Eight years have passed and I still can’t forget that day.
I sat up in bed and checked my phone. It was
only 4:00 AM.
“Mom, Dad?” I whispered to the empty room.
Just like every morning, no response.
My head dropped.
For eight years… they hadn’t come to see me
once.
In my dreams, Ray was smirking, looking at me
1
<
12:29
with his mocking eyes. “Got any self–respect,
Izzy?”
And every time I yelled, “Yeah, I do!” I’d wake
- up.
Unable to sleep, I got up and started cleaning.
After the funeral, I’d left that place.
I found a new city, got a job, went back to
school.
Working and studying at the same time was
tough.
But I couldn’t let myself slow down, because I
knew that if I did, I’d start crying.
I’d seen a therapist. She said I was struggling with depression and needed someone to help me move on from that day.
く
But there was no one.
After eight years, I was yearning to go back,
see the river where my folks jumped.
To jump in myself, maybe ask why they were so
heartless.
I was so damn tired…
Since I was going back, I figured I could handle
seeing some of those old classmates.
So when the class president asked if I was going to the reunion, I was the first to say yes.
I hadn’t posted anything in the group chat for eight years.
All the other classmates were cut from my social media.
Ray included.
<
- 5.
I caught the first train. I felt lighter than I had in
eight years.
I was looking at the scenery when I noticed a
young couple sitting next to me.
“You know, it was tough to date him. So many
girls were after him, but I kept trying and now I’m taking him to see my parents!” the girl said, giggling.
“You look happy too, are you heading home too?” she asked me. “I feel like the air is so much sweeter when I am about to see my folks.”
I fell silent. Then forced a smile. “Yeah, I’m going home.”
“Going home… to see my folks.”
I muttered those words, barely audible, but it
<
0000
I was about to see Mom and Dad, soon.
I was humming all the way.
When I got off the train, I went straight to the
venue the class president had booked.
- 6.
Most people were already there.
When I walked in, the room went silent.
I sat down at the table nearest to the door.
My smile was gone.
The class president pushed up his glasses, breaking the silence. “Izzy, you made it?”
I nodded.
A girl named Becca, who always hated me back in school, said in a snarky tone, “Well, look
who’s here, it’s the brainy Izzy. I swear, looking
at her makes me lose my appetite. Someone should tell Ray to not come tonight.”
I dropped out of school. No one knew why.
But everyone knew I liked Ray and gave him a
gift.
The girl sitting next to Becca nudged her.
The class president said, frowning, “You need to stop it. Ray’s been looking for Izzy for eight years. Telling him she’s here will make him happy.”
Becca snorted. “Ray’s just a nice guy. Who
asks for forgiveness after rejecting someone?”
“He’s been looking for her for eight years because he wants to apologize.”
“Is it wrong to not like someone? Everyone
<
knows that Izzy transferred school because she
was humiliated by Ray. You’d think he actually
liked her or something.”
“Doesn’t Ray have a girlfriend? I heard she’s
super rich. Izzy is just another girl. She’s got nothing, crippled dad, broke as a joke.”
“Whatever…”
Becca was getting way out of line. The others.
were starting to frown.
I stood up, “I’m not hungry, so you don’t have to worry about losing your appetite. I just wanted to see everyone, and now I have. I’ll be going.”
