One Night Read online

  My body was racked with chills remembering how she did my hair like this for me every day as a little girl. Back then, that was my signature look and I loved how my hair would swing back and forth. I was the sassiest girl at the playground.

  "Mom?"

  "Shh. Let's eat before the food gets cold.”

  We took our seats at either end of the table, and I got to work on my plate. Although the table was a cozy size and we weren't too far apart, it still felt odd. Ever since the two of us had that big argument, the tension between us was almost always present.

  "I just might end up clearing out the pot, mom," I commented in between forkfuls.

  "I'm glad you're enjoying it,” she said, smiling.

  A couple minutes of silence passed as we dined before my mom spoke again.

  "So, how are you? How's school?"

  "Don't you know already? I know you like to keep tabs on those sorts of things," Is what I wanted to say, but I could tell my mom was trying; I could tell she wanted to have a civil conversation and not pick a fight. That’s what I've always wanted, so I made the most of this moment.

  "It's going pretty well, actually. I seriously lucked out for my chemistry final. Instead of taking an exam on everything we've been taught since the beginning of the year, we're learning a short mini concept to be assessed on."

  "Oh yeah?"

  "Yeah, Mr. H is one of the teachers that actually cares about the mental well-being of their students," I said, chuckling lightly.

  She took a sip of her wine. "Well, I think you'd have done well either way. Full assessment or mini assessment.”

  "Thank you.”

  "So, outside of your classes, how are you? Have you made any new friends?" she asked.

  Call me paranoid, but my gut was telling me she was fishing for info about me and Joseph. I went along with it anyway.

  "Uh, I've made a couple friends working on the prom committee."

  "That's good!"

  "Yeah, it's been nice. There's this girl named Mariah who is the human equivalent of a firework. She’s..."

  I trailed off, noticing my mother push and jab an olive with her fork. She loved olives just as much as I did so I was confused as to why she wasn't eating them.

  "Is there something wrong?" I asked.

  "I just- I was wondering if you could tell me more about Joseph and his family."

  I should have known.

  "Well, what do you want to know? I mean, we've had dinner with both him and his parents. Was that not enough for you?"

  I was aiming for a cool, leveled tone, but my words came out a lot harsher and bitter tasting.

  "Is it so wrong for me to want to know the company my daughter keeps? And I think it's odd that I saw him parked outside one afternoon when I told you to come home with Alex from now on," she said, placing her fork on her half-empty plate.

  "Mom, what difference does it make? Alex can't always chauffeur me to and from school. She has a life of her own. And I think the idea of needing a travel buddy is a bit absurd.”

  This was yet another situation my mom searched high and low for a problem with.

  “Besides, Joseph offered to drop me off that day as he has many other times. He doesn't seem to mind giving me rides, considering we're often going to the same places,” I responded, my voice taut.

  "Sienna, I've really tried to be lenient with you, but you always seem to find a way to bend the rules to get what you want.”

  "Have you??" I asked, letting out an empty laugh. "Seriously? Bending rules to g —"

  I was raising my voice, but at this stage I was past caring.

  "No. I think you've been the complete opposite of lenient. I don't think you understand how truly difficult you make things."

  The sound of metal clattering against the glass plate echoed through the now dead-silent kitchen as I dropped my own fork.

  “Everything I do is for your benefit, why can’t you see that?!”

  "You’re suffocating me!” I rubbed my temple, feeling an ache building.

  “What upsets me even more is that Joseph is a great person and an even better friend to me, yet somehow that bothers you. I don't know what you have against him, but you have got to stop looking at him through distorted lenses.”

  Huh, I thought she was beginning to change and try to be interested in something other than herself, but I was terribly mistaken. I pushed the wooden chair back so fast it made a wild screeching noise and left the kitchen. I lost my appetite.

  Chapter Fourteen

  10:30 p.m.

  Back in the comfort of my room, I lay down, typing away on my laptop as I listened to music. My goal was to try to push the events of dinner far from my mind.

  I didn't think I'd ever win with my mother but voicing my opinion has never made me feel better. My years of being steamrolled over were coming to an end.

  "May 18th, 2019

  -Because even after the worst, she still stands. She smiles. Walks with her head held high. She pushes through. She now puts herself at the top of her priority list because if the last few weeks have taught her anything, it's that she deserves to be there."

  After closing my laptop, I set it aside for the night and slid under my blanket. Still wearing my headphones, I let my eyes drift close and lost myself in the soft instrumental filling my ears.

  I slept peacefully for a few hours until a persistent vibrating woke me up. I hated being a light sleeper. But tonight, it may have been a good thing.

  When I grabbed my phone, I tapped the screen and discovered I had not one but ten missed calls from Joseph. It was 2 a.m. He was absolutely insane if he thought I was going to be up for an adventure right now. But I couldn't lie and say I wasn't relieved to hear from him. Sitting up, I hit redial.

  "Joey?"

  "Sienna, thank God. Listen, I know it's late, but —"

  "Wait, are you okay?" There was a tremor in his voice and through the phone I could hear his labored breaths.

  "Can you come outside right now? I- I need you..."

  "Yeah, let me slip on some shoes."

  "I'll be out front."

  Reeling, I threw on my hoodie and nimbly made my way down the stairs. I quietly stepped into my shoes by the door and carefully slipped out into the darkness.

  "Joey?" I called out, peering around as my eyes adjusted to the night.

  "I'm over here."

  I looked to my right and found him sitting on the curb, a lone streetlight illuminating his figure. Taking a seat next to him, I fidgeted with my hands.

  A few minutes passed before any words were spoken; before he even looked at me. But when he did, I warily took in his appearance. His eyes were rimmed with red and heavy bags sat below them. His hair was a disheveled mess, likely from his hands being run through it so often. When he spoke, the words that left his mouth hit me like a freight train.

  "... w-what do you mean your dad is in a coma?!"

  "When I left your house earlier, my mom told me he’d been shot," Joseph said, somberly. "He was investigating a domestic disturbance. Some lowlife was fighting with his girlfriend, drunk out of his mind. The neighbors eventually called the cops."

  His head hung low as he continued.

  "He had a gun and wouldn't back down. There was a shootout between the guy and Marshall, my father's partner. My father got caught in the crossfire attempting to get their kid out of the house. The little boy is okay, but..." he trailed off, his voice breaking.

  "It’s okay, take your time."

  "T-the doctors said my father lost a lot of blood and had two cracked ribs. I was only able to see him for a second before he was rushed into surgery. They had to get the bullets out a-and do a transfusion... t-they- he- I can’t lose him. I can’t.”

  "Hey, take a couple deep breaths for me," I spoke softly, as I took his trembling hand in mine and led him through a breathing exercise. His head fell as he took a deep breath through his nose. I counted to four before I told him to release it. We did this
a few times until he felt okay and I was sure of it.

  "... you don't understand. My dad has to come out of surgery. I- I can't lose another person," he said, wiping his eyes on the long sleeves of his black shirt.

  "What are you talking about? Who have you lost?" I asked.

  He sighed. “Remember the day you asked me if I met anyone in Paris?"

  "I do."

  "Well to answer your question, her name was Charlotte." He took an immensely long breath before continuing. "We met on my third day there. She was the type of girl you'd notice a mile away... had sandy brown hair that was never out of place," he said, giving me a sad smile.

  Was. Had. I felt the contents of my dinner churning in my stomach. What happened to her?

  "The thing that really caught my attention, though, was her interest in photography. I was searching the area for some good food, and that's when I saw her. She was sitting outside a little cafe with her camera, trying to get the perfect shot of a latte."

  He lifted his eyes to the sky searching here and there as if to summon an otherworldly energy to be able to continue.

  "Being so caught up in her camera, she didn't see me approach her table. Once she saw my own camera, that was it from there. We spent that afternoon together snapping around this park. I may have snapped a photo of her, too." Joseph laughed, recalling the memory.

  I held onto his hand tighter, giving it a squeeze.

  "Joey?"

  He looked at me in response.

  "Why do you talk about Char —” I cleared my throat, "her in the past tense?"

  This time he was the one squeezing my hand and I quickly braced myself for what was to come.

  "She was murdered, Sienna."

  Before I had the chance to ask how it happened, let alone react, he went on.

  "It was my last week in Paris and we had just come back from seeing the Eiffel Tower."

  That must have been the same day in the photo I saw on his bedroom wall. The last photo he and Charlotte took together.

  "I told her I'd be leaving for the States soon, so she wanted to spend as much time with me as possible. At the tower I was probably the happiest I'd ever been in my life," he said.

  "And you never wanted to forget that moment, did you?" my words were whispered, but Joseph heard them.

  "Never," he said, shaking his head. "She gave her camera to a lady who was kind enough to take a photo of us. Out of nowhere the wind blew by us and made her hair catch flight in the most elegant way. The camera caught her giggling about it."

  "I, on the other hand, looked like a twelve-year-old boy who'd been caught with his Nintendo after dark," he said, tugging on the ends of his hair with his free hand.

  "When Charlotte got her camera back, the cap was missing. We asked the lady who took the photo, but she said there wasn't one to take off in the first place. I told her I'd check on the ground and she went to the bakery we visited earlier in the day."

  Joseph stopped abruptly, trying to catch his breath.

  "You don't have to go on if it's too much," I reassured him.

  "No, it's fine. I just haven't talked about her in so long, but I know I should,” he said.

  I didn't say anything and continued rubbing the back of his hand with my thumb, though I can't remember when I started.

  "I found the lens cap about 15 feet away, but when I turned around to walk to the bakery... I- I saw it happen right in front of me, Sienna. She was on the crosswalk on her way back to me when some bastard came speeding through the intersection."

  I gasped silently.

  “My screams were louder than any of the sirens that flooded the area. It felt like my soul left my body when I saw her fly over the hood of the car... I ran so fast wanting to catch her head before it hit the ground, but I was too late."

  At this point I was Joseph's lifeline. He was holding onto me like I was the only thing keeping him from being swept away by the tidal wave of emotions that were threatening to drown him.

  "The EMTs couldn't leave the ambulance fast enough. Charlotte was spitting up blood and I kept screaming and screaming that someone come and fucking help her. She was quivering in my arms and held her until her chest raised and fell one last time."

  I didn't see the tears, but I felt them as they left Joseph's eyes. One by one, they splattered down on our clasped hands.

  "I refused to let her go then... God, I never cried so hard. I was delirious. The next thing I knew, I was being pried from her body and a needle was being jabbed into my shoulder. I don't remember much after that," he finished, his grip on my hand beginning to loosen.

  "I'm s-so sorry..." I hiccupped, covering my mouth to stifle my cries. It didn't help much. Joseph wrapped his arms around me and began stroking my hair. Part of me didn't like that. I was the one who was supposed to be comforting him, yet he was consoling me.

  "I am so sorry, Joey," I said again, in between my heavy sobs.

  "Shhh. It's okay," he whispered, soothingly rubbing my back. "It's been two years. It doesn't hurt so bad anymore, but I do still miss her sometimes."

  After a few deep breaths, I collected myself and faced him. He brought a gentle hand to my face and wiped under my eyes with his thumbs. Without much thinking, I lifted my hand to reciprocate, and he let me.

  We wiped away each other's tears. He allowed himself to be vulnerable with me on a new level and I adored him so much more for it. He gave me a watery smile.

  "If I'm being honest, part of the reason why I was so harsh to you when you asked is because I didn't want us to be that close. But even the walls I'd spent so long building couldn't withstand your power."

  Joseph spoke with his eyes trained on mine and every word that left his mouth was like an individual weight being lifted from my heavy heart.

  "Charlotte- she was an amazing girl. I'd only known her for a couple of weeks and just as quickly as she stepped into my life, she was ripped out of it. We met, what, four months ago? I've already gotten so attached to you. I don't know what I'd do if you were taken from me too... The thought alone makes me sick. Now with my father being in the condition he is- it's just insane."

  "I am so sorry about your father, and even more so about you losing Charlotte the way you did- I can't imagine the pain you felt." Taking his hand that rested on my cheek, I placed it in my lap and entwined our fingers together again.

  "But I want you to know that you don't have to worry about losing me. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. I know you're scared, but I am too. We'll get through this together, all of it. David will wake up before you know it, and soon, he'll be back home with you and Marlene."

  Joseph took our clasped hands and placed them over his heart. I felt the rapid beating which made my own heart pick up.

  The stars were bright in the night sky and he looked at me as if I were one of them. His eyes that glimmered with adoration penetrated my soul.

  He leaned in slowly and stole my breath in a deep kiss. A kiss in which I felt his fears, his doubts, and worries. But also, his trust, his mutual need for me, and something much stronger. Dare I say I could feel love.

  He smiled at me for the first time tonight as we pulled apart. "Thank you."

  "You're welcome, Joey. Do you feel any better now that you've gotten everything out?"

  "I do. I feel a lot better. Thank you for listening to me... and for letting me use your hand like a stress ball."

  We both chuckled.

  "Come here," I said, pulling him into a tight hug. "You'll never, and I mean never, have to face anything alone.”

  We separated once more, and I took this chance to quickly check my phone. It was now 3:30. I didn't realize how long we'd been out here talking, but I wanted Joseph to rest. He coincidentally yawned as I sat my phone back in my lap.

  "You should go home and get some sleep, big guy.”

  "I should, shouldn't I?" he asked, lazily smiling at me.

  "Yes. You deserve a few hours of peace. To say you've had a long day would be a
n understatement."

  "You're right, and I don't wanna keep you up any longer."

  "I don't mind at all, really. Initially, I thought you called because you wanted to go on a late-night adventure. I was ready to bite your head off."

  "Hmm. Not tonight, Mariposa. I'll admit the idea seems interesting, but we'll have to keep it on the back burner for now."

  "Sounds like a plan."

  We both stood up from the curb and I placed one last kiss on his cheek that was salty from the tears that stained it.

  "Goodnight, Mariposa."

  "Goodnight, Joseph. Sleep well."

  Chapter Fifteen

  ALEX

  Though I didn’t show it, every day my heart broke a little more. Coming home to an empty house sounds like a dream come true for most kids, but at the end of the day most of em’ had at least one parent that came home. Me? I had no one. And every day when school let out, I was reminded of that cold reality.

  The place looked barely lived in aside from the pizza boxes and Chinese takeout containers I left on the kitchen counter. I'd get to ‘em later. Without a care in the world, I dropped my bag to the floor in the living room and made my way upstairs. I thought I wanted to go to my room, but my feet dragged me to the shut door of my parents’ bedroom.

  I hadn't been inside since I was maybe fourteen. When I turned the cold brass knob, my heart sank. The bedsheets were wrinkle free. No drawers were cracked open. Not even a dirty cup was left behind on the nightstand from a previous night. The room was spotless.

  Again, seeming to not have much control over my body, I found myself being pulled toward the closet. There had to be a sweater or a pair of my dad's ugly brown pants he loved so much. He couldn't have taken everything, right?

  One flick of my wrist was all it took to completely knock the wind out of me.

  Empty.

  The closet was empty. It's like my parents had no intention of coming back at all. This all felt like a messed up dream. When was I going to wake up? I didn't even realize I was crying until I felt a thick tear roll down my cheek and splatter down onto the stupidly white carpet below me. I felt numb. The hole that was left in my heart only grew bigger. Hopeless, I sank to my knees.