1 Alternate Story
Maybe Gaia was delirious. But she felt like a… well, actually, she didn't know what she felt like, but she was happy. Here she was, kissing Ed Fargo of all people. Ed! Her best friend. The wheelchair bound ex-skate-rat that had recently recovered. The walking, talking miracle! Her heart raced faster than the Duracel rabbit when it was hopped up on caffeine.
Wow, Gaia thought, the last time I felt this way was when Sam and I- Sam. What kind of idiot am I? My dead boyfriend was buried a couple of days ago and I'm already making out with another guy! I'm a total b***h!
She immediately broke her embrace with Ed and stepped back, so shocked, she wasn't sure she was still breathing. Her lips were still pouting, but her eyes were wide open. Ed stepped closer to Gaia, though he was still in surprise from Gaia's sudden shove,
"Gaia?" he asked softly, "Are you okay?" Gaia tensed up, but her facial expression didn't alter by a millimetre. Run, for Christ's sake! Gaia commanded to herself. Ed caressed Gaia's cheek. Gaia flinched, but she remained silent. Run dammit! Gaia scolded herself. There was no point. Her feet were planted to the ground like dandelion roots to the soil in Central Park.
"Gaia? Say something." Ed leaned in. Gaia's bottom lip quivered as she whispered the fatal word,
"Sam." Gaia's legs finally listened to her. Gaia bolted out the door. She had no idea where she was going- all she knew was that she had to get out of there.
Well, that was one massive slap in the face! Ed thought. He was still in the exact same position as he was before Gaia uttered Sam's name. His muscles refused to move until he noticed his crutches on the floor. His knees gave way and he fell onto the floor. The phone began to ring but Ed stayed motionless. The machine picked up,
"Ed? Oh come off it. I know you're there! Pick up the phone." Great. Heather was calling. Ed crawled to the phone and picked up the receiver,
"What Heather?" Heather was taken aback by the angry outburst,
"Jesus, Ed! Someone sure put a cork up your backside!" Ed said nothing. "Something wrong?" no response. Heather continued, "Okay, so I met that hot guy at Starbucks again. He is so cute! His name is J-"
"Gaia's gone." Ed interrupted bluntly. Heather let out a noise that resembled a mouse with the flu. She took in a sharp breath,
"Gone? Gone where?" Ed shrugged but realised there was no point because Heather couldn't see him. He choked back tears,
"I don't know…" he croaked
"I'm coming over." Heather hung up and headed for the door.
How did I get here? Why did I come here? Gaia wondered. The last thing Gaia remembered was running out of Ed's apartment. Now she had ended up sitting in front of the chessboard. The chessboard where Gaia and Sam played their first game of chess together. We never did finish that game, Gaia thought, it flooded that day and I got up and ran off. Gaia shook her head and pounded on the table, causing an Asian taxi-driver to look up from his game. Mr. Hac, Gaia recalled, I used to play him- when Sam was still alive! Gaia's frown grew deeper and she abruptly stood up. She ran yet again. She had to rid herself of the memories.
* * * * * *
"This is ridiculous!" Gaia muttered angrily. It was like her body had to remember her dead boyfriend. She had run and found herself at the Washington Square Cemetery, heading towards Sam's grave. She knelt down besides the grave and caressed the inscription,
'Sam Moon, 1982-2001, treasured son, beloved brother, deserves justice and love more than anything else'. A big, fat tear rolled down Gaia's cheek, she ignored it. It began to rain heavily, but Gaia seemed oblivious. She stroked the ground above Sam's coffin,
"Sam, ever since we met, I always saw this scene the other way around. There would be me, buried six feet under, and you would be by my grave, grieving. I always thought I'd be the first to die. It's funny-" Gaia felt a surge of anger, "No it isn't- it sucks!" she shouted.
Heather walked past the cemetery an she spotted a scruffy, teenage blonde that resembled Gaia. It is Gaia! Heather realised and ran in through the stone arch.
Gaia tore at the grass, "It's not fair!" she cried, "It's because of me that you're dead, and I'm taking you back! I should be in your coffin, Sam!" Gaia bit her lip, but it was no use. She burst into tears. Heather approached Gaia, knelt beside her and rested her hand on the crying girl's shoulder. Gaia looked to her right and saw Heather's concerned face,
"Come on Gaia, we should go." Gaia shook her head furiously,
"No! Sam isn't dead! I- he has to come back!" Heather noticed Gaia ripping the grass and held Gaia's wrists to stop her.
"Gaia, he's gone. I know-" Heather started to cry too and hugged a surprised Gaia, "I understand, I lost Sam too." She whispered. Gaia felt a lump in her throat as both girls hugged in the rain.
Ed laid on the couch. He'd pace, but worrying about Gaia was tiring enough. The door suddenly buzzed. Ed sat upright when he realised was it was, the intercom! He hopped of the couch and bounded towards the door. He jabbed the talk button urgently.
"Gaia?!" he blurted out.
"…and Heather." Gaia croaked miserably.
"Can you buzz us up?" Heather's voice was cracked. Ed immediately pressed the buzzer ad waited impatiently for the girls to come upstairs. Heather and Gaia staggered through the door with tear stained faces, wet hair and muddy trousers. Ed hugged them both,
"That God you're okay." He noticed their expressions,
"What happened?" he asked worriedly. Heather shook her head,
"Never mind. It's a long, sad story."
1.1 The End
I know the ending seems a bit strange, but if you think it's a total cop- out, please be nice about it in your review…
Maybe Gaia was delirious. But she felt like a… well, actually, she didn't know what she felt like, but she was happy. Here she was, kissing Ed Fargo of all people. Ed! Her best friend. The wheelchair bound ex-skate-rat that had recently recovered. The walking, talking miracle! Her heart raced faster than the Duracel rabbit when it was hopped up on caffeine.
Wow, Gaia thought, the last time I felt this way was when Sam and I- Sam. What kind of idiot am I? My dead boyfriend was buried a couple of days ago and I'm already making out with another guy! I'm a total b***h!
She immediately broke her embrace with Ed and stepped back, so shocked, she wasn't sure she was still breathing. Her lips were still pouting, but her eyes were wide open. Ed stepped closer to Gaia, though he was still in surprise from Gaia's sudden shove,
"Gaia?" he asked softly, "Are you okay?" Gaia tensed up, but her facial expression didn't alter by a millimetre. Run, for Christ's sake! Gaia commanded to herself. Ed caressed Gaia's cheek. Gaia flinched, but she remained silent. Run dammit! Gaia scolded herself. There was no point. Her feet were planted to the ground like dandelion roots to the soil in Central Park.
"Gaia? Say something." Ed leaned in. Gaia's bottom lip quivered as she whispered the fatal word,
"Sam." Gaia's legs finally listened to her. Gaia bolted out the door. She had no idea where she was going- all she knew was that she had to get out of there.
Well, that was one massive slap in the face! Ed thought. He was still in the exact same position as he was before Gaia uttered Sam's name. His muscles refused to move until he noticed his crutches on the floor. His knees gave way and he fell onto the floor. The phone began to ring but Ed stayed motionless. The machine picked up,
"Ed? Oh come off it. I know you're there! Pick up the phone." Great. Heather was calling. Ed crawled to the phone and picked up the receiver,
"What Heather?" Heather was taken aback by the angry outburst,
"Jesus, Ed! Someone sure put a cork up your backside!" Ed said nothing. "Something wrong?" no response. Heather continued, "Okay, so I met that hot guy at Starbucks again. He is so cute! His name is J-"
"Gaia's gone." Ed interrupted bluntly. Heather let out a noise that resembled a mouse with the flu. She took in a sharp breath,
"Gone? Gone where?" Ed shrugged but realised there was no point because Heather couldn't see him. He choked back tears,
"I don't know…" he croaked
"I'm coming over." Heather hung up and headed for the door.
How did I get here? Why did I come here? Gaia wondered. The last thing Gaia remembered was running out of Ed's apartment. Now she had ended up sitting in front of the chessboard. The chessboard where Gaia and Sam played their first game of chess together. We never did finish that game, Gaia thought, it flooded that day and I got up and ran off. Gaia shook her head and pounded on the table, causing an Asian taxi-driver to look up from his game. Mr. Hac, Gaia recalled, I used to play him- when Sam was still alive! Gaia's frown grew deeper and she abruptly stood up. She ran yet again. She had to rid herself of the memories.
* * * * * *
"This is ridiculous!" Gaia muttered angrily. It was like her body had to remember her dead boyfriend. She had run and found herself at the Washington Square Cemetery, heading towards Sam's grave. She knelt down besides the grave and caressed the inscription,
'Sam Moon, 1982-2001, treasured son, beloved brother, deserves justice and love more than anything else'. A big, fat tear rolled down Gaia's cheek, she ignored it. It began to rain heavily, but Gaia seemed oblivious. She stroked the ground above Sam's coffin,
"Sam, ever since we met, I always saw this scene the other way around. There would be me, buried six feet under, and you would be by my grave, grieving. I always thought I'd be the first to die. It's funny-" Gaia felt a surge of anger, "No it isn't- it sucks!" she shouted.
Heather walked past the cemetery an she spotted a scruffy, teenage blonde that resembled Gaia. It is Gaia! Heather realised and ran in through the stone arch.
Gaia tore at the grass, "It's not fair!" she cried, "It's because of me that you're dead, and I'm taking you back! I should be in your coffin, Sam!" Gaia bit her lip, but it was no use. She burst into tears. Heather approached Gaia, knelt beside her and rested her hand on the crying girl's shoulder. Gaia looked to her right and saw Heather's concerned face,
"Come on Gaia, we should go." Gaia shook her head furiously,
"No! Sam isn't dead! I- he has to come back!" Heather noticed Gaia ripping the grass and held Gaia's wrists to stop her.
"Gaia, he's gone. I know-" Heather started to cry too and hugged a surprised Gaia, "I understand, I lost Sam too." She whispered. Gaia felt a lump in her throat as both girls hugged in the rain.
Ed laid on the couch. He'd pace, but worrying about Gaia was tiring enough. The door suddenly buzzed. Ed sat upright when he realised was it was, the intercom! He hopped of the couch and bounded towards the door. He jabbed the talk button urgently.
"Gaia?!" he blurted out.
"…and Heather." Gaia croaked miserably.
"Can you buzz us up?" Heather's voice was cracked. Ed immediately pressed the buzzer ad waited impatiently for the girls to come upstairs. Heather and Gaia staggered through the door with tear stained faces, wet hair and muddy trousers. Ed hugged them both,
"That God you're okay." He noticed their expressions,
"What happened?" he asked worriedly. Heather shook her head,
"Never mind. It's a long, sad story."
1.1 The End
I know the ending seems a bit strange, but if you think it's a total cop- out, please be nice about it in your review…