Chapter 65

The days went by quickly. It could be the sudden bursts of life emerging everywhere. Nothing was bare anymore. The owrd was reforming into a new dawn. Green emerginf from the cold ground with the warmth long hidden under our feet. The night were just cool. My breathe was invisible yet again. But my heart never changed or lost the life breathed into me this past winter. The deadest season of them all that restored all life to me.

It was ending. I could feel it. This period of my life. The biggest checkmark approaching. I woke up. My eyes adjusting to the clock. Reading the time I normally wake up. But my first thought was the date.

I got up calling him right away. He wakes up a few minutes before me so he and his mother can have breakfats together even tohguh he never eats and only she does. They catch up then. He answered his voice more awake than mine. "Goodmorning," He said. His voice fresh and perfect to wake up to.

"Is the date really March 19th?" He was the first person and only I trusted asking this question.

"Yeah," He said. He sighed. The breathe shaking the phonelines weakly.

I sigehd too. "It's tongiht, then huh?" I asked.

"Mmm." He must be drinking coffee. "Do you want me to drive you to school today?" He asked. "We have all our classes near each other today, right?"

When it comes to class schedules today was te best. "Yeah," I said. "I'll be ready."

"'Winter Never Ended huh?" He said. I heard him smiling to his small song reference here. A Sunday Drive song. Which was off of their first record. I smiled too. It felt good to do so.

"Nah," I said. "For me it never could." I was half shocked by the honesty in my words. But we both just waited silently on both ends. "So I guess this is goodbye." I said smiling still.

"For us it never is when we say that." He said. "But yeah, I'll pick you up on time."

"Okay, see you in a little while."

"Bye,"

I hung up.


The day crept by slowly. We held hands in the halls. Today was sad. No matter what, I could feel the lurches in my stomach. Everything tied into a Sunday Drive song to me. The looks on people's faces. Everything just seemed like it was ending now. My favorite band was breaking up. I had a day to be emo didn't I? And who better than to be my emo self aroudn than Bennett Williams. But to us we just went with it. Taking in everything slowly.

Until we ended up sitting in IHOP. Across from Rainie and Paul. She out of all of us was getting hit hardest on the outside. She just sat there. Sort of depressed. Very unlike herself. Paul was there. Taking her hand and being soft and gentle to her when we weren't payign attention. I say him when Bennett and I were both loking down. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. And she closed her eyes inhaling his soft words.

Moments liek this everyone seemed to be able ot see how they belonged.

But we procrastinated. All of us. Finsihing. One cup, two cups, three cups of coffee before we finally left. Looking at each other as if diving into a funeral for a dear friend. This was more extreme for Bennet and I, but there was something on the inside between Rainie and Paul about this band. Bennett and I were putting to rest years of loving this music. The band breaking up. One that has gotten me throguh anything these past years of knowing them has thrown at me and brought me together with the best thing to ever happen to me.

Before we pulled out of IHOP his kissed me sweetly. On the lips. I believed anythign could happen. I ofrced myself to forget he was leaving. Tongiht was jsut me and him and one of the forces of the universe that brought us together.

For tonight we belonged together.