Andy and Bill seemed to be getting over the scare.
The police had no clue as to what happened to Gabriel. Claire, after speaking to officers, said everyone, including Gabriel’s parents, believed that he was gone. Officer Ramirez said there was no trace of him, and the likelihood of him being found was minimal.
***
“How can they be so sure?” I asked Claire that night.
“They say he fit the profile of a manic depressive, and they weren’t ruling out suicide.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s d-dead.” I had trouble with the last word.
“It’s terrifying for his parents. They’ve gone looking for him on their own. I couldn’t imagine going through something like that. I feel horrible for them.”
“I just can’t believe it, Mom. I’m in shock.”
“So was I, honey. I knew that boy since he was in elementary school with you.” She wiped her hands on her apron. “I just don’t understand how he got himself involved with drugs and guns and God knows what else. He was such a sweet kid.”
“He was,” I agreed with a knot in my throat.
That night, I tossed and turned thinking about Gabriel. I wanted so much to know what had happened to him. Was he gone forever? Was he just a lifeless body lying somewhere waiting to be found? I didn’t want to imagine him that way, but the thought kept creeping up on me through the night.
***
On Wednesday morning, Claire left early for work again. She was trying to catch up with files at the office from the days she had been absent.
David picked me up right on time. He looked dazzling in a pair of black jeans and a black long sleeved shirt, his blue eyes piercing.
David asked me to stay in the car when we reached the school parking lot.
“My father’s gone to Italy on business. He asked me to keep him informed of any changes you might have been feeling lately because there’ve been no changes in me,” he said.
“I don’t feel any different. I’m not even sure I’m changing at all.”
“I told him that. If the metamorphosis doesn’t occur soon, I’m going to have a fit of anxiety. I can’t take this any longer. I want you to be mine forever.”
“I thought I already was.”
David sighed. “Yes, but if this change doesn’t occur for us, we can’t be together like we would like to be.”
“But you said—your family said…”
“Yes, we did say the changes would occur. That’s what’s supposed to happen in the case of any normal human. The deity should change into a mortal, but in our case—well, it’s hard to foretell.”
“I won’t leave you. I don’t care if we don’t change,” I said.
“I would never leave you.”
We sat there in silence, looking at each other. We had just agreed to live outside the rules. What would the future hold for a half-breed human and an immortal deity?
“I love you, David,” I said. “We need to find a way to be together if this change doesn’t happen. I don’t want to lose you.”
David took my hand. “I want you to promise me one thing.”
I nodded.
“Promise me you’ll never love anyone more than you love me.”
“I promise.”
“And I promise you that we will be together.”
From his pocket, David pulled out a gold ring and placed it on my finger on my right hand—a simple diamond ring.
My heart pounded; I stopped breathing all together. I knew he wasn’t proposing, but with this ring, I knew he was promising to do so one day. I was speechless.
After a moment, David said, “Isis, I think you should take a breath before your brain cells start to die.”
I nodded.
“Who would’ve known?” David said.
“What?”
“That sometimes love is lethal.”
***
We were late to first period.
“Where were you?” Andy whispered. “Why didn’t you answer your phone? I thought something happened to you guys.”
“Sorry,” I said, wiggling the fingers on my right hand. “We were busy.”
“You’re engaged?” she said in a loud voice that made the entire class turn around.
“Shhhh!” the teacher hushed us.
“No, we’re not engaged.” David hugged me from the desk behind mine. “I should be so fortunate.”
“You still should have answered your phones. Don’t pull that number on me again, you hear?” Angry, she opened her notebook and started scribbling notes.
Andy didn’t know about what the police had told my mother about Gabriel, yet. I hadn’t told anyone, because I still hoped they found Gabriel alive. But I knew I’d have to tell them today.
During lunch, I gathered the group at a corner table, secluded from the twins’ groupies. It was hard to keep those kids away for more than five minutes, so I had to make it fast.
“The police told my mom they think that Gabriel might have committed suicide.”
“What?” Bill asked.
“That’s their hypothesis.” My throat felt constricted. “They’re supposed to be looking for him one last time today.”
The group looked at me expecting more details.
“I don’t know what to think. I just wanted to let you guys know what’s going on with the case so that your parents are informed and can be less worried for you.” I felt David’s fingers lock with mine. “That’s all I had to tell you.”
“How sure are the police that this is true?” Eryx asked.
“I don’t know. What I do know is that his family has been out searching for him and they’ve come up empty-handed also.”
Andy laid her head on Bill’s shoulder, her eyes reddening.
“He was capable of it in his condition—of suicide, I mean,” Bill said. “There must’ve been something that the cops are going by to have come up with that theory.”
“I’ll ask my mom this afternoon,” I said.
Lunch was pretty gloomy after my announcement. We all had mixed emotions about Gabriel. He was an ex-friend, but it didn’t mean he deserved the fate the police said he might have had.
“You’re worried about Gabriel,” David said.
“Yes,” I admitted in a soft voice. “I’m sorry.” I felt like I was cheating somehow.
“Why are you apologizing? I’m not judging you. I realize he was important to you at one time in your life. I’d probably react the same way.”
“You’ve had a lot of girlfriends?”
“A few.”
“Mmm… I see.”
“Are you jealous?”
“No.” I gave him a scornful look.
“Liar, liar.” He shook his finger at me.
“Maybe just a little.”
He laughed and kissed my cheek. “I love you, precious.”
***
That afternoon seemed strange for me. I felt something in my stomach telling me that there was some event about to occur.
After school, Andy had gotten over her frustration from the morning. She complimented me on the promise ring and seemed more relaxed than she had during lunch.
David and I were about to head for the car when I got the phone call from Claire.
“Isis, there’ve been some developments on Gabriel’s case,” she said.
“What happened?” I stopped in the middle of the crossway at the parking lot. David led me to the other side by the arm.
“There was a body found around one of the fields where Gabriel’s car was discovered. The body is unidentifiable. They think the coyotes got to it. They think—oh God…” She took a breath. “They don’t know if it’s Gabriel, but the physique looks like it’s a match.”
“No!” I placed my hand over my mouth.
“I know, honey, I know,” she said. “I hate to do this, but I have to let you go. I have to get back to a meeting. Could you please tell your friends so they can tell their parents?”
“Mom, how will they identify him?”
“They’re going to do an autopsy and DNA samples will be gathered. It’ll be a day or two before the results are in. Until then, let’s pray for that poor family.”
“Okay. I’ll see you later.” The ball that formed in my throat was so big that it hurt.
“What happened?” David asked.
“They found a body in the fields near where Gabriel disappeared. The body is unrecognizable, but they think it’s him. They won’t know for sure until DNA results are in.”
Andy rushed over.
“What now?” she asked as if she expected more bad news.
I explained about the body being found in the field.
Bill broke down in tears. I tried to keep in all my emotions. I couldn’t digest the information Claire had given me. I felt nauseous.
“Are you going to eat something?” Claire asked as I sat staring at my food.
“I’m not very hungry.” I tapped the fork on my plate. “I think I’m going to call it a night.”
“Isis, I know this is hard for you. I had to watch that poor woman—his mother—give a statement to the local newspaper. She’s completely distraught. Mr. Betancourt wouldn’t give a statement. He’s angry that they’ve made this into a media affair. I would be too, but Mrs. Betancourt still has hope that she’ll find her son alive, even with the high possibilities that the body they found today was his.”
“I feel sick,” I said, holding my stomach. “I don’t want to hear anymore.”
“Sorry, honey. I won’t say another word.” My mother stood up and hugged me. “It’s nerves. I know how you feel.”
“Mom—do you think I’m the reason this all happened to Gabriel?”
“No. Why would I think that? That boy had problems. We each make our own choices, and he just happened to make the wrong ones. Don’t blame yourself for someone else’s poor judgment.”
“Right,” I said, unconvinced. “Anyway, I’m going upstairs. I’m not in much of a mood for anything.”
I climbed out the window and onto the porch roof where I could view the starless night. The full moon seemed dull somehow. I felt like the night was in mourning along with me. I shivered as I felt the dead cold creep into my skin.
A tight knot formed in my throat. I couldn’t resist calling the one person that would make me feel better.
“Princess.” David sounded happy when he answered his phone, but tears had already started forming in my eyes.
“Hi,” I said in a broken voice.
“Are you crying?”
“A little. It’s nothing.” I wiped the tears on my jeans.
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t want to talk about it. I just wanted to hear your voice.”
“Alright. What should we talk about?”
“I don’t know. Something. Anything.”
“Would you like to hear about Greece?”
“That sounds nice.”
“It is nice in Greece. My family owns a house that rests at the top of a hill—in Athens. It’s beautiful there. The house oversees the city and the ocean is near. There are architectural marvels and small villages in the surrounding areas. There are also museums that I’d like you to visit one day soon. I’d be your personal tour guide, of course.”
“That sounds wonderful, but my mother would never allow me to go.” I shivered as a cool breeze of air swept along my back.
“You’ll never know unless you ask,” he whispered.
“Why are you whispering?”
“Because I’m afraid of frightening you.”
“How would you frighten me?” I asked. Then I noticed a shadow moving beside me.
I shrieked, dropped the phone, jumped back, and almost fell off the side of the roof. David caught my arm and pulled me back to the window ledge.
“Shh… It’s only me.”
“Don’t do that again.” My body was trembling.
“I’m sorry,” he said, wrapping me in a small throw blanket that I knew came from his room. I had seen it the day Alezzander had called me a dog and wrung my neck like a chicken.
“I knew you’d be out here.”
“Thank you for coming.” I snuggled closer to him. He was warm and his scent traveled through all my senses. I could almost taste the sandalwood, it was so strong. “How did you get here so fast?”
“You already know that answer.” He hugged me. “Well, what do you think about a trip to Greece?”
“So out of the question. Claire—my mom would freak. Besides, I don’t have the money for a trip like that.”
“I’d cover your costs.”
“David…” I sighed and shook my head.
“Why not?”
“I can’t have you pay for that; it’s too much money.”
“You’ll be my wife someday. I should take responsibility for your financial needs.”
“Whoa!” I pulled myself away from him. “You gave me a promise ring. It’s not an engagement ring. It doesn’t mean you have to take responsibility for my anything.”
“What if I want to?”
“Well, I suggest you forget about it, because my mom would never have it and neither will I. Money complicates things, and I want to enjoy being your girlfriend.”
“You can enjoy being my girlfriend in Greece for the summer.”
“David, I want to go, but my mom would never allow me to fly to Europe with my boyfriend fresh out of high school. How much does that cost anyway?”
“Money isn’t a deciding factor in this discussion. And we’re both mature young adults with good judgment. I see no problem.”
“Don’t you get it? There is a problem, and her name is Claire. You saw how aggressive she was with the officers at the police station. Imagine if I were to ask her to let me go on a trip that my boyfriend was paying for?” I pecked him on the cheek. “It’s not happening, dream boy. Sorry.”
“We’ll have to see about that. I always get what I want.”
“Moving on…” I rolled my eyes.
“You know, a promise ring in my culture entitles me to look after your wellbeing and your material needs. My parents would be disgraced if they found you didn’t allow me to.”
“Are you making this up?”
“Yes,” he said. “But only because I want to take care of you.”
“Thanks, but I just don’t feel comfortable with you spending money on me.”
“How will you deal with it the day I ask you to marry me?”
“That’s different.”
“How?”
“A little girl dreams of her prince charming all of her life—about the white wedding dress, the flowers. I want all of it.” I looked away from him. “I just don’t want it right now.”
“But I thought we were on the same page.” He briefly looked at the Star Crest that hung from my neck. “I thought you wanted to be with me forever.”
“I do. I love you, but you have to understand that I also have other priorities. I want to go to college. I want to make my mom proud. I want to experience life. Now that I don’t know if I’ll get to do those things, I want them more than ever.”
“And how long do you think it’ll be before you’re ready to take this a step further?”
I bowed my head and looked at him from under my lashes. “David, I’m only seventeen. I don’t know.”
“I see.” He nodded. “I guess I’m being selfish again, aren’t I? I forget that you’re so new and inexperienced.”
“I don’t know if I should take that as a compliment or an insult.”
“Innocence is precious.” He ran his fingers through my hair. “I would never change that about you.”
“Thanks.” I lay my head against his chest. “I wouldn’t change anything about you either.”
His stay was short. David made me go inside my room before he left. I asked him to leave his blanket. When I told him it was to have his scent with me, it made him happy. I felt like it made up fo
r the earlier conversation where I had crushed his expectations.
***
March 30, 10:32 P.M.
It’s as if the earth has swallowed him whole. The sugarcane fields whisper their secret as the wind sifts through leaves and stems. Perhaps the fields hold him prisoner as the black rose of destiny holds me.
***
It surprised me to see posters of Gabriel along the white hall walls of the school on Thursday morning. As if I needed more reason to feel utterly disgusted with myself, now I had his eyes staring at me all over school. Creepy.
David brought up the subject of Greece again at our table. Galen couldn’t care less, but Eryx shook his head at the idea. He was clearly against it.
“Europe would be the ultimate summer vacation before college,” Andy said. “I would so kill for that experience.”
“Yeah, but there’s the matter of money involved,” I said.
“There’s only the matter of requesting permission. The cost is irrelevant,” David told me.
“That’s like thousands of dollars, isn’t it?” Andy opened her milk carton. “I don’t think her mother is in any position to spend that much money.”
“No, she’s not,” I agreed.
“But the trip would be at my expense,” David explained.
“Well, in that case…” Andy raised her shoulders. “I say start begging Claire for permission as of now.”
“I wouldn’t be too confident about that going over too well with Mrs. Martin,” Bill said, taking a sip of Andy’s milk.
“Thank you.” I raised a hand in the air. “There you have the voice of reason.”
“I agree with Bill,” Eryx said.
“See?” I looked at David. “Three against two. Subject closed.”
David cocked his brow. “I doubt this is the end of it.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I mumbled.
***
When I got home that afternoon, Claire was in the laundry room sorting some clothes.
“Hey,” she said. “How’s the royal family?”
“Hi, Mom.” I dropped my hoodie on one of the clothes piles. “Nyx sends her regards. Alezzander is out of town on business.”
“Give her my best tomorrow, would ya? Tell her we need to get together for some coffee or something. I’d love to visit with her again.”
“Sure.” I leaned against the washer. “Have you heard anything about Gabriel?”
“Nope,” she said, examining me. “How are you feeling about this whole thing? You haven’t really said much about it.”
“Horrible. I feel like it’s my fault.”
Claire stopped what she was doing and looked at me. “Now how in the world is this your fault?”