"Opal, sweetheart. Tell us where you are?" I hear my moms voice coming through the phone. I hold my breath, "Opal, it's okay. You can talk to me." I hear her soft, soothing voice. I pull the phone away from me. I hear her muffled pleads and I hang up the phone. Sometimes hearing her voice helps me get through everything.
I walk out of the phone booth, and walk the five minute walk back home. No one knows I found this old public phone and I come here at least once every few weeks.
There are a few people tending to the front of the manor by the time I make it back and I see Avery telling them what to do and where to plant things.
"Where did you go?" She questions when she sees me walk in.
"Running." I quickly lie, she believes me and smiles.
"Good. Running is good." She nods and I give her a weird look.
"I'm sorry. I'm being weird." She shakes off the jitters. I let her continue, "Evan has just been acting weird." She says and I nod. "I've been a total bitch lately." She creases her nose. I nod agreeing to that. She snapped at me a couple of times the past few months.
"Do you know why?" I ask.
"No. He won't let me in." She sighs. "Men." She groans before walking inside. I laugh at her distress. I hear a car pulling up the long driveway and when I turn around, Joseph comes out of his car in his full suit.
I don't move as I stare at him, my smile falling. It's been six months since I've seen him.
He stares right at me, standing straight. His expression is serious, he slowly walks toward me and I slowly walk toward him. I stare at him, confused. I give him a questioning look and when I realize why he's here I look to the floor. He pulls me into a hug, his hand on my head as I stare at the ground, unable to cry.
"Nine weeks my ass." I try breaking the ice. We're sitting in the garden by a large water fountain. Joseph looks at me,
"You know he taught me how to shoot, he also got me into soccer. I always knew that no matter what trouble I got into, I knew he could get us out of any thing. If we both went down he'd be there with me." I turn to Joseph as tears stream down my face, he's looking up, remembering, "He was always there pushing me to be better, to be the best." We both smile,
"I remember him telling me you were a good shot." I cringe at my choice of words unable to look at him. " A good fighter." I look down, "I just wish he told me when he was leaving."
"He's always trying to protect everyone." He swallows hard. I slowly sigh out, letting him continue, "You know what? I look at myself in the mirror in this uniform and I still don't know who I am." He shakes his head, "I look like a hero, but I don't feel like it." He turns to me, "Sawyer..." Joseph pauses, "always looked the part, didn't he?" I try smiling but more tears start flowing out.
"I don't think he knows how to be anything else." I cover my mouth trying to keep my tears at bay, and lean into Jospeh's shoulder letting it all out. He places his arm around me, rubbing my back. Rain starts pouring down on us and Joseph pulls me to follow him. We find shelter in a shed far from the house. It's a wine cellar.
Joseph grabs a bottle of whisky and two shot glasses. He shakily pours both glasses full.
"To Sawyer Pierce." He looks at me, "The best doctor and best friend I ever knew." His eyebrows crease as he tries to hold in his tears, "or ever will know."
My eyes water as he raises his glass and he looks at me. "To Sawyer." He closes his eyes and drinks it. I do the same and down it. I don't know how to feel. There is no way he can be gone.
I cry almost every night: heave, scream into my pillow, silent tears.
"Morning." Nancy smiles.
"Hi." I whisper.
"Opal, I signed these for you. They came in the mail this morning, but you were sleeping." She softly says. I know they all can hear me crying.
I open the package and books fall out.
~The Chronicles of Narnia~
I open the first page and a letter falls out.
'I saw you reading this book and you asked if I had the series, I didn't. But now you do. Don't read them all in one day.'
It says and I look back at the books.
"Who is it from?" I question.
"Not sure, but it came with this." She holds up a large red button, an exact replica from my coat. I grab it from her hand and quickly place it in my pocket.
I rush to find Evan.
"If he's gone, explain this." My voice rises. He looks at the books I've thrown on his desk.
"Mail takes long to get to places." He says. I don't have anything else to say, grab the books and sit out in the garden.
Once again I'm all alone. Joseph is back in the army, at least he's stationed thirty minutes away from us, but I don't think I can ever visit him.
I intensely stare at the button, once held by Sawyer. I admire all it's angles and squeeze it into my hand.
I'm crying less and less now, it's been three months. One year since Sawyer has been gone and three months since I haven't seen Jospeh.
"Come on, Opal. We're going to be late." Avery pulls me and Evan drives us to the movie theater. Since the movie theater is on a military base, everyone here is dressed in uniform.
We walk into the movie and quickly find our seats. Evan orders us popcorn.
A scene comes up of a man on a train, hoping the girl he loves says goodbye to him before he leaves and never sees her again. How can he just leave without saying goodbye? I sigh out, and look down into my lap, fidgeting my fingers. This hits a little too close to home.
"I'm going to the bathroom." I whisper to Avery, unable to continue watching this movie. I storm out angry, not bothering to look for a bathroom. I head for the exit.
"Opal!" I hear someone call my name, I quickly turn around,
"Jospeh." I say.
"Hey." He says.
"Some movie, huh?" I ask him, not knowing if he was in there or not or if he saw me and followed me. He sighs as he puts his hands into his pocket,
"Yeah." He agrees.
"It's been a while." I shyly smile at him. I wasn't expecting to see him today. He did get us the free movie tickets.
"I've been logging in a lot of hours." He smiles down at me, I nod,
"I kinda been avoiding you too." I confess. We both laugh and he turns away, almost nervous.
"Yeah." He scratches the back of his head. We both look away and I spot something across the street and turn back to him,
"Look..." I say at the same time Jospeh says,
"Do you.."
We both stop talking and he leans his body and tilts his head to the direction we were both looking at,
"Do you want to?" He questions,
"Sure, yes." I smile. He takes my hand and we cross the street,
"Alright."
We sit by the window in the restaurant and I can't help but people watch.
"I remember this one time when I was, like, seven years old, I was always building gadgets and things. One day, Sawyer told me he wanted me to build him some goggles that can see through skin, so he can see what was wrong with the inside of your body."
I laugh, and Joseph continues with the story, "I just told him he can't see through things, it's impossible." I stay smiling listening intently, "Of course, Sawyer being Sawyer wouldn't listen, he would tell me; Jospeh, who cares about that, just build them." Jospeh smiles, "so I did. I made these big ol' glasses and placed them on his face." He laughs and gestures how big the glasses were with his fingers. "Keep in mind I made everything from paper and glue and different color plastics that we stole."
I laugh, leaning on the table, "He looked so stupid, and I told him he can't see through anything with these. And bam!" Joseph screams and slams his hand on the table, "he broke his nose walking straight into a wall." I jump at the sudden noise and laugh, imagining both their childhoods.
The laughter dies out and I look out the restaurant window, "I never thought I would say this, but I miss him." I tell Joseph.
"Yeah." He agrees, "But don't think for a second that Sawyer wasn't back out there trying to see through people the next day. Telling me to make adjustments every few seconds on those damn glasses." I smile, stubborn Sawyer.
"Am I talking too much? Sometimes I do that." Joseph leans down on the table hiding his face in his arms, almost embarrassed. I can't stop laughing, "I'm sorry." He says. I look at my milkshake and stir with the straw.
Evan and Avery catch us through the window as we laugh. Our smiles drop as they smile at us and wave. When I turn back to Joseph he almost looks embarrassed, he notices I'm looking at him and he gives me a big goofy smile.
"I guess I should go." I stand up but he grabs my hand,
"Don't let it be three months before I see you again, alright." He turns serious, I smile down at him and nod.
"I had a good time."
"Yeah, me too." He smiles and nods. "Do you want me to take you home or?"
"No, no. It's okay. I came with Evan and Avery."
"No, of course." He laughs.
"Goodnight, Joseph."
"Goodnight."
Both Evan and Avery are waiting for me at the end of the street.
"Have a good time?" Avery wiggles her eyebrows, "I saw the way you were laughing and looking at him." She whispers so Evan can't hear.
"What are you talking about?" I question.
She just gives me a mischievous smile before running to catch up to Evan.
What is she on about? I haven't seen Joseph in three months and he lives closer. We've both been avoiding each other. End of story.
It's almost midnight when my eyes start to feel drowsy. I stop reading my book and change into a night gown.
When I finally shut my eyes I hear a tapping at my window. I freeze in bed, too scared to turn around. I'm just imagining a sound. When it happens a second time, louder, I turn.
I turn the side table light on and get out of bed, opening the window.
He eyes what I'm wearing,
"Oh, you were sleeping. I'm sorry." He quickly turns away.
"Joseph? How did you get up here?" I'm a little dazed and confused. I drop my lamp, the chord getting stuck around my leg, the loud noise echoing around the house. Nancy and Avery immediately barge in.
"Is something wrong?" They both ask, running toward me. They stop behind me when they see Joseph.
"No! Nothings wrong. No problems here. Hi." He nervously spits out and waves to Nancy and Avery.
"It's just Joseph." I shoo them away. Nancy is so befuddled that she can't get her night cap back on. I look down at what I'm wearing and try covering my cleavage with my hands from the low v-neck.
"I, just, you.. you forgot this." He stretches out his hand and holds up my purse. I look at it,
"Oh, thanks." I softly whisper. "Thank you for dropping it over, now."
It's so late.
"I, well, I thought you might have needed it." He steps closer to the window. "You know, tomorrow morning. Not that you go everywhere."
"No, it's just a purse, nothing is in there." I shrug.
He looks down at the purse he's still holding.
"Right, right. Yeah." I know he feels ridiculous. I take it from him. "Listen, I was thinking, maybe..." He takes a step back, almost falling. "I could come by some time or give you a call." He nervously places his hands in his pockets. I shush him, his voice getting louder. I look behind me.
"If I give you a call, could I come by sometime? Once, if you're not busy?" He tracks back. I look down and nervously laugh.
"Yeah, maybe. If Evan allows you in." I know Evan and Joseph aren't on good terms, and I have yet to get to the bottom of that.
"Maybe?" He looks at me, hopeful.
"Maybe." I whisper.
"Okay, all right."
"Thanks." I shake the purse.
"Goodbye." He turns off walking, "goodnight." He waves.
"Goodnight." I close the window and watch as he climbs down.
The next morning both Avery and Nancy can't help but smile when I'm come into the kitchen.
"Did you have fun last night?" Avery questions. I breathe in,
"It's not how it looked." I roll my eyes.
"If it were, it would be all right." She gives me an understanding smile. "It's been a year. I don't think Sawyer is ever coming back. It's time to move on."
I glare at her, "I am moving on." I serve myself cereal.
"Don't lie." Nancy chimes in. "All I hear is you crying when you think everyone is asleep." I turn to her, my eyes watering. I take a bite of my cereal. "I thought my life was over when my parents dropped me off at an orphanage, but you never know where it's all going to lead." She says and smiles, "Look where I ended up. With a loving family." She looks around her.
"Nancy." I smile at her and run over to her and give her a hug. This is the first time she has referred to me as her family.
"Sawyer sent Joseph to tell you, so you would be okay, so you can move on." She whispers so Avery can't hear. She holds my hands in hers. "You have to keep living." I look down at her and give her a sad smile, nodding. I hug her again, and she hugs me tighter.
Evan walks in and Avery immediately hugs him and he leans down to kiss her. I smile and look away. I go up to my room and grab the books and buttons Sawyer has left me and I hide it deep in the closet, never to be opened again.
"Goodbye, Sawyer." I breathe out.
"Avery does this dress look okay?" I question. It's been a few hours since I put Sawyers things away forever. I think it's time.
Avery stares at me, speechless. "Where have you been hiding that dress?" She questions and I shrug, embarrassed. "Are you trying to get all of the whole male species to fall in love because if you are then well...wow." She says and tells me to turn. I turn and I raise an eyebrow.
"It's not too much?" I question, I think the dress is a little over the top.
"No!" She says and I nod.
"Okay." I smile and admire myself in the mirror, the tight red dress fitting into every curve perfectly.
"I'm going to see Joseph. I want to talk about a few things." I tell her as she does my makeup.
"A red lip to finish the look." She admires her finished product and claps.
"Thank you."
"I'm so happy for this. For everything that is happening." She claps her hands, again.
"I'm going to take the bus, so Evan doesn't have to drive me." I smile, hoping she doesn't make Evan take me.
"Okay." She says.
I leave before she can change her mind.
Instead of walking to the bus stop I walk straight to the phone booth.
"Hello?" My mom says, her frantic voice coming through. I don't speak for a long time, "Opal, I know it's you." She continues and I nod. It is me, it is me mom. "I love you." She says and I can't help it,
"Mom." I whisper and she screams for my dads name. "He's gone." I cry, "He's dead, well I'm not sure. But he's gone forever...." I pause and sniffle, "I loved him." I croak.
"Oh, honey..." Her gentle voice comes through. I don't hear what she has to say and quickly hang up before they trace the call.
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Hey!!! Sorry I'm late but here is the chapter 🙌🏻 ❤️ Hopefully the next chapter is in Joseph's point of view, so watch out :p