One Hundred Sleepless Nights
Six.
“Mike? Michael open up, it’s me Tony! Please, open the door?” I call out through the letterbox as I try and make out any sign of movement coming from within the dark hallway of Mike’s apartment.
“He‘s got to be in there, there‘s no where else he can go or more to the point, would go.” Jaime says as he tries to look in through the door window.
“Well, it‘s quite obvious that he isn‘t, Jaime. No lights are on and there‘s no movement on the other side of the door from what I can tell so, what do you suggest?” I ask him as I give the doorbell one final ring before taking a step back and looking at the closed and locked door.
“Come on, Tone. You know Mike as well as I do; he‘ll be curled up in a corner, in the dark sulking and not answering or talking to anyone.”
“How can you be so sure when I know too well that you‘re thinking about what Vic said about ‘that’ night.” I say and just like I guessed, as soon as I mentioned ‘that’ night, Jaime freezes. “What was he talking about, Jaime?”
“I…I don’t…nothing, don’t worry about it.” Jaime stutters before turning away from me and makes his way back down the path to the gate, before turning to look up at the dark windows of the apartment; I follow him curious to know more and most importantly to know the truth about what had happened to Mike that made even Vic panic.
“Jaime, don’t walk away from me. I know what Vic said meant something to you to make you act like that back at your place and made you freeze up and stutter just now, so tell me, please? Mike means everything to me, so I deserve to know what happened…I’ve known you for ages so you should know by know that you can trust me with anything, especially when it comes down to him so…tell me. Please?” I plead desperately as I look into his tired, weary brown eyes.
Jaime managed to keep my gaze for a few seconds before letting out a sigh and turning his back to me, his gaze dropping down to the floor where the rain was pooling at his feet as his hands grip tightly onto the gate. A cold gust of wind swept through the nearest tree branches causing the small water droplets to fall slowly down to the sidewalk as others hit Jaime square in the face as he looks up at the starry night sky.
“Why won’t you and Vic just let me forget…?” Jaime whispers as the tears fall slowly down his perfect, pale face.
I watch him for a few seconds and I can’t help but notice how my heart slows down upon seeing just how fragile he looks, all of the pain and torture that he’s kept buried in his mind has left him a shadow of his former self, the laughter and joking has long left his body, leaving him sad and desperate for the approval of those who surround him on a daily basis.
“Jaime…” I start but as soon as he looks at me…I stop.
“Isn’t it enough that I’ve been torturing myself over what happened to Mike without having you and Vic add to the guilt and pain?” He asks seriously, his eyes filled with a fresh set of tears.
“Jaime, that’s not what we’re doing, but…Maybe Vic is right, maybe you have to remember what happened to him then in order to reach him now.” I say quietly as I start to slowly approach him, reaching out a hand to grab a hold of his own and entwining our finger together, the simple action is enough to make him look down.
“You honestly want to know what happened?” Jaime asks me, his voice lifeless and broken.
I don’t say anything in response but I nod before tugging lightly at his hand as I lead him over to Mike’s front door step and taking a seat, out bodies being sheltered slightly from the rain by the small roof above his apartment door.
“Okay.” Jaime sniffs as he wipes the tears hastily from his eyes as he turns to face me properly. “I’ll tell you what happened that night but you’re not going to think of me in the same way afterwards…”
“Jaime, how can I ever think any different of you? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet but you are forever my best friend, one that is like a towering rose who comforts and heals, nothing that you say will make me think any differently of you, my Hime-Time.” I say softly, not realising how oldie worldly I sound as I rest my head on top of his shoulder, my hand still connected with his own in a comforting grip.
“You’re just going to have to trust me when I tell you that I really didn’t act like myself that night and I seriously hope that I never make the same mistake again…if tonight is anything like then, then my hand to God I will not be able to live with myself anymore.”
His words were as serious as his gaze which fell upon me for a few seconds before resting on our cold, entwined fingers. The rain had gathered in his hair, the little droplets of water clinging onto every follicle. I don’t say anything as I lift my head from his shoulder and ruffle his hair softly, shaking some of the water droplets off of him before taking off my hap and putting it onto his head and pulling my own hood up. While I did this, I watch him closely as he looks down the small pathway, his whole body is frozen like a deer in the headlights but at my touch he shivers slightly before turning to look at me with those eyes of his that I have fondly grown to love so much.
“Alright…close your eyes.” Jaime instructs as he reaches a hand up to my cheek.
I look at him with confusion but I do as he says nonetheless, closing my eyes; my eyelids shielding them from his dazzling gaze and relax into his touch as he uses his thumb to stroke my cheek softly, leaving my skin tingling with each stroke.
“Alright, now…imagine that you‘re back at a high school party. That‘s the night where this all started…” Jaime’s voice is quiet, lifeless and full of pain. I want him to stop, to tell him that he doesn’t have to tell me this if he doesn’t want to but my mind doesn’t let my mouth voice that, it’s too curious and knows that it’ll help Jaime in the long run once he lets all of his built up thoughts and memories out.
“He‘s got to be in there, there‘s no where else he can go or more to the point, would go.” Jaime says as he tries to look in through the door window.
“Well, it‘s quite obvious that he isn‘t, Jaime. No lights are on and there‘s no movement on the other side of the door from what I can tell so, what do you suggest?” I ask him as I give the doorbell one final ring before taking a step back and looking at the closed and locked door.
“Come on, Tone. You know Mike as well as I do; he‘ll be curled up in a corner, in the dark sulking and not answering or talking to anyone.”
“How can you be so sure when I know too well that you‘re thinking about what Vic said about ‘that’ night.” I say and just like I guessed, as soon as I mentioned ‘that’ night, Jaime freezes. “What was he talking about, Jaime?”
“I…I don’t…nothing, don’t worry about it.” Jaime stutters before turning away from me and makes his way back down the path to the gate, before turning to look up at the dark windows of the apartment; I follow him curious to know more and most importantly to know the truth about what had happened to Mike that made even Vic panic.
“Jaime, don’t walk away from me. I know what Vic said meant something to you to make you act like that back at your place and made you freeze up and stutter just now, so tell me, please? Mike means everything to me, so I deserve to know what happened…I’ve known you for ages so you should know by know that you can trust me with anything, especially when it comes down to him so…tell me. Please?” I plead desperately as I look into his tired, weary brown eyes.
Jaime managed to keep my gaze for a few seconds before letting out a sigh and turning his back to me, his gaze dropping down to the floor where the rain was pooling at his feet as his hands grip tightly onto the gate. A cold gust of wind swept through the nearest tree branches causing the small water droplets to fall slowly down to the sidewalk as others hit Jaime square in the face as he looks up at the starry night sky.
“Why won’t you and Vic just let me forget…?” Jaime whispers as the tears fall slowly down his perfect, pale face.
I watch him for a few seconds and I can’t help but notice how my heart slows down upon seeing just how fragile he looks, all of the pain and torture that he’s kept buried in his mind has left him a shadow of his former self, the laughter and joking has long left his body, leaving him sad and desperate for the approval of those who surround him on a daily basis.
“Jaime…” I start but as soon as he looks at me…I stop.
“Isn’t it enough that I’ve been torturing myself over what happened to Mike without having you and Vic add to the guilt and pain?” He asks seriously, his eyes filled with a fresh set of tears.
“Jaime, that’s not what we’re doing, but…Maybe Vic is right, maybe you have to remember what happened to him then in order to reach him now.” I say quietly as I start to slowly approach him, reaching out a hand to grab a hold of his own and entwining our finger together, the simple action is enough to make him look down.
“You honestly want to know what happened?” Jaime asks me, his voice lifeless and broken.
I don’t say anything in response but I nod before tugging lightly at his hand as I lead him over to Mike’s front door step and taking a seat, out bodies being sheltered slightly from the rain by the small roof above his apartment door.
“Okay.” Jaime sniffs as he wipes the tears hastily from his eyes as he turns to face me properly. “I’ll tell you what happened that night but you’re not going to think of me in the same way afterwards…”
“Jaime, how can I ever think any different of you? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet but you are forever my best friend, one that is like a towering rose who comforts and heals, nothing that you say will make me think any differently of you, my Hime-Time.” I say softly, not realising how oldie worldly I sound as I rest my head on top of his shoulder, my hand still connected with his own in a comforting grip.
“You’re just going to have to trust me when I tell you that I really didn’t act like myself that night and I seriously hope that I never make the same mistake again…if tonight is anything like then, then my hand to God I will not be able to live with myself anymore.”
His words were as serious as his gaze which fell upon me for a few seconds before resting on our cold, entwined fingers. The rain had gathered in his hair, the little droplets of water clinging onto every follicle. I don’t say anything as I lift my head from his shoulder and ruffle his hair softly, shaking some of the water droplets off of him before taking off my hap and putting it onto his head and pulling my own hood up. While I did this, I watch him closely as he looks down the small pathway, his whole body is frozen like a deer in the headlights but at my touch he shivers slightly before turning to look at me with those eyes of his that I have fondly grown to love so much.
“Alright…close your eyes.” Jaime instructs as he reaches a hand up to my cheek.
I look at him with confusion but I do as he says nonetheless, closing my eyes; my eyelids shielding them from his dazzling gaze and relax into his touch as he uses his thumb to stroke my cheek softly, leaving my skin tingling with each stroke.
“Alright, now…imagine that you‘re back at a high school party. That‘s the night where this all started…” Jaime’s voice is quiet, lifeless and full of pain. I want him to stop, to tell him that he doesn’t have to tell me this if he doesn’t want to but my mind doesn’t let my mouth voice that, it’s too curious and knows that it’ll help Jaime in the long run once he lets all of his built up thoughts and memories out.
what the hell update????????? please?????????? :(
7/14/14