I see Gwen with the container I saw from the other night, the one with the date 2025. I can not let her take them. I know she told me it is for her pain. No one else knows she is taking this. What if it is bad for her? Faster than I knew it I find myself taking the pills out of Gwen's hand.
"Don't take them"
"I have to..." Her eyes, full of pain. Her eyes, red, as if she did not get any sleep "You...don't understand my pain and what I have to go through so you don't have to interrupt or get in any of my business Alejandro" She says vehemently with anger and pain mixed into one emotion. She grabs two more pills and swallows them at one time with a tiny sip of water then glances back at me, "Maybe I was a little harsh"
"Just a little?" I turn around ignoring her words. How would I know about her pain and what she goes through if she never opens up to me about anything? She did open up about her friend...but I feel like there is more to the story than what she is telling. If only she could really talk to me... My family has not been happy for a long time. My twin sisters weren't able to see that yet and I am glad they haven't. My family is not special at all just because they are rich. People say 'You are happy because you are rich', 'I wish I was you', 'I want to be rich like them.' The truth is rich families are never really happy, the family is always is some type of mess or problem that no one ever knows unless you are in the family. The real truths are kept secret until someone uncovers.
"Hey Alejandro"
"Yeah Ann-Marie"
"...uh she died in a car accident...and I was in the car crash...I was only 11 years old...All I remember was being in the car with her and we suddenly get into a crash"
"You didn't get hurt right?"
"No not me..the car hit exactly the part of the car that she was in and she died instantly. I climbed out of my seat to reach for her and she wasn't breathing anymore..." This time tears start coming out of my eyes. Ann-Marie pulls me into a warm hug "The police and ambulance came trying to take me from my mom...I could not leave her there...she had to breathe...she needed to breathe" My tears are falling onto Ann-Marie's shoulder, "I'm sorry. I'm messing up your jacket with my tears"
"I have never been through any of that but I am always here if you need me...thank you for sharing that with me" Ann-Marie pats my shoulder.
As we all decide who is going where. I turn around to catch Gwen looking at me. I roll my eyes and turn back around. Wait did I just roll my eyes at her? I wasn't supposed to do that. I'm not really mad at her anymore. I figured something happened to her so I shouldn't blame her for anything. After she took her medicine she seemed better. Like she said I don't know what is going on in her life. We walk to the coffee shop.
"Hey give me the hat, let me try it on" Ann-Marie points at my black bucket hat that I asked Ross to get me from the back seat of Gwen's red Camaro.
"Why"
"Just to see if it fits me" Ann-Marie looks down at her feet, shyly, "If you don't then I will tell Gwen that you said that she is annoying, so ugly and that her loft makes you puke by how she designed it"
"She would never believe that," I say doubting my own words.
"Oh, you sure about that?" She pauses. "I can call her right now" Ann-Marie pulls out her phone. I snatch Ann-Marie's phone out of her hands, quickly putting it in my pocket and putting my hat on Ann-Marie.
"There, happy?" I say opening the door to the coffee shop for the others.
"Yeah" She smiles with the braces that she has on. I never recognized them before. She adjusts the hat as walked inside to order.
༄
I catch a glimpse of Gwen...she looks nervous...she's shaking and she looks pale. Does anyone notice her? She pulls her jacket down looking at her shoulder and arm, her eyes open wide. Her leg is tapping on the ground shaking. In a blink of an eye, she gets up.
"Hey, I-I got to go" She runs out of the building leaving everything behind even her food. She did not even ask for her key if she is going somewhere. Do I run after her? Everyone stands up, the shock on their faces.
"I will go see what is going on" I chase after her. I see her get in a taxi and I yell her name. She hears me and looks in my direction. When she sees me, she shakes her head no and shuts her door. The taxi rushes onto the road. I see another taxi and hop in. Gwen, what is going on with you that you won't tell me?
"Follow that taxi right there" I shout anxiously, pointing at the taxi that Gwen is in, "Don't lose track of that taxi" My eyes focused on the taxi. Whatever is going on with her, it has to do with her disappearing in the subway. Gwen's taxi suddenly turns to the left and many cars get in our way. My eyes manage to see her taxi.
"I keep following the car right?" The young driver asks. I tell him yes. We get on a one-way road and Gwen's taxi quickly makes a sharp turn. The light suddenly turns yellow.
"Step on it" I yell at the driver frustrated by how fast that car is. He speeds up as we pass the light before it turns red. Unexpectedly, a huge truck cut in front of us. This truck needs to move; I can't see Gwen. The truth turns on his left signals and turns to the left lane. When he moves I see Gwen's taxi. The taxi isn't speeding up anymore. The taxi stops at the side of the road. "Stop right there where that taxi is" The young taxi driver turns on the right lane to where Gwen's taxi is. I open the taxi door and run out to the other taxi. I open the door rushed knowing she is in this car.
"You can't run anymore Gwen" I scream swinging the door open. However, when I open the door there is a family of four in the car with two babies. The babies start to cry the moment I swing the door open. The parents stare at me as if they want to kill me. I do not blame them. If I was them I would want to kill me too. I shut the door slowly, embarrassed that it was the wrong taxi. Then I rush back to the taxi that I came in.
"You are back for another trip?" The young taxi driver laughs.
"Yeah, back to food mall place," I say in a half-smile disappointed that I did not find her. I just can't believe it wasn't her taxi, I know that was her taxi, I thought. I know I didn't get the wrong taxi. I saw the nameplate and remember everything. Why wasn't she there? She has me making babies cry. Why is Gwen doing this to me? My head is stuck with her worrying if she is okay as we drive back to that food mall. I get out of the car. I walk inside finding myself looking at Gwen and the others huddling over her. When I reach the huddle, Gwen gets out of their arms. She looks at me and smiles. She runs to me, opening her arms as if she is going to hug me. I step to the side avoiding her hug almost making her fall. I can't even stand to look at her by how worried she had me. I turn my head avoiding her eyes and sitting on the stairs.
"I saw you avoid her hug; She looked sad..." Jane says as she sits next to me.
"..."
"You know that why she smiles at you...
"I didn't do anything to make her smile," I say looking down at my shoes. Jane shakes her head.
"...she has never smiled like that to anyone...even when we would facetime, she laughed of course, but her smiles were always forced. I am not saying she just doesn't like me. That girl is one of the most caring girls you could meet. When I moved, she still stayed close to me. She never forgot me and that is what I appreciate about her. She never left my side and I decided I would never leave her side, whatever problem came our way"
"Yeah what about the ice skating? I want to learn how to ice skate. I haven't ice skated in a while" I hear TJ says humorously.
"Oh that sounds cool" Akio jumps up.
"Uh, so where would that be?" Hunter taps his foot on the ground.
"The rink at Rockefeller Center is the one at the central park" Ross shows us a picture on his phone.
"There is one place I go to sometimes, it is by the Brooklyn Bridge. Hmm...it looks like..." Gwen swipes through her pictures, "This," she shows a picture of the bridge with lights at night. "I took it the last time I was here. A month or two ago. I had a little break from work that Mr. Caulden gave me so I went there," Now looking at this picture...it looks familiar...was it her Instagram? I pull out my phone and go to her Instagram. It's one of the recent pictures posted. I press on the picture and it's from December 7th, 2020. The caption read "I should have stayed."
"I guess we will see how the day goes" Ann-Marie shrugs her shoulders.
"Alejandro come get in my car" Gwen calls me as we arrive at the cars.
"I'm okay," I say getting into Azul's GMC as all the girls get in Gwen's Camaro.
"You know where to go right, Gwen?" Akio asks Gwen through the window.
"Yeah I got it on the GPS, thanks," All the guys are looking at me now as if I am a weird object in the room.
"What?"
"You know what," Ross starts.
"Yeah Park, why you being like that?" TJ squints his eyes.
"What did Gwen ever do to you huh?" Akio rolls his eyes.
"You have been ignoring Gwen," Hunter says.
"Man nothing," I say.
"Yeah right Park"
"It is just I don't like that she disappeared"
"Of course we all are but that is no reason," Akio says.
"Can we just...not talk about it?" I say calmly, looking out the window. I slump in the back taking advantage that I have all the 3rd row to myself. We park next to Gwen's car.
We head to the skating rink. All of us take turns paying and getting our skates, tell the woman what size we are. We get in and start to skate.
"Help me, Alejandro" I grab Ann-Marie by her arms and lead her into the ice. I skate backward making sure she is confident that she can do it.
"Move one foot forward and then the other one" She starts to move her feet the way I told her to.
"Good now, bend your knees not too low but just a little to balance yourself," She starts to skate by herself and this is her first time. She is a quick learner. I didn't want her to fall so the whole time I still helped her. Gwen skated for a few minutes but sat down right after. Akio followed her and sat down with her. At least she had someone to keep her company and that's what matters. Time flies by and I forgot how skating felt so nice and free. The day turns into night. The lights turn on making the ice sparkle like glitter. I look at Ann-Marie as we skate. I don't think I have seen anyone smile as much as her. Maybe it wasn't the ice that sparkled but her smile. She must have grown up in a loving family with a happy childhood that made her like she is now. She also has a caring loving sister who is always worried about her and there for her. That is probably why Jane smiles today. She taught Ann-Marie to be the good person she is today. I look at TJ. He grew up without his parents caring for him but his friends made him be a happy person, to be the cool person that he is now, always clowning and smiling. Ross and Rosaline holding hands, falling in love with each other each day make them smile. Azul and Hunter after a long time still smile at each other, picking up where they left off. Hunter makes her smile. But I'm sure having her little brother around made her happy. I would know because my little twin sisters make me smile always. If I was Akio I would be happy to have an older sister like Azul. Akio met Gwen earlier than me, which must make him even happier. Gwen though...what makes her happy? And me...what makes me smile...is her.