after a whole entire year.

      "Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to talk, maybe go get somethin' to eat one day?" he said as he kind of let a small smile escape his otherwise solemn face.

      I looked next to me to see Eddy and Shannon with looks of astonishment on their faces to match mine, or maybe even top mine.  I had told them about the whole ignoring situation and they both agreed that it wasn't right.  When I had told them they had said to me, especially Shannon, that I should forget about him.  She told me that if to him our friendship had been worth throwing away, then I should feel that way too.

      But the thing was I didn't, not at all.  I missed him, I missed our talks, and I missed our time together.  There had been something I had with him that I hadn't had with anyone else.  And the best part was it was never awkward, no matter what we talked about and it was beautiful thing.  He didn't act like a jerk to me the way I've seen him act toward other people sometimes. He wouldn't laugh at me if I did something embarrassing.  He would always be around to listen if I was upset about something.  He had been like my brother, but he let me down.  He had left me when we needed each other most and he decided to turn to others for support.

      But still, I couldn't do it.  I couldn't let him go.  I couldn't let him get away again.  He wanted to talk and I was going to let him in again.  I was going to open the wound with the possibility of getting stabbed again in the same spot.

      I looked back at him and said the words that were sure to bite me in the ass, "Sure, yea, maybe in the next couple of days." As the words escaped my mouth, I heard a small gasp escape Shannon's lips. 

      "Ok great, I'll talk to ya El." He gave me a weak smile and then left.  As he walked down the hall, I couldn't help but stare after him.  El, he called me El. He hadn't called me that since forever.  He was the only one that ever called me that.  I loved that nickname and I was really hoping I'd get to hear it again more often.

      "Um, wow." said Eddy, shocked at the scene that just occurred right before his eyes.  "So, did you guys make up or something?"

      "No, we haven't spoke in like a year.  I've told you everything that's happened between us."  I replied. 

      Shannon piped up then, "That was really out of the blue.  Are you really gonna go see him? I mean don't you think he's just gonna lead you down the same road he did before?"

      "I don't know.  I mean, I feel like I should at least give him a chance.  I feel like he deserves a chance."  And I really want to be friends again.

      "I guess, but Ellie, don't forgive right away.  I mean, try to find out why he did what he did." Shannon said with an annoyed look on her face.  She knew how much Zach had meant to me, and she really felt bad for me when we didn't talk anymore.

      "Yea, yea, I'll play 20 questions with him Shannon." I laughed.

      "Oh, shut up Ellie!" Eddy chuckled.  And with that we made our way to lunch.

      At home later that night, I was watching the Nightly Update with my parents and Mel.  They had on about the evacuations and how they'd be starting soon.  Nobody knew how soon soon meant though, as they'd been saying they'd start "soon" since last week when the tsunami supposedly first showed up on their radars.

      After that a short report came on about how there was some disputes over land in quadrant 1.  Apparently they wanted to build an apartment on the back of some guys dwelling and he was protesting, even though he didn't actually own the land.  Whatever. 

      When the Nightly Update ended, I said goodnight to my parents and Mel and went upstairs.  I felt really tired for some reason even though it was only like 9:15.  So I went and took a quick shower and came back out and put on a gray t-shirt and long black pants and got in bed.  My bed is right next to this big window in my room that overlooks a tiny park that's across the street.  So as I was laying in my bed I looked out at the park and at the sky like I usually did on clear nights.  The whole scene reminded me of one of the last truly good nights I'd had.

      It had been about a week before the disease and everyone was over at my house.  And by everyone, I mean, Zach and Leah, and Shannon and Eddy.  They were all over our house and we were just hanging out.  We were all eating cookies and chips and watching the Nightly Update.  They had been over since right after school, so I had thought they were going to leave just then.  But then Zach stood up and looked right at me with a glint in his eye and a smirk on his face and said, "Guys lets go walk over to the park."

      At that everyone but me got up and smiled.  "But guys, it's curfew in a couple minutes." I had said. 

      Everyone but Zach had ignored me and went into the front area to grab their coats.  He walked over by me and put a hand on my shoulder and said, "El, come on it's ok.  Just for a couple of minutes.  I just want to go outside for a bit."  I didn't respond, so he continued, "Trust me." 

      A minute later we were across from my house at the park.  We just kinda took a walk around the little ring that surrounded the small slide and swing set in the middle.  Everyone was pretty quiet, and it was really nice.  Even though I was nervous that an official would see us out after curfew, that was the first night that I didn't really care.  I was with my friends and I felt safe.

      After one lap around the ring, Eddy kinda strayed off the path and walked over to the slide area.  Shannon followed him, no surprise, and went to one of the steps beside Eddy on the play structure. Leah and Zach went over too and Leah climbed all the way to the top and laid down looking up at the sky and Zach walked over to one of the swings.  I walked over then and joined Zach on the other swing. 

       We all started talking and everything and time seemed to disappear.  It was just us under the beautiful night sky talking about everything and anything.  We all seemed so content and peaceful and so innocent.  We didn't know what was ahead at the time, and we weren't thinking about the future at that moment.  We had just been enjoying our time together and didn't seem to have a care in the world at that moment.  That was the last truly happy day I had. 

       That's why as I looked up into the sky from my bedroom window, I knew nothing could be that way again because of what has happened since and what I knew was coming.

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