When You Are Gone

Chapter 6

It was cold and dark. The bon fire was starting to stunt. Mom, Gina and Monica – mom's friend from the school, were picking the up plastic cups, bottles and confetti from the lawn. Douglas helped me to carry the barbeque stand back into the garage. The air reeked of a pungent smell of smoke and fruit punch, everyone else had left and our backyard looked as if it had survived a hurricane.

Her presence was unexpected, Francesca emerged from the front gate holding a small box wrapped in silver wrapping paper.

"We'll finish up tomorrow you guys." Mom tossed the bottles she was holding into the big metal bin and progressed through the patio door into the house with Monica, "don't stay up too long," she warned.

"Goodnight Mrs. Bates," Douglas yelled.

"Goodnight Doug. Greet your parents for me will you?" she replied.

"Will do." He turned to us, "Bye kids." He casually maneuvered the fence into his yard.

"There's the birthday girl," her approach was timid, "What does it feel like to be finally sixteen?" Francesca lay a smile across her face but Gina didn't return the favor, she was cold and emotionless.

"You show up when the party is over what's the point in coming anyway?" spat Gina as she continued clearing up the confetti.

"I'm sorry, I was tied up at home. It looks like you had a blast anyway."

"You wouldn't know." Her eyes possessed an icy flame.

"I've got something for you." Francesca waved the tiny silver box in the air.

Gina impolitely rolled her eyes, "I don't want it."

"Gina!" I warned.

"What, Roman?" she left all she was doing and turned to face me.I could read the exasperation in her tone.

"Please just take it," begged Francie.

Gina ignored her like she never said anything. "You just don't get it do you? Try having a best friend who puts you second to everything."

"That's not true, Gina you know I'm trying."

"Then maybe you should just stop trying because clearly that's not working out."

"What are you saying?"

"Maybe we should just not be friends, okay." She began retreating to the patio door, "If you're trying so hard so to be my friend, maybe we're not meant to be friends. You barely even have time for me ever since you met Roman."

"Tell me where I'm going wrong, Gina I'll change."

"You keep saying that!" Gina spat. There was an unsettled exchange of words, Francie trying to explain herself, Gina scowling – neither of them wanting to listen to each other, both wanting to be heard. And I was caught in the middle. Somewhere in mid-conversation Gina's voice broke out loudly over Francie's, "But you're supposed to be there for me."

Francie stopped talking. A chilling silence broke out, "but you never are. After all I did for you. It's always one excuse after the other." Her voice was unnatural, almost breaking out in tears, tears that her eyes failed to hold back.

"Gina, come on," I tried to arbitrate after noticing Francie freezing, grappled by the gravity of Gina's words, words that didn't make sense to me.

"Maybe it's not Francie I'm afraid of losing, Roman, it's you. You don't see it but she's changed you."

It's true, Francie changed me. Ever since I saw her in our family room that night, nothing was the same. I don't know much about love, in fact I don't have the slightest idea but if it makes one feel like they have a harmonious orchestra, this mystic melody for a heartbeat every time you see or hear about someone then I can say I know what love is and better still, I've loved.