A tribute to Simplicity Of Me, who recently committed suicide at the age of 15. He wrote this story in thesummer and sent it to me. He sent a lot of his stories to me. Maybe I'll put all of them up, well, the ones he'd want up.
R.I.P. Andrew.
It was just a ride under the midnight moon. Nothing more, nothing less.
So why did it feel like something more?
He fiddled with the box in his pocket, fingers grazing over its velvet cover as he imagined its contents.
Perhaps that was the reason? His heart was all aflutter with anticipation; what if she said no? Would she say yes? Were they ready for this?
It didn't matter about cold feet though; he had purchased the ring a few days ago and had planned tonight to be that night.
So why was he picking up bad vibes from her? Did she too have another agenda for this date? Did she know about the ring?
The silence between the pair was slowly driving him insane but what could he say? Small talk was beyond their relationship and no topics sprung to mind. Well, one did, but he would wait for that. After all, proposing in a car didn't feel very romantic. Or so his mother said.
A turning loomed on the distance in artificial light and a bubble of fear rose through him. This would be the place where he'd pop the question. Moonlight River, an almost unknown spot in the forest. The place where he had taken them on their first date 2 years ago.
"We're here" He grinned after the car had been parked and he reached over to unlock the passenger door.
"Wait" Videl said, desperately, grabbing his hand before it could reach the handle "Lets…talk, first"
"We can talk outside"
"No, lets talk in here" She attempted to smile but it wavered into frown as she stared at her feet
"Ok" He replied in confusion, settling back down in his seat "So, what you wanna talk about?"
"Us" She whispered, fiddling with her hands.
He barely heard her
"What about us?"
"Lets stop pretending Gohan, we both know that this, we, aren't working"
"What are you talking about?" He grimaced, staring at her in sheer bewilderment "What's wrong with us?"
"Everything!" She cried, looking around them "We don't talk anymore, we hardly go out-"
"We go out every Saturday-"
"Out, as in the cinema or the ice rink or bowling! Not stupid nature walks that I'm so sick of!"
"I thought you liked them"
"I did to begin with" She sighed, calming down with a remorseful glance at her shoes. "I like you Gohan, I really do. But as a friend"
The emphasis on 'friend' struck a deadly silence between the two. Staring at his hands with glossy eyes, Gohan held the box that was meant to keep them together forever after tonight. Feeling his heart ache in rejection, he threw the box at the window, letting it shatter in a deafening terrain of broken glass.
"What the-"
"So that's it then?" Gohan interrupted, panting in pure rage "You're throwing 2 years away because you don't like where we go on dates?"
"Oh come on Gohan!" Videl screamed, matching his tone and volume "It wasn't as if we were going anywhere!"
He allowed himself to drift to his broken window where, amid the shards of glass, lay the small box, its lid hanging off to reveal its gleaming heart.
"No" He whispered, starting the car, his eyes still on diamond that glinted in the moonlight "I guess we weren't"
Reversing back onto the mine road, the car was once again, swallowed in silence.