Eternal.

Chapter Eight

Walking home Wednesday in the damp afternoon; Alex called me this morning before school and told me he was busy packing. Packing for what? Apparently his mother had been talking about moving for the last year. I asked why he hadn’t told me before, he said because he didn’t want it to be true. He wants me to be happy.

I felt someone walking behind me. I could even hear the tap of a foot step every once in a while. It started to make me feel claustrophobic. I sped up my walk into a run. I ran down the street and turned the corner onto mine. The tree in front of my neighbor’s house caught my eye. I stared at it as my legs sprinted towards it. Suddenly I jolted back, spun around, and fell backwards. It felt like my shoulder hit someone with a steel chest. Before my back hit the ground fingers caught me. I felt the fingers squeeze the back of my neck, and a hand pressed on my back. I looked up and saw dark hair, high cheek bones. “Aiden.” I whispered. Aiden pulled me into a stand. I couldn’t say anything, the familiarity of his stature made it hard to breath. For weeks he had been distant, but now he stood two feet away. His gold eyes were bright and shined like a neon sign. He looked at me but didn’t say anything. “Aid—“ I stated to say, but he curled his lips and kept his hand on my neck. He still didn’t say anything, and his legs were stiff. I took his hand from my neck to observe it. As if I was a palm reader I turned his hand over and guided my fingers through the maze of lines on his hand. He curled his hand into a fist while mine was still in it. “Brigitte” He said, I looked up at him and his gold eye widened as if he got an epiphany. “I don’t know you, do I?” My voice wasn’t as soft as his. He leaned in as if to sniff me like a dog. Almost inaudible he asked “Could we talk?” Feeling him this close, my heart told me it was comforting, but my brain said he was dangerous.

“S-sure” I stumbled, though I didn’t know of a real privet place to talk to a boy I hardly know, did I? I led him to the fence in front of my house. I looked up at Aiden and his face looked unsure as he studied the front door. I glanced down the street at Alexavier’s house. I saw a box and an old broken mattress in the yard. I remembered him telling me he was moving. What I don’t understand was why he hadn’t come to my house. I could go to his and help him pack. Was he home now? I looked back at Aiden and saw him glancing down at me. I realized I had taking a longer glance at Alex’s house than anticipated. “Are we going in?” I asked taking a step up the sidewalk. I watched him take a deep breath and look at the house again. What was he nervous for? Finally he spoke with tired eyes, “I only wanted to make sure. We don’t need to talk.” He dropped his hands from touching the fence. “Are you sure?” I took another step up the sidewalk. “Yeah, goodbye Miss.” He looked like he was going to say something else but stopped himself. He turned and started walking down the street. “Aiden” I called after him, he kept walking, and suddenly disappeared under my neighbor’s tree.

I gasped at the sight of him being there one moment and gone the next. Had that happened? No, it couldn’t have. I rubbed my eye; Aiden left no trace that he was there. But he did, my brain still remembered. My nose still remembered his musty smell, the touch of his rustic hand. Alex’s house looked abandoned, but I won’t let Alex leave yet. Across the street, down the road at Alex’s house I hoped up on the front step and banged on the door. No answer, there was no car in the driveway either. He couldn’t have left yet, he’ll be back to say goodbye. I sat on the cold step and waited for him. I curled up and waited for him all afternoon. Only two cars went by, none of them stopped on the driveway of the house. The more I waited the more cold the house seemed. I wasn’t sure if it were the house that felt empty or if it was me.

The sun was set and I was hungry. Before going home I called Alex’s cell phone. It rang five times then went to voice mail. I hung up and dialed the number again. This time I felt a message, “Alex, pick up man! Call me back when I get home, in like, a minute. I wanna talk to you.” I was almost at tears.