Before you read this, I want to apologize for not writing this sooner. I want to thank anyone who has put up with me until this chapter.
In response to all the inquires, I would like to tell all of you readers that this story is real. It's basically a retelling of my life, but the names are changed a little to protect everyone's identity and privacy...
CHAPTER 13 - WHEN IT'S OVER
It took time, but I eventually forgot all about the rejection from college. I turned my hopes to staying with Philip and going to the local community college and transfering to a university. This way, I got to save money and be with Philip.
It became this recurring dream. Me and Philip, hand-in-hand, smiling and walking into an incredibly large campus. That's how I thought it would be.
The next several months passed by and we were happy. We did stupid little couple things together: we went out and had fun, I even got "Den Loves Phil" written on rice kernals that were put into tiny tubes and made into necklaces. Stupid things that would in my naive mind would "immortalize" our love as I always said.
I graduated that June, salutatorian of my graduating class (lame excuse for the school's way of saying: "you're almost the best"). Philip was there to cheer as my name got called and I accepted my diploma. By then, we had been seeing each other for a little over 10 months. Well, 10 months, 2 weeks, and 6 days to be exact.
We spent most of our free time together that summer, which wasn't very much. Plus, everytime we did, it would be with the whole gang. It was hard for us both, I was looking into college and Philip had gotten a job as an office assistant downtown, added to the fact he would be returning to Altamont High in the fall.
I was feeling incredibly alone by then. I wasn't used to not seeing him everyday and at least talking to him every night. I would call him when he came home every night, but he'd be too tired to talk too long or something.
Two days before the Fourth of July, I called him when he had just gotten home:
"Hey, how was work?"
"Ugghhh, same 'ol, same 'ol,"
"Poor guy...what are you gonna be doing for the 4th?"
"Geez...I'm so tired. I think I'll just stay home...but someone is gonna make me go somewhere."
"Oh...nevermind then,"
"Why? What?"
"Oh, it's nothing, you need your rest."
"Did you want to hang out or something on the 4th?"
"Yeah, but it's ok."
"What do you mean, it's ok? Shit, if you want to hang out, I'll hang out with you, alright?"
"Ok, what did I do to piss you off? I just wanted to be with my goddamn boyfriend. Is it a crime? Why are you all bent out of shape?"
"Look, I'm sorry, I'm just tired, ok? Let's talk about this tomorrow night."
"Alright, tomorrow night...good night, I lo..."
I stopped in mid-sentence as I hear the other line click. "I love you..." I said to the dial tone.
I anticipated his call the next night. I waited until it was around the time he got home and had the phone sitting right next to me as I watched the news.
I waited for a good hour before I decided to call him myself:
"Hi, Mrs. Jameson? Could I speak to Philip, please?"
"Oh, Eu..Eugene? Oh my goodness, you haven't heard."
"Heard about what?"
"Philip...Philip got into an accident. He was hit by a drunk driver."
"What?! Are you sure it's him?"
"Honey, calm down. It was him. Eugene, he's dead. I don't know the details, but he died instantly."
That right about where I dropped the receiver on the floor and didn't remember much else.
I stood there shivering for a very long time, until Mrs. Jameson's voice came calling from the dropped phone on the floor. I picked it up:
"Eugene, I'm so sorry. I know you two were very close and this must be devastating."
"Mrs. Jameson, stop. He's your son, I should be trying to console you...I need to go."
I hung up the phone. Tears were streaming down my cheeks and I was incredibly confused.
"It can't be him, he's just fine," I tried to tell myself. "He's probably on his way home right now, he's just late," I lied to myself.
I decided to walk to his house. Mr. Jameson opened the door, he is usually a very animated guy, but his head hung low as he looked up to see me.
"Hey kiddo, come in."
"Can I see, Philip?" I said as I began to tear all over again.
Mr. Jameson began crying too. That's when he walked over to me and gave me a long hug without a word. I was sobbing uncontrollably.
"They won't allow non-family members to see the body without permission. You guys were so close, almost like brothers. You knew each other so well, so I'll make an exception for you," he tried to smile.
"Thanks, Mr. Jameson," I said breaking through my tears.
When we got there, I was taken into a dimly-lit room lined with sterile green tiles and filled with large metal drawers on two opposing sides.
The coroner took me up to one of the drawers. He opened up a drawer, and pulled it out as a blast of cold air hit me. I shivered and looked down to see...Philip wrapped in a bloody sheet with deep cuts and large bruises all over his face and the exposed parts of his body.
The neck that I had nestled on so many nights...had a large chunk of windshield lodged in it and his head looked to have almost been cleanly decapitated by the windshield.
I broke down and turned away from the grotesque sight. It was then that I kept thinking about where he had gone, since I finally accepted that he wasn't with me anymore.
Mr. Jameson took me in another embraced and tried to soothe me, "it's ok. C'mon kiddo, be strong. He wouldn't want you to cry over him."
Of course, when he said that, it only made me cry even more.
Comments? E-mail me at moonchil0@aol.com if you want to have the next chapter posted! Thanks!