Stand by Me

Chapter Eighteen "Forget and Pretend"

We all sat around the tree house, lazing about with no purpose. Even though we all drifted during the school year, we were a tight knit group, we were family. I remember when my family was normal, when we were all together.

I remember my dad, but my mom likes to pretend he never existed. Most of the memories I had with my dad were upsetting. He had PTSD, or post dramatic stress disorder, from Vietnam. Sometimes he would get a little crazy, nobody thought he would die from it.

One time my dad drove me out to go to the beach and get ice cream, and while we were driving on a back road he started having "visions." While we were still driving he started screaming and the car was swerving all over the road, I was only ten.

That's how he died, I was in the car with him when he died. I could've helped him, I could've stopped him from dying, but I was to scared to do anything. I was too scared to say anything to him.

I guess I had been in my own world for quite some time, because I was snapped out of my thoughts by Teddy shaking my shoulders. "What? What?" I asked confused.

"What world were you in?" he said sarcastically and sat down, a crimson color brushed upon
my cheeks as I muttered an apology. The guys laughed and I shook my head looking down.

The guys finished their conversation "as I was saying, Mighty Mouse could never beat up Super Man because he's a cartoon and Super Man is a real person," Teddy said and I shook my head. "Yeah I guess," Vern muttered.

"Um, Super Man isn't a real person though," I said looking up. And Teddy glared at me "oh really," and I nodded, deciding not to argue any farther.

"I knock," Chris said and Teddy murmured something.

"Twenty nine."

"Twenty five."

"Fuck."

I rolled my eyes and ran my fingers through my hair as the boys made other pointless small talk. I remembered last summer briefly as I noticed we were all in the same position.

"Shit!" I said as I remembered something else, the boys all looked up concerned "it's my dad's birthday." I got up and opened the door, no wonder I was thinking about him.

The guys all gave me a sympathetic smile as I climbed down the ladder. I ran, pumping my legs, I ran into town and then to a florist. I bought my favorite flowers, bush daisies, and ran back out of the store, to the cemetery.

It took about fifteen minutes before I reached the cemetery. I respectfully walked through, until I finally reached my fathers grave. I sat on my knees, carefully and gently placing my flowers against the tombstone.

"I miss you daddy," I said brushing my finger tips against his name slowly "so so so much."

"If you can hear me right now, I want to apologize for not talking to you in a while. I know mommy and I like to forget you ever existed, but that's just because we don't want to deal with the pain of missing you," I sighed and looked at the flowers, they glistened in the streaming sun "they say time heals pain, but wear does that pain go?"

I sat, waiting for a response, but I still received none "I'm growing up daddy, I have a boyfriend now. I really love him, you would too, I know you would. He's really nice and he cares about me, he has your kind of personality. If only you could meet him," I whispered imagining my father meeting Chris.

I felt a few tears fall "I miss you every single day," I leaned against the stone gently, I felt a shiver run up my spine from the cold gravestone. I sat for a few minutes before I heard some shuffling noise from behind me, as I turned around I noticed all the guys stood there holding flowers.

They placed them down next to mine and we all sat around the grave, looking at his stone. Engraved in it was:
Rest in Peace
George Davis
Forever in our hearts and forever in our minds, a much loved father, husband, and soldier.
1921-1956

We all sat in silence, for we had nothing to say, I know he would appreciate the company. I knew he would like my friends, they reminded me of him. Fun, caring, reckless and the list goes on of all the great things these guys are.

After a while we all walked away together, silently. I wondered why they had come to see my dad, what purpose? I was grateful they did though, I knew my dad enjoyed mine and my friends company, especially on his birthday.

We didn't have to say anything to know we were all sharing the same thoughts, as we walked back to the tree house the boys joked around trying to lighten the mood. I loved these guys so much, and no matter how many times I say it, it will never be enough to express how much I actually love them.

However, just when I thought this day was going to be somewhat better, we ran into the intimidating Cobras, and I knew they remembered the promise they made to kill us last summer.