Interlaced Fates (Book 1)

Oblivion: Chapter 3

Chapter 3

“Have you ever thought that Grace will do this?” She asked me as she held on to my hand and squeezed it, I quietly shook my head in despair. Grace and I have been together for 2 years even if we fight like cats and dogs, we got through tough times, but last night she gave up on us.

We broke up through the phone.

“I’ve got lots of plans for us, like meeting once every week after our classes. Going on vacations in our anniversaries, having sleepovers and try our best to keep our communication despite the distance we will have in college.” I felt her hand gently rubbing my back as she comforts me, “I know that the both of you loved each other dearly, it is clearly evident Ollie but some things are not meant to last.”

“Pessimist.” I muttered under my breath.

“Here we go again,” she said as she let go of my hand. She hates it when I call her a pessimist, but indeed she really is. She doesn’t really see the positive of anything; I don’t really know why she turned like this.

“Ollie, some people are just meant to pass by our lives while some will always be there to stay.” She said as she looked into the horizon ahead of us. “Life is just short, so stop sulking like a little kid and let’s just head to the ice cream shop. My treat.” This time she looked at me, a smile plastered on her lips.

This girl, she just knows what to do with me and my silly emotions. She stood and so did I, and followed her to our favorite ice cream shop.

“A chocolate cayenne and a pistachio.”  She told the girl behind the counter, and handed her a hundred fifty peso bill. The girl thanked us for the purchase and handed us our cones of ice cream.

We were silent as we walked, the sun was already setting and the air is getting a bit cold. The scent of the soil a bit humid, I looked at the girl walking beside me as she eats her ice cream.

I smiled as I noticed how messy she eats her favorite dessert; I put my hands around her shoulder and said “Thank you for the treat Georgie, you always know how to make me feel a bit better.”

Then she shook her head and laughed at me, wait? What is wrong with that? I didn’t even say anything funny. “Stop getting cheesy right there my friend, I might fall for you.”

Wait, did I hear her right?

“What did you say?” Then all of a sudden she got all flustered and red, she looks like a tomato. I laughed at her reaction. “N-nothing.” She said as she looked away from me and kept her pace faster than mine. Wait, does that mean she likes me?

No, that is a joke and she’s just embarrassed because I made it awkward for her.

“Hey.” I said as I kept my pace as fast as hers, she was silent and she barely looks at me as we get near her house. “Hey Georgie, I’m really sorry for that.” I said as I tugged her arm pulling her into a stop. She faced me with tears welling in her eyes, what did I do, why is she in the verge of tears?

“You don’t have to say anything, it was my fault.” She said after she breathed deeply in and out. “I was just embarrassed, and sorry for making the walk home really quiet. Just give me a call when you get home already.” Then she suddenly smiled like a crazy little child and waved me a goodbye as she jogged home.

I looked at her silhouette as she slowed her pace, George has always been my friend my partner in crime and if she ever falls for me like what she told me, for the first time in my life I wouldn’t know how to catch. It’s not that I do not like every aspect of her; let’s just say that I don’t really see her as a girl. I can’t picture myself having a family with George, or even holding hands with her or even kissing her full on her lips.

I know I sound weird, but I just can’t see her under a different light.

My walk home was really quiet; of course I don’t have someone with me to talk to. I looked at the clouds hovering in the sky; they look so full and fluffy. As a child of course I dreamed of flying to the clouds and living in them, but then, you grow up and learn a lot of things, you learn that clouds aren’t fluffy and that they are just made out of vapors. I stopped on my tracks as I saw a girl crying by the swing, slowly I approached her.

“Why are you crying?” I asked her as I sat on the swing beside hers.

“My mom died.” She shortly answered me. I fell silent; I don’t know what to say to make her comfortable or to make her stop crying. I am not the person who really talks people out of their problems, I find it really difficult to relate and say something to cheer them up. And I guess that is one of the reasons George became my best friend. She’s the girl you’d want to talk to whenever you have troubles.

“Some people leave our lives, but you know what I am sure your mom is watching you from above.” I pulled out a statement that I hear from most people who give their condolences, even though I am not a strong believer of the very sense of it.

 “Do you think so?” She asked me as she lifted her gaze to mine.

“Yeah.” I said half-heartedly.

I pulled out a handkerchief from my pocket and handed it to her, “Here take this.” She looked at me and smiled sadly as she took my handkerchief. “Do you know what I regret?” She asked me as she swayed herself. “What is it?” I asked as I wondered how old this girl I am talking to is.

“I regret that I haven’t told my mom that I love her, that I am thankful for every single thing she did for me.”

Regret? I don’t really have lots of it, but of course I can feel her. Sadness was in her eyes and pain is indeed present in her aura, “That is why I realized that I should make the people around me happy and tell them what I have to say and make them feel really special. I am very sure my mom would be really proud of me if I do that.”

I was taken aback by the words that came out of her mouth, seriously how old is she? I looked at her once again, maybe she’s eleven but her words came out maturely.

“Thank you for talking to me and for this handkerchief, I will give it back when I see you again.” She stood from her swing and smiled at me before she went off her way. I decided to stay a bit longer and pondered what I should do if George falls for me, will I catch her or will I just let her heart break? But I know I shouldn’t do that to the girl who always protects me.

A lot of what-ifs and questions popped in my head, but in the end of every single one of them I still do not know what to do if my best friend falls for me.