My Sun, His Moon

Prologue

~ 1 year later

"Angela," Melissa calls from the kitchen. "Jack's here." I have gotten used to waking up to her voice. I took two semesters off, which is why I still live with Melissa. She initially suggested that I take only one semester off but I decided to just wait a year. Jack was doing the same thing, which I guess is what made the decision easier.                     

I quickly brush a little mascara onto my eyelashes and put on some lip-gloss before I check myself in the mirror. I'm wearing a dark blue summer dress and a black blazer with my black doc martins. As I'm leaving my room I catch sight of the picture of Adrian and me that he gave me a little over a year ago on the day of Melissa's wedding. I still sleep with the big teddy bear he won me during one of the carnival games. Mom has told me repeatedly to get rid of it but I don't need to listen to her, but every time I see the picture, I just pause for a moment. Something washes over me each time and my heart aches slightly. Besides, Melissa and Jack have been a lot more helpful with helping me deal with Adrian's death; Jack probably more than Melissa because he had to learn to deal with it too. We didn't really see each other that often after I moved in with Melissa and Andrew but she encouraged me to keep in touch with him. Now we're pretty good friends, I'd say best friends but I don't know what he'd say to that.

     "Angela," Melissa calls impatiently.

     "Coming," I call. I hold onto the half of the moon necklace I have as I go down the stairs. There were so many times I thought about ripping it off and throwing it down the toilet or something. Every time I touched it, anger just consumed me. Anger about his death and about how it was unfair and that it should have been someone else, but I realized that that was no way to think or live my life. I still get angry sometimes but mostly I remember the way he smiled when I gave it to him, the way he acted like it was the best present in the world even though it cost barely fifteen dollars. Those two small little memories are linked to bigger and better memories. I gave him that half of the necklace on the day he first told me he loved me. Of course I'm going to smile when I think about that, of course I'm going to be happy. I think that's why I decided not to get rid of my half, because it is linked to so many good memories.

     I walk into the kitchen still holding onto my necklace. Jack is standing in the back doorway holding flowers in one hand and a bag in the other. His creamy light blue eyes brighten when I walk into the kitchen.                                     

"Ready?" he asks.

     "Yep. See you later, Mel," I say before following Jack out the door. I climb into the passenger's seat of his red truck as he climbs into the drivers seat. He turns the key and I am met with the familiar sound of the old engine. I smile slightly as I buckle my seat belt. "So," he says casually resting one hand on the steering wheel, "before whatever happens, happens, I just want to say that you look very beautiful today." I open my mouth to say something but he cuts in before I can get anything out. "I'm not flirting with you. I promise. I couldn't do that even if I wanted to because Adrian was my best friend and no just no. I wouldn't do that. I mean I'm not making any assumptions about how you feel or anything. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if I liked you like that I wouldn't do anything about it because I can't do that. I guess it would be totally different if-"

     "Jack."

     "Yeah," he says taking his eyes off the road to look at me without realizing I had interrupted him. "You don't like me, do you?" I feel silly for asking him but the way he was talking made me want to ask.

     "No," he says after a long pause that makes me think that he's lying. "We're just friends, Ange." I clear my throat and stare at the road. I can feel the lump forming in my throat.