"How has life been?"
"You know busy...actually...a little weird...the other day at the subway I heard someone call me which was a guy's voice but when I turned around it was a little boy about 11 I think" Was it the time I saw her disappear?
"When was this?"
"Like a few months ago," I notice she is still holding my sleeve as we walk.
"The trees in the spring or summer must be prettier because they are bold right now" I point at the trees.
"The trees are bold?" She laughs.
"What is that not how you say it?"
"I mean you could say all the leaves have fallen off" She continues to laugh.
"Oh," I say laughing also.
"And you know months ago when we were at your place, your eyes did glow when we touched but not as bright as this morning"
"What do you think it could be?"
"I don't know. This morning...when I had a bad dream, I didn't know what was happening and why I held onto you" She scratches her head nervously.
"But are you okay?" I ask seeing her look down as her fists pull harder on my sleeve.
"Why?" She looks up at me. A tear falls down her face. When she feels the warm tear fall down her face with her hand. She turns her head away from me.
"Hey hey..." I nudge her shoulder a little "Do not cry...You can tell me what is wrong"
"..."
"...you can trust me..." She shrugs her shoulders. "I feel like there is more to you than to what meets the eye. You are someone unique and I think you know that"
"That is the most reassuring thing someone has ever said to me" She zips up my jacket letting go of my sleeve, "Don't get a cold now..." She blinks making tears leave her eyes. She stares at the zipper of my jacket. She lets out a deep breath.
"About 5 years ago, My first best friend died, her name was Bo-A. We were on a subway here in New York and It was going to be my first day on the job and she came to accompany me so I wouldn't go alone. She was worried about me so she was going to be with...T-then" Her head drops as she walks to a tree and I follow.
"Take your time" I place my hand on top of her head, patting it.
"...the lights of the sub-...The lights of the subways were being weird and the subway started shaking...at Broad Street and there is a dead-end there. The Subway wouldn't stop so the doors of the subway opened and she told me to go and catch her...but she couldn't jump because she was scared. I told her to 'jump, please'. She didn't and in a blink of an eye she was gone..." falls against a tree as she crouches and buries herself not showing her face. "She didn't jump...Why didn't she jump?" I crouch down.
"Hey hey...Gwen...look up at me...please," She looks up at me. Her face full of tears as if she has kept her pain inside."It was not your fault," We just look at each other for a few seconds, a few minutes. She gives me an innocent smile. This is the moment I fell in love with her. This very minute, this very second, I felt a connection with her. If only she felt the same. As the moment ends, I help her up.
"Thank you for saying that Alejandro...I needed it...I mean it," She says holding onto my sleeve again. I felt sad because I could feel her pain. I lost someone too, my mom. "I am going to catch up with the others now, catch you later," She says as she walks to Akio.
She left me again.
"I see how you look at Gwen" Azul teases me as she walks next to me.
"Is it that noticeable?"
"Who wouldn't know? She is oblivious so she is the only one." A guy stands in front of her with a camera. He removes his camera from his eyes and the two are looking at each other.
"Azul? Azul, is that you?" The guy with blue-green eyes asks as Azul is at a loss for words.
"Hunter?"
"I can not believe it is you! It has been so long" He says as he walks towards her.
"What a coincidence!"
"You mean a coincidence out of the many we already had"
"Yeah," Azul blushes.
"I am here for photography. I took on a job for worldwide photography. My first trip is here in New York City. What about you?" He smiles.
"Just here to explore with my friends" She turns around to point at us and we are all starring at them like dogs that need to get fed.
"Oh cool...if you don't mind...maybe join you and catch up?"
"Sure! Of course, you can!" She blushes again.
"Alright Alright, rats. Let's move on," Jane says as she walks forward.
We walk past a garden. I remember the last time I went to a garden like this. It was the last trip my family had before my mom died. It was spring and my dad decided since we haven't been together for a few weeks because of the work that we were going to go to a garden. I was about 6 years old. The garden was in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, in South Korea. This was the last memory of our family being truly happy. I felt so loved. I wish it could last forever. Realizing it now, thinking about that day, it was the last time I saw them smile at each other. After that day, the family started falling about and I don't know why. I tend to ask many questions. Dad and Mom wouldn't mind the questions, they always answered them. However, after that day, they became angry when I asked questions. I stopped asking them and continued to live life as I could. Until I finally became exhausted from everything. My mom telling me to study for college at a very young age and my father making me pursue my position as chairman of the Park group. My mom made me take extra classes. I was still young so I felt like I still had time later. However, She was the only one who cared about me even with this going on. I understood that she just wanted to make sure I had the money for when I became older but as I said before there was still a long way until I became older. Eventually, through those years, She would disappear a lot through the years. I would ask my dad and he would say he wouldn't know. I would ask again why he didn't know and he would get annoyed. I never realized when I asked these questions his voice would be muffled as if he was crying. I was too little to realize it but now I wondered why he did that? I felt like it was his fault the family was falling about. My father is the one who broke our family apart. I just don't know how yet. I wasn't playing to open my past again. But I needed to move forward.
"Hey Alejandro come join us, do not be a loner," Akio said as he waved for me to head with him, Gwen, and Azul.
"Yeah, just because we have not known each other for a long time does not mean we can not all be close"
"Come on Alejandro," Gwen said as she smiled at me. Her smile is a string, It always pulls me. I walk towards them and Akio puts his arm around me as guys do. Akio does not seem like a bad guy. I think I misjudged him.
"Hey Alejandro, you see here, these two were each other's first crush"
"Ah Azul, do not mention that," Akio says blushing.
"It is past," Gwen says quickly. However, now I know the relationship between those two. They are each other's, first love. How can I go against someone's first love? We see the Yellow Magnolia Cafe and go inside for a warm drink.
"One thing I want to know is how old everyone is. That is a must to have friendships" Rosaline stands as if she is giving a speech.
"Ok now that, that was over...I feel the oldest out of everyone," TJ says feeling ashamed as he tucks his face in his sleeve.
"Ok fine but y'all will be scared with my age," Gwen says scaring me.
"No for real y'all will," Rosaline adds.
"I can go first, and then we go to Alejandro then we go on okay?...27," TJ says first.
"24," I say.
"35," Hunter says surprising me because he looks as if he is in his twenties.
"34," Azul jumps up.
"32," Akio says while yawning.
"32," Gwen says as all the others gasp.
"34," Rosaline follows.
"32," Ross says. I thought he was older than Rosaline.
"22," Ann-Marie points at herself.
"29," Jane finishes.
"Wow, these ages are weird and different" TJ laughs looking at everyone.
"Yeah, it is crazy we have a variety from the age of 22-35"
"I know everyone was surprised with my age by your gasps," Gwen says shyly.
"Yeah, to be honest. we knew you were older but you kind of look young in some way," TJ shrugging his shoulders.
"I don't know about that one" Gwen laughs.
"Look at the time...We have to go to Coney Island," Azul says grabbing her bag and standing up.
"True, we have to buy the tickets and also think about the line" Hunter backs her up.
"How long are we from Coney Island anyways?" Rosaline asks.
"Hmm, about 20 minutes at the most," Akio says.
"We can eat lunch there later too?"
"Park...we just ate some chocolate cake and coffee now you want more food?" TJ shakes his head.
"I said 'Later,'" I respond annoyed as we walk out of the cafe.
"Oh wait you guys go ahead. I forgot my bag" Gwen says going inside. I wait for her outside. Suddenly I remembered that no one paid the bill. I head back inside to go pay. As I walk in...we crash into each other and she falls back. I catch her...almost losing her...pull her up in my arms...my grip tight...afraid she would fall.
"What are you doing?" Gwen says pushing me off her. "Your heart is beating so quick, you weirdo," She laughs as I start to blush. "Don't worry I'm okay if that's why your heart is beating quickly, Thank you though for helping me...again," She stops and points at the cafe "Also, I already paid for everything"
"So you lied about the bag"
"No. I left it on purpose so I didn't lie, I had to go get it. I took care of it," She says as we head to the cars.
20 minutes later
"...I learned English because my father wanted to me and then also my mom pressured me...
"Why though..."
"It was just because most of our shareholders spoke Engli-"
"Hey, You two! we are here and you turned off the car so we are freezing ice cubes so please can we already head out?" Ross says.
"Don't interrupt this boy while he is talking," Gwen gives Ross a death stare. My eyes open as wide as they can since I have mono eyelids.
"It's okay, Gwen," I smile and get out of the car. All of us find our way together and wait in line.
"Over here," TJ signals us. "My friend works here and can let us in for free." Our mouths drop to the floor. "Ok I know you are touched...but hurry up"
"I am getting to that," Azul says to Akio giving him a funny face. He crosses his arms. "I can either..."She asks us "Tell you all of them or I can send it to y'all like the pictures? What do you all prefer?" Hmmm, it seems like there is a lot of rides we would spend a few minutes listening to them and I don't want to be using my phone at a time when I'm with my friends.
"Hmm," Akio seems to be deciding what we are going to be doing.
"Hahaha, your funny Akio not you, I am asking them" Akio makes a straight face and nods. You should always listen to your bigger sister if you have one.
"How long are we going to be here?" Jane looks at TJ.
"As long as you want"
"We can just let time pass and see," Ross says as he shrugs his shoulders.
"Where is the Ferris wheel then?" Ann-Marie asks.
"Your right, I did not notice that. Hold on let me look where a Ferris wheel is." Azul begins to type on her phone "Ohhh here it is...it is not at this park though it is at one close to the water. It is called Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park. Sorry guys I did not know"
"It's okay Azul. We can go to Deno's wheel after we ride here"
"Ok," Everyone says.
"So which ride do we go first?" Akio asks everyone.
"Akio, come on now, let us just get on the craziest ones first because we have to eat too and I don't want to throw up on my clothes," Ross says adjusting his clothes.
"Look! Ice cream!" Azul yells pointing at an ice cream place. She points at an Ice cream Parlour.
"Oh it looks good," Akio says smiling at me.
"Yeah Park buy me some," TJ says grabs onto my arm like a little kid.
"No, no, I want to go on rides. Yall go ahead"
"Please Alejandro," Gwen blinks her eyes cutely.
I couldn't resist that face.
Hours later...
"Gwen! What are you doing with those two girls?" I yell at her shocked.
"Hey, Oppa!" The girls say as they walk to my father...I walk towards him angrily.
"Hello Son"
"Here you go with the 'Hello son' again," I cross my arms in anger. "What are you doing here?"