His voice was laced with sarcasm. I frowned,
not knowing what I’d done to offend him.
I didn’t say anything.
Until I gave Ray the watch that I’d saved up for.
That was the day I left early and heard him
talking.
<
I realized that he had never liked me.
To him, I was just a cat or a dog.
He’d play with me when he was happy, and
ignore me when he was not.
There was no real feeling behind it.
- 23.
When I woke up, I went to the hospital.
The doctor asked, “What seems to be the problem?”
“I was diagnosed with moderate depression,” I said.
The doctor sighed. “Moderate, it’s still manageable. Let’s do some more tests.”
I nodded. I got the tests but decided not to go through them.
<
12:33
So I left.
I ran into Ray at the hospital.
924
He walked over. “Did you do the tests? What did they prescribe?”
I was annoyed, but I smiled and lied. “Yeah, I’ve done them. The doctor said I’m fine.”
Ray frowned. “Izzy, do you know that your eyes are very focused when you’re lying?”
I stopped smiling and looked up. “Ray, do you like me? You pay so much attention to me. Does your girlfriend know?”
I wasn’t scared of his mockery anymore.
What Ray said was something I would never imagine.
He lit up a cigarette. “Yeah
<
12:33
His words shocked me.
924
- 24.
I was shocked for just a second, then I said, “I don’t like you, Ray.”
“I know, I’m chasing you,” he said, putting the cigarette out.
“Then, let’s go die together, Ray.”
I waited for his answer.
He looked at me for a while, until I lost my patience.
Just as I was about to walk away, Ray spoke up. “Ok.”
Then, he grabbed my hand, “How do you want to die? Let’s jump off the bridge? Or a
building?”
I fell silent.
“You’re getting married, Ray.”
Ray snorted as if it didn’t matter. “That
wedding was a trick to keep you from leaving.
I’m not getting married to anyone.”
“What about that girl?”
“You mean, June?” Ray asked.
I nodded. So that girl’s name was June.
Ray rubbed his forehead. “She’s my brother’s girlfriend. I can’t take her away.”
That girl was his brother’s girlfriend?
- 25.
“But you treated her…”
I didn’t finish the sentence
12:33
<
I didn’t finish the sentence.
- ))
Ray just smiled. “Of course. My brother would
beat the hell out of me.
“Well, let’s just say everything. She was there
last night to convince me to stop doing dumb
things.
“And, back then, I said those things because I
was jealous of you. Your gift…
“Was great.”
I felt like I could see the high school Ray,
smiling and saying, “Valedictorian, this watch is
great.”
