It has always been him

CHAPTER TWO

June, 2002

Eric graduated high school...

I mean my brother Andrew, Eric, Lance and Rhandall they all graduated high school this past Monday and right now is the weekend and all the families and closest neighbors were at my house celebrating the milestone of this clowns.

I could hear the beat of some salsa playing from the speaker. So, uncle Joe has arrived. If you hear salsa playing in the stereo that's uncle Joe signal that he has arrived to the party.

My mom put me on kitchen duty, I'm upstairs cooking some ground-meat for the "barquillas". (For those who don't know Barquillas are a type of Puerto Rican appetizers shape like cone that you stuff with different meats.) Everybody is occupied with some type of chords my mom has ordered them to do.

I was waiting for my partner in the kitchen I hope mom send one of my sisters they love to cook. The meat is done so I'll start filling the "barquillas" with the meat and stacking them at the plate; when someone hugged me from behind. I knew that smell and I recognize those scrawny arms. He had them hanging on Lorna's shoulders last Monday after the graduation.

"Hey E! Are you almost done?" 

"Yeah, almost."  Oh god, I sounded so childish! why was my voice like an octave higher than normal. Right Eric was still hugging me facepalm.

When I see my mom, I'm going to kiss her to death, she is the best mom ever. Vic is not going to believe me when I tell her that Eric hugged me. "Oh," Eric just kissed me on my cheek. HE KISSED ME! Scratch that mom's the best she is out of this world, I will do whatever she wants for the rest of my life. Well as long as I live with her. Eric is looking me strange like he's been talking to me or asked me something and I didn't hear him.

Ok, rewind! "What?" I asked him.

"I said, what can I help you with?" He repeats to me.

"I'm already stuffing the "barquillas" you can help with that or just sit there and look cute." I can believe I just said that out loud. I need to check my brain mouth filter ASAP! We looked at each other I started to open and close my mouth like a fish. He smirked at me and turn around to look for a spoon.

We have been stuffing the "barquillas" for a while now. Mom entered the kitchen so silent I almost crap my pants when she called me "Madeleine, are you kids done yet?" she asked us from the kitchen door.

"I have a tray ready mom; you can take it." I turn and handle it to her. She looked at Eric's back and winked at me. Can she be more obvious?

"Thanks, kids." Mom thanks us and started blowing kissed our way. Scratch what I say earlier she is a horrible mother. I'm pretty sure that I'm red has a fire truck. Mom leaves us at the kitchen throwing a wink my way.

Five minutes after mom left I'm walking to the skin to clean the spoons we where using when Eric asked me "So, E. You think I'm cute?"

I turn around with my eyes open so big they almost pop from the sockets. "Wh... What?" I lose my footing trying to reach to the sink. He looked at me and laughed while walking away from the kitchen. This monkey butt!!! He is laughing at my expense what a jerk.

          I'm carrying the last tray with the appetizer downstairs to the patio when Eric rushes passes me and tell me he needs me upstairs. "Madeleine, when you finish, come upstairs," Eric told me like a mad man in a rush

"sure...yeah ok" I answer to his back. What's up? did something die up his butt. I shrugged and keep descending the stair.

"Mom!" I called her "hey mom where do I put this?" I asked her from across the patio "Oh Honey, put those on the table with the rest." I rush and put the tray at the table so I can rush up the stairs.

Just when I set foot on the eleventh step I crash into Eric. He steadies me, so I don't go rolling down the stairs.

           "Hey, what's up?" I asked Eric he looked pissed off ok what happened in what 2 minutes we were apart?

            "Hey Eric, you ok?" He looked over his shoulder and down the stairs, then looked at me straight in the eyes and hugged me so hard I couldn't breathe. But I didn't care he smell so good. He was shaking is he ok. He kept hugging me. He started to detach from me and clean his eye. He was crying "Hey are you crying for?" I asked him he shushed me

"Shh Madeleine" He put his hand in my shoulders a couple of seconds later his hands started to move up to my neck. Is he going to kiss me? HE IS GOING TO KISS ME! People my first kiss is going to happen in the eleventh step of my house stairs.

"Eric!" Mr. Knight called from the patio.

"Shit!" Eric whispers to himself and start rushing down the stairs.

When he made it to the last step his dad motion Eric to go to where he was. There was a dead silence among everybody, they knew, oh God they knew Eric almost kissed me. Mr. Knight handled the phone to Eric. Oh, it's just a phone call. I hope is not "THE CALL"

Ok,ok im sorry guys! Let me put you up to date with what is happening right now. 
In the last couple of days, the boys were waiting for "the phone call" from the university they applied. My brother received is yesterday he was studying here in Puerto Rico the same for Lance and Rhandall not at the same University, but they were staying home. I wouldn't mind if they up and left for Universities at the states. But this phone call was going to decide for Eric future. He was the only one of the those four Duffus that apply to a university out of the island.

I didn't want to know where he was studying, I started to walk to where my cousin Vic was and stopped. Who am I kidding! I needed to know if he was staying or leaving. So, I listened closely to what Eric respond to the other person on the phone.

"Hello?" Eric answers tentatively "Yes... of course, yes, yes." He looked up from his shoes and move his eyesight looking around the crowd that form around him. Then we make eye contact while he ask to the phone "When do I have to leave for Connecticut?" I was sad that he was leaving, standing like stone, pushed by everybody who was celebrating and jumping of joy. I couldn't celebrate... Oh! I can't breath! My heart! Was I having another heart attack? I wouldn't be seeing Eric on a regular basis; I might not see him ever again. People kept shoving me from side to side, screaming and jumping but I couldn't take my eyes from him.

A couple of hours later I was sitting at the stairs with my cousin talking about nothing and everything, mostly about boys who were being mean, who was nice and obviously who is the cutest of them all. When out of the corner came Eric and my brother they were going upstairs to play video games "Hey monkey butts" my brother said just passing by us at that moment Vic stand up blocking Eric pass.

"Hey E you want something to drink?" She asks me.

"Yes please," I answer. My brother was long gone like my cousin and here we are Eric and I alone again. What would he do? Is he going to ignore me?

"E, about earlier, I don't know what happen I shouldn't have done that" I started to stand up and he kept rambling about why he did what he did I couldn't hear any more of his crazy talking. If he is going to go for god know how long and maybe I'm not going to see him again well this is my time to shine Madeleine, you got this. You can do it. Just fell down the stair and after run for your life. I can do it, I can do it. I kept repeating to myself over and over I looked at him he was still talking so I DID IT.

I stood on my tiptoes steady his face and planted a quick kiss on his lips. It was fast, I puckered my lips and planted my lips on his. He was in shock he stood still. I moved quickly I looked back and I saw him touching his lips so a ran even faster downstairs to go and find Vic.  

A couple of days later...

He's gone.

Gone from my sight and from my life, but not my heart.

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Let your comment and let me know if you like this story so far.

-E