Silence is Golden

Chapter 26: March 2011

Like all high school stories, there is Prom. Literally, it is always the case of people finally realizing where they stand with the rest of the school. In my case, I never went to prom. That didn't mean I didn't have a good time.

You're probably wondering, ha what a loser, he didn't go to prom, yet had a good time? What did he do?

No, stop wondering. That's just wrong.

After she broke up with Ian, I tried to avoid Rain as best as possible. I rarely saw her anyways. She never sat with the rest of the football gang anymore. I don't really know where she was most of the time. Only in Science would I see her, but never really greeted her. She didn't seem like she was in the mood to talk me either. One time, we made eye contact just for a second, she instantly turned the other way, as if it never happened.

When Prom was only a week away, I was pretty sure I was not going to get a Prom date. How about Minks? Oh, you still remember her? She never talked to me ever again after I became "Friends" with Ian. I guess I feel kinda bad losing my only friend.

Besides, there wasn't any time to think about Prom when there was my mother to worry about. I came home one day this week, finding her crying in front of the tv, her wedding videos playing on the screen. I have no idea what caused her to decide to watch those videos again, or why she had started crying again.

I ran to the remote, turning the tv off, and looking as stern as possible at my mom.

"Why did he leave us?" she sobbed.

It's over. He left us, deal with it. I really didn't mean to be harsh, but I needed her to stop crying.

Instead, she cried louder, hugging a pillow and stuffing her face in it. I rushed over, placing an arm around her. When she wouldn't stop, I got up and dug through her collection of VCRs, searching for something good. And within the pile of home videos, I found my personal favorite. It was my first trip to Hawaii, when I was just three years old. In this video I refused to believe that my father actually lost his love of his family. It stuck it into the VCR player, turning the tv back on. Instantly, It was my face, smiling at the camera, throwing the sand at the camera.

"Aiden, stop, you're going to break the camera," my mother says from behind, laughing.

Behind was my father, reaching his long arms in front of me, trying to build a sand castle in front of me. I smashed every attempt for any sort of settlement for hermit crabs. My father laughed it off every time that happened.

The scene changed. We were still at the beach. My mother was sitting far away from my father and me, watching us playing close to the waves. I grabbed a clump of wet sand, presenting it to my dad. Suddenly, a huge wave crashed over me, soaking me from head to toe. I dropped my sand in shock, my dad running away from me. I could hear my mother laughing, which was music to my ears. My dad came back awhile later with a towel too big for me.

He loved us. I signed to her as she watched my father pick me up, bundled in layers of towel. She did not stop crying.

As a new clip started, the doorbell rang. I rushed to the door, peeking through the spy hole. It was Rain. I glanced at the tv; it was me at my first loau, clapping has the hula dancers wiggled on stage. Then there was my mother on the couch, tears still flowing down her face. The doorbell rang again and I panicked, unlocking the door and swinging it open.

Now is not a good time. I began to shut the door on her but she stopped me.

I'm sorry I've been avoiding you. She signed to me, as fast as she could.

Is that all? I looked over at my mom, hoping Rain wouldn't notice the situation.

Will you go to Prom with me?

No.

I slammed the door on her, rushing back to my mom. She was laying on her side, watching the tv, tears staining the pillow. I turned off the tv and walked into my room, tired of everything.