Love's Requiem

The day of my birthday came, which meant two things one I was old and two the next day I was leaving to go back to New York. For my birthday my family came over in the afternoon for lunch that my grandma made. And that evening Michi, Ivan, Luka, Niko, and Jesse and I were going to go out for dinner followed by a bar.

"Which dress?" I asked Jesse and Denis while we were in the room Jesse and I have been sleeping in.

"The pink one." Jesse said pointing to the dress I had in my left hand.

"Are you sure?" I asked holding it over me and looking in the mirror.

"Personally I don't really care because I know where it's going to end up at the end of the night." Denis commented.

"You guys are no help." I mumbled.

"Wear the pink one!" They both exclaimed.

"Okay, okay the pink one it is." I said running in the bathroom to change.

After I changed in to the pink sleeveless dress and black heels I headed downstairs to wait for everyone. While I was watching TV with Jesse and Denis my grandma came in from her garden holding one of the lilies she grows.

"My beautiful, little, Isabella." My grandma said tucking the flower in my hair and kissing the top of my head.

"Thank you Baka." I smiled at her as the door bell rang.

"Where's the birthday monster?" I heard Luka exclaim as Jesse let him in.

"Very funny, midget." I told him sarcastically.

"I don't even know what you just said but I know it couldn't have been good." Jesse told me while I hugged Luka and he sat next to me, just as Niko, Michi, and Ivan came walking in.

"Are you picking on little Luka again?" Michi squealed patting Luka on his head.

"Little Luka, I like that." I smirked doing the same.

"Fuck you both." Luka mumbled as I saw Niko tell Jesse what we were saying. "I actually got you something." He told me handing me a box.

"I think I'm now worried." I told him with a smirk, as I carefully took off the wrapping paper.

"The lady in the shop said you'd like it." He added as I opened the box and pulled out a black sun dress.

"This is awesome, thank you." I told him giving him a hug and kissing his cheek.

"Your welcome." He nodded as I put back in the box, and Michi gave me my present from her and Ivan.

The next half hour I opened presents from everyone despite me telling them they didn't have to get me anything. But, like usual no one listened to me. Michi and Ivan gave me a nintendo ds so I won't get in to so much trouble according to Michi. Jesse gave me a sweet pair of blue and white Nike's. And Denis gave me a couple of books to read while on tour. Niko hadn't given me anything which I was relieved by seeing as the locket he gave me in December was more than enough. Around 9 we went out to get dinner and then headed out to a club where we all had fun and I was actually feeling even more bummed out that comes tomorrow evening I'd be back on a plane to New York.

We headed back to my grandma's around 3 am where we called it a night. Niko decided to spend the night just because tomorrow I'd be leaving. Him and I were sitting on the attic balcony while I was messing around with my Deda's acoustic guitar.

"I still don't want to leave." I told him randomly while I was playing the opening chords of Oasis' song Wonderwall.

"And I'm still making you leave." He replied as he sat behind me so I was sitting between his legs. "Now play me something pretty." He added as he rested his head on my shoulder so I could feel his breath on my neck and cheek.

"Today is going to be the day that they throw it back to you, by now you should have somehow realized what you gotta do. I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now." I sang softly as I continued strumming. "I said maybe you're going to be the one that saves me," I sang finishing the song as I felt him smiling in to me.

"Very impressive." he laughed.

"I do try." I nodded.

"So I think now is the time where I give you your birthday present." He whispered to me.

"No, no you don't give me anything." I told him sternly as I shook my head.

"Too bad, now put your left hand out." He commanded as I listened, "And close you eyes."
He added as I did so and felt him slip a ring on my finger.

I opened my eyes to see a small silver ring with a red gem in it. "Niko, really it's too much." I told him looking at him.

"Think of it as a friendship ring."

"A friendship ring is those cheap tin rings you get out of a 25 cent machine outside a deli." I told him making him laugh.

"Just think of it as me showing you I'm always here for you."

"Ugh." I grunted making him laugh, as I went back to strumming the guitar. "Can I ask you something?" I said a few minutes later.

"What's up?"

"You ever think that maybe you and I are supposed to be together?"

"No I just think we're supposed to always be there for each other."

"Really I mean, 8 years later and we're sort of together again."

"I think if it happens a third time then maybe we are." He answered as he took the guitar and
put it next to us as he helped me up and led me inside closing the glass behind us.

That afternoon the family as well as a few friends stopped by one last time before Jesse and I had to leave to fly back to New York. After lunch, Niko drove us to the airport where I was still debating in my mind whether I still belonged in New York anymore.