Chapter 26
Waiting in the line felt like forever. It moved so slowly it was unbearable, I was in such a mood I swear I could have killed someone.
“Are you sure you saw him here?” I asked for the millionth time, my mind was on full alert but I still had to make sure I wasn’t being an idiot.
Jared nodded, sending me into another rampage of huffing and puffing. Why is it that Joe Livorarte is the only one to make me so frustrated? Why can’t he be an ordinary boyfriend?
“When he was here, where abouts in the queue was he?” My impatience was defiantly taking over my mind; it’s so hard to believe that I had become so irritable from a hot headed guy.
“Well I think he was actually at the front of the line, but I don’t remember exactly.” Jared rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, I felt a bit guilty for expecting him to have the answers.
I turned to Casey, wondering what her opinion would be on this situation (she always has an explanation even if it’s a crazy one) but I couldn’t help but notice her distant expression. It was a mirror image of Joe when we were in my living room not so long ago.
Jared seemed to notice it too “Case…are you OK?” the sincerity in his voice was clear and the worry in his eyes was deep. The tone of his voice brought Casey out of her thoughts, and she smiled at him.
“Yeah sorry I was just daydreaming” Softly stroking his cheek. Unlucky for her, I could tell when she was lying. And she was lying her blonde curls off; I needed to talk to her.
I think she noticed that I knew she was lying because she put on her most honest smile to Jared and said “Jay Jay I just need to go to the loo, Angie’s coming too. We’ll be back soon, save our spots”
She sauntered off leaving behind a rather dazed Jared. Rushing off to catch her, my mind filled up with a thousand and one questions of why she was being this way. But before I had the chance to do so she span to face me, I almost crashed into her it was so sudden.
“First of all I want to let you know this isn’t my fault” Her voice full of anger “And secondly I didn’t sign up for this so if anyone’s to blame it’s you!”
Her tone softened slightly, but the tightness of it was still there. I reached out to her only stopping myself because I was worried about what she would do. What ever had her so mad obviously wasn’t good.
Looking down, I asked softly “What’s wrong?” She sighed; I could hear her pacing in front of me. Casey was really beginning to scare me.
Grabbing my hand she pulled me into a nearby ally way, as if she was trying to make sure no one could hear us. She looked into my eyes; hers filled with remorse and guilt as she spoke “I haven’t been entirely honest with you…”
What did she mean? What could she possibly be hiding from me? I stared at her, an eyebrow rising slightly telling her to explain.
She sighed; she must be wondering how to say it or even how I would take it. Looking away from my eyes she said “There’s something I found out about Joe …something I should have told you…” She bit her lip; it was as if she had to will herself to tell me. “You know the reincarnation thing…” Nodding slowly she continued “well it has something to do with that…and the girl who he was in love with…”
My body froze, everything was falling into place. I was finally beginning to understand why Casey was finding this so hard to say.
“When you refused to do more research, I continued to do some. The main focus was on Joe’s family background and who they were associated with through out Joe’s life.” She looked to me to make sure that I was OK, and then continued “And a name that seemed to reoccur a lot was ‘Whittica’.”
Why does this not looks so good for me and my relationship?
“And being me I had to look into it, there was a little bit of information that was readable. The Whittica’s were the Livorarte family servants, they were the servants. They’re four of them. I can’t remember the parent’s names, but I know the two daughters names.”
That’s when Casey gave me the look. You know, a look only your best friend(s) will give you to prepare you for what is about to happen.
“Their names were Isadora and Elizabeth. Isadora was three years younger than Joe and was 14 when he passed away. Whereas…Elizabeth was only one year younger than Joe and she was 16 when he passed. She would have continued to have worked for the Livorarte family, but she was blamed for his death…”
I knew what was coming next, it was inevitable. My heart seemed to beat a little faster as if to make it seem like nothing was happening.
“She was blamed for his death because…she was the one found with him in the wreckage. Joe’s parents claimed that she had corrupted him and that was why they had run off together…” My breath caught in my throat, I knew the story was coming to an end, and worst to worst so was mine.
“Only a couple of weeks later Elizabeth passed away, some people thought she died of heartbreak, others just say that she brought it on herself.” Casey defiantly believed the first one, and so did I (as much as I didn’t want to).
My mind and my heart finally understood what Casey had discovered, I didn’t want to understand, I didn’t want to know. But I just couldn’t help but be happy for him.
I laughed gently “Well when I see him I guess I can congratulate him on his achievement” The smile I tried to make only just crumpled my expression more.
Casey pulled me into her arms, wrapping me tightly and whispered to me “I’m sorry, I am so sorry.” Those were the words I didn’t want to here, because they would make this so much more real.
The tears filled my eyes but I wouldn’t let them fall, instead I pulled away from Casey and turned back to the direction of the line. As I walked on I called back to Casey who hadn’t yet moved “Well I might as well watch Joe’s lover in action, come on Jared’s waiting for you.”
She walked up to the side of me and took my hand in hers; she knew I wasn’t OK but wouldn’t say anything about it until I was ready. And as we walked together back to the queue my mind wondered.
And where it wondered was to the image of the girl I know to be Joe’s lover. My thoughts only went around one thing.
Would she love him as much as I do?
The line seemed to go by in a daze, the next thing I knew I was sitting in my seat watching Romeo and Juliet while Casey and Jared made kissy faces at each other (not entirely true).
I wasn’t thinking about the words of the play, my mind was trying to figure out which of these actresses is Elizabeth reincarnated. They were all rather beautiful (which annoyed me) and were all very talented (this annoyed me too).
When the cries of Mercutio occurred my mind was pulled back down to reality. It was an interval and the first person I saw stand was…Joe?
Yes, it was Joe. He was walking out the Fire Exit near the stage, obviously going to find his lover. My jealousy went into overload, and from obvious non-thinkingness I stood up.
Casey (who was only slightly surprised) stood up too, taking my hand. “Sorry, but I have to help her find Joe” her voice was full of love, she bent down and kissed Jared’s forehead and as we walked away I couldn’t help but like Jared more.
My steps were quick and sharp as I led Casey the way I’d seen Joe go. She was able to keep pace this time, she defiantly wanted to be here for me when I got my heart smushed into a million pieces (Yeah my thoughts aren’t that cheery at the moment).
Going through the stage door led us into a corridor; it was hard to tell which way Joe would have gone. But when an echo of some girls/women laughing came from the left of me I guessed he went in that direction. My heart was growing heavier with every step, and yet, I still went on. I needed to hear from him what had happened, and I needed to know now.
The laughter was becoming louder and stronger the closer we got. With every laugh my body would become numb; any one of those laughs could be the girl who had the power over the heart of the boy I loved.
We turned the corner to find a bunch of girl’s huddled together near the ‘Stage Door’ they were all whispering to one another. My heart leaped when I over heard one of them talk about seeing a “Super hot green eyed stranger.”
Before I could say anything Casey spoke to the girl “Sorry, did I hear you mention a green eyed stranger?” The girl turned around, her brown eyes warm and her brown curls looped by her cheeks.
“Yeah, he’s just down by there” She motioned to her left “He keeps looking this way, and I swear I’m like dying!”
I turned to the direction she had pointed, and there he stood. His brown hair was shining in the dim light of the corridor. While his green eyes stared brightly into mine, it was as if they called my heart.
The logic in my mind would have been to walk away, but in my heart I knew I couldn’t do that. So, I headed over to him. My eyes never left his and his never left mine.
We stood facing one another, no words were said, no kisses were given. We just stood there, watching each other; it was if neither of us could believe what had happened.
I was the first to break the silence.
“You found her didn’t you?” I asked, my voice no more than a whisper “You found her reincarnation.”
He nodded “I did.”
“You want her don’t you?”
“I do” he smiled.
I looked towards the actresses by the stage door, and asked softly “Which one is she?”
Joe grabbed my chin in his index finger and thumb and turned me to face him. His green eyes stared straight in to mine “The one who gave me all of her, and I give all right back.”
Casey came up beside me; she had defiantly heard what he just said. She whispered “Evangeline…Elizabeth E. Whittica…”
I looked to Casey and she looked at me and together we said, almost instantaneously “Elizabeth Evangeline Whittica reincarnated…”
“…Is me?” I whispered.