by Dee King
“Selene. She is. I promise.”
“Okay. Just drop it then.” I stand and turn away from him.
“Sebastian?” He stands beside me. “I should not have left like that. All this is my fault.” I point down to the beach where his car is still smoldering.
“Hey, look at me.” He puts his hand on my waist, and turns me towards him.
“None of this is your fault. None, and the car? Who cares. I care that you are okay. That’s all that matters right now.” He hugs me tightly.
“Ouch.” I say trying to not let on how badly I am hurt.
“Oh, sorry.” He let’s go of me.
“If you two are done, we would like to discuss the next plan of action.” Colin states. Sebastian and I turn around.
“Great! Now, that we have your attention. Cali has came up with a plan.” I turn back around to face the ocean.
“Selene?” My back still faces them.
“Yea?”
“Could you turn around, please?”
“No. I am good. I can hear you.”
“Selene, you are acting like a child. Turn around.” I turn and face the two of them.
“Fine.”
“Anyways, as I was saying. We need a plan. We just can’t go up there trying to raise hell. So to speak.” He smiles at Sebastian.
“I am not going up there!” I state loudly.
“Oh? So, you would just let your friend die for nothing then? Not, like he put his life on the line for you!” Colin yells at me.
“I didn’t ask him too! I didn’t ask for any of this shit!” I turn back around.
“You may not have asked for any of this, but you did this! You chose this life, you have to deal with the consequences.” I turn back around. I wipe the tear’s from my eye’s.
“I DID THIS? You have really got some nerve! All you people do is tell me what to do, chose him, no chose him, if you make the wrong choice you will have this deal with.. This is stupid! Shouldn’t we be worried about Ian and a funeral? Or did you forget someone died tonight!” I scream into Colin’s face.
“No! I didn’t forget! That’s what we are talking about! Look, I am really sorry that the weight of the world’s is on the two of your shoulder’s, but now you have to deal with what happened.” I glare at Colin.
“Stop, Colin. Selene is right. We need to prepare for the burial proceedings tomorrow. We can discuss this later.” Sebastian takes a hold of my hand.
“We don’t have time tomorrow. We need to be gone!” I look at Cali who has not spoken a word.
“Cali?”
“Yes.” She barely raises her head to look at me.
“What do you think?”
“What do I think?”
“That’s what I said. What do YOU think?” I stare into her eye’s.
“I.. um.. I think that we should wait till the morning.”
“See, three against one.” I say to Colin.
“Whatever. In the morning it is. Let’s go, Selene.”
“I’m not going with you anywhere!” I clinch onto Sebastian’s hand.
“HE is busy! Let’s go!” He starts to walk past me.
“I am staying here! You take that with you.” I point to Cali.
“What did you call me?”
“You heard me.” Sebastian stands in between the two of us.
“Stop this! It stops now! Colin, please take Cali with you. We will see you in the morning.”
“Fine. Let’s go Cali.” Colin turns to look at Cali. She walks beside me. I grab her by the arm.
“This isn’t over. Alex isn’t here to save you anymore.” I whisper to her. “I said I was sorry.” She whispered back.
“Not good enough!” I say louder. I release her arm. She follows Colin down the stairs.
Chapter 30 Sebastian and I walk up the stairs to his bedroom. He is silent. He looks like he is miles away from here.
“I can sleep anywhere, if you want to be by yourself. I completely understand.” I ask him. He opens the door to his room.
“No. I don’t want to be alone tonight.” He says quietly. He pulls back the blankets on his bed. I walk over to the windows overlooking the ocean. I open the window.
“Sometimes I sleep with my windows open. Hearing the ocean seems to soothe me. Maybe it will help you sleep tonight.” I offer.
“I would like that.” He takes off his shirt and throws it on the ground next to the bed. I go to open more windows in the room. By the time I am done he is laying on his bed. His body is outstretched across the blankets, with his arms folded underneath his head. He tilts his head towards me.
“You can stop now.” He says with a grin.
“I am sorry. I keep saying that tonight, but that is all I can say.” I lower my head.
“Just come lay down.” He hardly moves an inch. I look down at my clothes. I literally look like I was dragged through the mud.
“Um, could I borrow a t-shirt to sleep in?” I tug at my oversized sweater.
“Yea, pick anyone you like.” He tilts his head to the closet door. I walk to the door.
His closet is about the same size as mine. It’s filled with clothes, shoes and unopened boxes.
“Why is there boxes in here unopened?” I ask while searching for what looks like could be an old t-shirt.
“Oh, um, those are clothes and shoes I have not worn yet. I do that. I buy stuff all the time, but forget I have them.” He sounds exhausted.
“Must be nice..” I mutter.
“What?”
“Nothing.” I giggle at myself.
I finally find a shirt. I close the closet door to change. I look at the pile of my clothes on the floor. The shirt is larger on me than I thought it would be. I look at my dangling charm bracelet. It’s glowing.
I open the door to ask Sebastian if his ring is, but he is sound asleep. I creep quietly to the other side of the bed. I pull the covers over my body. I lay there looking at Sebastian.
He looks so sad even in his sleep. His lips are perfectly straight. No smile, no frown. Just perfectly straight.
His breathing is fast. I move closer to him. I lay my head on his chest. I feel my body finally relax, and I try to think of happy thoughts before falling fast asleep.
I woke up to see the sun shining in through the windows. I move quietly as to not wake Sebastian. I move around the bed to his closet to get my clothes. I put my shorts and shoes on and leave the tank top and sweater on his closet floor.
I peek at him one more time before I leave his bedroom. I make my way down the stairs to see the mess of the house from the party. I can not help myself, but to look at that wall again.
Nothing. No words this time either.
I walk outside to the balcony. I stand by the balcony railing watching the tide roll in.
I look down at what was once Sebastian’s car. I feel the tears starting to swell in my eyes. I let them fall.
In one week my life has changed more than anyone person could imagine. Watching Sebastian last night, I realize how much pain I would be in if I had lost my best friend. I think of Ian, and tears stream down my face.
I smile thinking of him, and his shoes.
I hear a car door shut, and look to the other side of the balcony.
It’s someone I do not recognize. I run inside, up the stairs as fast as I can move.
“Sebastian, Sebastian. Wake up! Someone is here.” He sits straight up, and gets to his feet fast. He runs down the stairs as I try to keep up with him. He opens the front door. There is a woman, and a man in black suits.
“Mr. Andreas, we are sorry for your loss. We have his remains if you would like them with you.” I look at Sebastian.
“ Please put the urn on the boat, where it belongs, then park the yacht on the side of my home, please.” The two of them nod. I just stand there mouth gapping open.
“It’s okay, Selene. We have a very different way of burials. His life is to be celebrated.” He says to me while closing the door after they h
ave left.
“Okay.” I don’t move.
“Hey, sorry I feel asleep last night.” He leans down and kisses my cheek.
“Oh, no. It was fine. I fell asleep right after you.” I lied. I laid there for what seemed to be hours staring at him. Thinking of how hard today would be.
“I don’t know if I or we or anyone should even be called. Am I allowed to tell Chris and Chloe?” I ask him.
“No. They will only think he went away, like moved. Plus..” He looks down for where a watch would usually be on his arm.
“Don’t they leave today?” I had forgotten they were leaving so soon.
“I think it’s tomorrow. I really can not remember what they said. I should go see them though. It may be a while before I can see them again.”
“You should go, now. When you get back, the service will be at dusk.”
“Dusk?”
“Yes, that’s how we send off our loved ones.” His voice shakes a little as he speaks. I hug him.
“It’s going to be okay. Everything will be okay.” I reassure him.
“Take my Land Rover, but please be quick.” I look at him.
“I have no idea where your keys are, and the keys to the Land Rover are in it. Sorry.” He says with a grin. I smile back.
“Are you sure? Because the last time I drove your car into the ocean.” We both smile at one another.
“Yea, I am sure.” He kisses my softly on the lips. I kiss him back.
“I will be back as soon as I can.” I walk past him towards his garage. He nods with a smile across his face.
I open the garage door. I climb into the Land Rover and back it out of the garage. I look to the side of the house, and to my surprise is a very large yacht. I stare at the yacht for a moment to read the name on the back. The Lady Rose.
The two people that came to the door are still standing there. I decide to leave, I wasn’t dealing well with knowing Ian was in there somewhere.
I look down at myself as I drive the open road. I have to pass by where we had found Ian. I drive slow. I keep seeing his lifeless body in Sebastian’s arms. There is not even one sign that anything had just happened here a few hours ago.
No vehicle, no glass. Not even the tree it looked like he had hit. I drove by so slow that I wasn’t paying attention to the road. I hear a honking noise. I look up at the road, and another car is coming straight towards me. I jerk the wheel of the Land Rover. My hands are shaking.
I grip the steering wheel tight. I drive. I find myself at my mother’s home. I stop the vehicle. I run to the front door. I try to open it. It’s locked. I ring the door bell consistently. Finally, I hear a turning of the knob.
“Mom!” I exclaim as I rush into her.
“Selene. Are you alright?” She says as she hugs me back.
“No. Ian is dead.” I can hardly speak. My body is shaking.
“What? What do you mean?” She pulls me inside of the house from the door way.
“Ian. Ian was killed last night in a car wreck.”
“Oh gods!” My mother moves slowly to the couch. I follow.
“I guess today will be the burial?” My mother asks me.
“Yes, but why so fast? What about his family? What’s going to happen?” I sob.
“Oh, sweetheart. Everything will be okay.” My mom pulls me into her, and rubs my back.
“Shh, shh. It will all be okay. Ian isn’t really gone.” I lean away from her embrace. “I don’t understand that either.” I try to wipe away the tears from my face.
“They don’t die like humans. He is in Mount Olympus now. Where he will always reside. Look at it like this. His flesh is gone, but he is still alive. He really isn’t gone forever. He just won’t be able to come back to Earth.”
“I guess.” I look at my mother frazzled.
“I came because I needed something to wear, and I didn’t want to go back to the mansion. I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course. Let’s go see what you have.” My mom helps me up from the couch. While we walk up the stairs I explain that I also have to say goodbye to Chloe and Chris today. My voice cracks as I say their names.
We walk into my old bedroom. I go to the closet to see what black dress I have. I find only one. I hold it in my hand while looking around my closet floor for my shoes.
“Selene, you can’t wear that.”
“Why not? I don’t have anything else black to wear.”
“They don’t wear black. Well, most do not. You will need to wear something else.” My mother moves past me. I step out of her way so that she may look in my closet. She mumbles something that I can not make out. I go sit on my bed.
“This will do.” She holds up my white dress that I had bought for the winter formal.
“Isn’t that a little fancy for a funeral, Mom?” She shakes her head no.
“No, not for this.” She hands me the dress, with my white flat peep toe shoes.
“Are you sure?” I look at her one more time while I take the dress from her hand.
“Yes, I am sure. Oh, you will want something else, too.” She leaves my bedroom. I follow behind her. She walks into her bedroom. She goes to her jewelry box on her dresser. She lays a long golden chain on the dresser.
“I have a necklace, Mom.” I go to show her my necklace. It’s not around my neck.
“Oh gods!” I shout.
“What?” My mom looks startled.
“I lost my necklace. Oh no! No! He just gave me that!” I can feel my heart racing.
“It’s okay. Do you mean Sebastian gave you a necklace?”
“Yes. Yesterday. It’s gorgeous. Oh no! He is going to be furious. How could I have lost that?” I start thinking of every thing I had done and been through yesterday.
“If Sebastian gave it to you, then it’s not gone. You will see.” She winks at me. She turns back around the box, and hands me two hair accessories. I look at her.
“Where did you get these?” I hold them in my hand. They are beautiful. Gold anchors wrapped with roses along the top of the clip.
“They were a gift.” She smiles.
“From my father?”
“Yes.” She nods.
“I will bring them back tomorrow.”
“No, Selene. They are yours.” She cups my hand.
“No, Mom they were bought for you.”
“I want you to have them.” She lets go of my hand. I look down at them one more time.
“Thank you...” I say quietly.
After leaving my mother’s house I drive to Chloe’s. I park behind her car. I walk to the front door knowing this may be my last time to see her for a long time. Chloe opens the door before I can even ring the doorbell.
“Selene! I was hoping you would come by before I left.”
“Of course, I would!” I hug her.
“Come in, come in.” She moves out of the door way. I close the door behind me. I see
bags packed and in a line beside the door.
“So, leaving soon?”
“Yea. In fact I was on my way to go put my bags in the car.” We stand there beside her
bags.
“I can help.”
“That would be great.” Cali bends down to pick up one of the bags. I do the same. We
start to walk to her dads car.
“Can you believe this? Me? Going to Paris?”
“Yes, I can believe it. You know your going to do great.”
“I hope so. I have put all my effort into this, and I would be devastated if this didn’t work
out.”
“Don’t worry, I know it will.” I say as we walk back inside her house.
“At the very least I am going to see the Eifel Tower.” She tosses her hair over her
shoulder, and grins.
“See, that’s all that really matters isn’t it?” We both laugh. Her father comes into the
entry way.
“Selene. So, glad to see you.”
“You too, sir.”
He nods.
“Chloe, we need to get going. Okay?”
“Okay, Dad. Where is mom?”
“She is on her way, she was making sure you didn’t forget anything. Oh, and she didn’t
want you to see her crying.” He smiles at Chloe.
“Oh, good grief.” Chloe smirks.
“I guess I should be going.” I say to Chloe.
“I wish you were going with me.”
“Me too.” I can see the tears in her eyes as I go to hug her.
“I love you, dork.”
“Love you, nerd.” We both embrace each other one more time. I turn to leave. “Wait!” I turn back around.
“I will call you like every day. Okay?”
“Okay..” I barely could get the words out through choking back the tears. I wave at Chloe as she was standing out in the front yard. I wipe my face with the palm of
my hand. I have to hurry before I miss Chris. I get there to what looks like I am just in time. I
jump out of the Land Rover while he was throwing a bag over his shoulder into his trunk of his
car.
“Hey! I tried calling you. Where you been?” “I was saying goodbye to Chloe.” He shuts his trunk. “I kinda figured that.” He winks at me.
“Are you ready?”
“As ready as I am going to be.” He looks away.
“It’s going to be great! You will be in Italy, plus seeing Chloe. This is your dream job,
man.”
“Yea, I know. It just feels like I won’t be back, ya know?”
“I do.” I look away from him.
“Don’t you cry on me. I won’t be able to handle that.” He looks at me.
“I won’t cry. It’s just you.” I try to laugh while holding back my tears.
“You know I don’t do goodbyes well. So, let’s get this over with. Come here.” I get closer
to him. He holds me in his arms. We hug one another for what seems to be only a few moments. “I will call you.” He looks into my eye’s as we part.
“I know, but what I will really want to know is how Chloe takes the news.” I grin. “Well, she is crazy if she doesn’t already know, but I mean, how could she not want a
piece of this?” He points to his body. I slap Chris playfully on the arm.
“You are so full of it.” We both laugh at one another. I hug him one more time. “You know I love you, right?”