When You Are Gone

Chapter 14

"And then what?" I asked still not clear on the rules.

"And then you will be officially baptized," said Nathan guffawing.

Rebecca rolled her eyes at him.

"Don't worry, Roman. We do this all the time." She said, "Here, let me go first."

"Uh-uh." Protested Ethan. "Newbie first."

I stared at the water. It was an odd sparkling blue under the moon light. It must have been way past midnight. Dogs were howling in the neighborhood. I was the kind of guy who'd be too scared to go next door to receive my ball which went over to their side but there I was. Half drunk, in a stranger's backyard with the Chamberlains and Rebecca about to have a dip in their pool.

"Look, Smarts. Can we at least do this today please," said Nathan brushing his hair backwards with his fingers and then putting the cap back on.

The water was icy cold, its effect piercing through my bones. Almost instantly, Rebecca and Ethan jumped in too. I felt satisfied, giggling like a fool with the others. Nathan stayed out.

"What. You're too scared to ruin your hair." Rebecca teased.

He clenched his jaw without a smile. And then he ran to the back door of the house and threatened to ring the doorbell.

"Nate. Don't you dare!" Rebecca yelled.

"Geez! You keep yelling so loud. You'll wake them yourself." Nathan teased pushing his finger into the button.

We were drenched, trying to escape from the man who was now yelling from his porch.

"You bloody kids!"

We giggled trying to run while preventing our clothes from falling.

"Do you know what time it is?" My mother hissed when I set foot in the kitchen. She was leaning back on the counter, her arms folded and her lips pursed.

I was humiliatingly wet, dripping and shivering in the cold.

"Where've you been?"

"With friends." I muttered.

"Friends." Her tone was suddenly enraged, "Do you even know what the time is right now?"

I shook my head. She scanned me with her eyes, "Roman, I don't know what you want me to do."

That became routine. Staying out till late with Rebecca and the twins, sometimes just Rebecca. We would take long walks from one neighborhood to another. Sometimes we'd go all the way to school and sit on the front lawn talking, drinking scotch from a small silver flask and sharing and electronic cigarette. Realizing we had much more in common than we both thought. We were both misunderstood individuals confused by ourselves and the world around us. Unsure of our place.

She wanted to be a singer. To make a living out of this but at the same time not break the chain of Doctors in the Armstrong family.

It didn't take long for it to be just us. We'd talk in codes in public places using just our eyes or hand signals, this annoyed Nathan and Ethan. She could even read my complicated watch with roman numerals instead of numbers. She called me Ro, I called her Becky. She kept my Tweed jacket after the last time it had gotten too cold and I had given it to her. It's somewhere in her house, she refused to give it back.

I was always nervous to be out in public with her. She invited me to a party once. I asked what it was for. She found it ridiculous that I thought a party always had to be celebrating something. She waited for me outside the house, her graceful figure dominating our dimly lit porch. Her hands in her hoodie pockets her brown hair stuffed in a crimson beanie. My mother never asked anymore she'd just stare at me walking into the kitchen with my jacket and sneakers on.