| PART 3 We never talked about that night. I wasn�t about to bring it up and if his dream was anything like the flashes I got, I knew I had to wait for him to tell me on his own time. We avoided each other less, but we still didn�t speak unless it was necessary. ******** After we close the diner, I go up to my room and sit on my balcony. I hear a light tapping at my door. My body tenses up. I already know who it is. I don�t answer at first, but the knocking becomes more persistent. I yell, �Go away!� I don�t feel like company and I sure as hell don�t feel like talking. What other reason would he come knock on my door for? After a couple of minutes, I don�t hear anymore knocking so my body starts to relax. Michael barges in. He comes out on the balcony to join me. He pulls up a lawn chair and places it in front of me so that he�s facing me directly. �You may not want to talk, but I have a question for you,� he says stubbornly. I stand up so I�m farther away from him. The closeness is making me nervous. �What question do you have to ask?� I reply. �Why didn�t you tell me about these?� he says while holding up a stack of bills. He gets up. He stands next to me and says, �Why didn�t you tell me you were in debt? I could�ve helped. I still can help.� I sigh and roll my eyes. What makes him think I want his help? And even if I did, that he could help me? I look at him and head for my window. I go back into my room and say, �What makes you think you can help me? You can barely help yourself.� I hear him follow me and sit on my bed. He sighs heavily. I turn around and look at him. He scratches his eyebrow looking like he�s deep in thought. �I could use my powers to �..� I cut him off by saying, �Why risk that? You finally have some peace. There�s noone breathing down your neck, and you want to use your powers for what? So, you can save my diner? It�s not worth it.� �It�s my decision ...� Again, I cut him off saying, �You�re wrong. It�s my decision. Do you want to know why? Because it�s my life and my diner. It has nothing to do with you.� He sighs and runs his hand through his hair. �Why are you being so difficult? You�ve given me a place to stay, a place to eat, and you don�t want me to help. Why?� �Just because. Let�s just leave it at that,� I say turning away from him. Michael gets up and in one fluid movement, he is grasping my shoulders so that I'm looking him in the eyes. He says, �No! I�m not leaving it like that. What�s going on with you? Sixteen years ago, you were the most open person I'd ever met. Now, you don�t let anyone in. Now you�re acting the way I did.� I roughly push him away and say, �Don�t you ever grab me like that! Do you hear me?!� He backs up from me and says, �Sorry, but why the change?� �You�re asking me all these questions, Michael, but you don�t tell me anything. You�ve lived in my house for six months now and I still don�t know what happened while you were gone,� I yell pointing my finger in his face. He grabs my hand in the attempt to get it out of his face and yells, �I didn�t tell you because I want to forget. I don�t want to live there anymore. I�m still having nightmares, you know that. I just want them to stop. Are you happy? Is that what you want to hear?� I back up, not because I�m scared but because that's the same thing I want. At this moment, I realize why Michael and I can live with each other comfortably without saying a word. It�s because we understand each other. We are more like each other than we want to admit. �You�re not the only one who has nightmares, Michael. Maybe yours are more frightening, but I have them too. I don�t want to remember the last sixteen years of my life either,� I say calmly. We sit in my dark room enjoying the silence. Nobody moves. Nobody makes even the attempt to make a sound. We stay this way for a while until Michael finally tells me good night and leaves to go to his room. Thanks to Michael, I think there might be a chance for my shattered heart to mend. I realize it will take time, but I already feel the pieces coming together. |