You're Not in This Alone

I wanted to yell in frustration when the piece of paper practically interrupted my proposal. Were we ever really alone? Probably not. I was only grateful that the paper hadn’t interrupted me while I was actually asking Ebony to marry me.

I tried to remain calm as I followed Ebony up to the roof. I felt nervous and distracted. It would be difficult to start up the conversation again.

Thankfully, Ebony outright asked me, “Gerard, what were you saying about my birthday gift?”

I was silent for almost a whole minute, avoiding her eyes, before I answered quietly,” I think I want to give it to you now.”

She waited expectantly. I wanted to surprise her. I didn’t want her to know what I was doing before I started to ask her. “Ebony?” I said questioningly.

“Hm?” she answered.

I got up and pretended like I was going to grab the wine. Then I swiftly pulled the ring’s box out of my pocket, held it in my hand, and got down on one knee. “Will you marry me?” My voice cracked at the end because I was so nervous. I was too afraid to look at her eyes; I held my head low, letting my bangs cover my eyes.

Ebony’s silence scared me. Her hand came into my view. It cupped my chin and lifted my head up. My bangs could no longer protect me, but when I saw her smile I relaxed a little.

“Gerard,” she started, “you’ve been the most important person in my life since the second I met you when we were little. You’re the only person I couldn’t live without. Of course I’ll marry you.”

I let out a sigh of relief just before she pulled my chin up enough to kiss me. When we parted, I leaned my forehead against her and kept my eyes closed. “I couldn’t live without you either,” I whispered. I was scared, because I knew it was the truth.

I stood up and sat next to Ebony. After I slipped the ring onto her appropriate finger, she said, “it’s the prettiest ring I’ve ever seen.”

I smiled when she leaned against me and looked at it from different angles. “I sure hope so,” I replied, almost laughing. I pulled her over so that I was leaning on the arm of the loveseat and she was on top of me. We ignored the leftover wine.

We didn’t speak for a very long time. I was awed by the stillness that surrounded us. “There isn’t anyone else out there, is there? It’s just the fourteen of us,” I stated quietly.

“There isn’t anybody else left to be found,” Ebony confirmed. Somehow she knew.

“Why didn’t we die with everyone else?” I asked.

I was desperate for and answer, but all Ebony could say was, “Because we’re different.”

“Why did everyone else die?”

Ebony didn’t reply. We’d been too busy to discuss this before, but we’d never discovered why everyone had died when the sun set. A terrible thought occurred to me. “You don’t think somehow someone – one of us – did it, do you?”

Ebony shook her head. “I don’t think so. Someone malicious enough to kill literally everyone wouldn’t be able to hide it that easily.”

She wasn’t sure, but I understood her point. A peaceful silence descended. I began to play with her hair, and she continued to look at her ring at different angle.

But now that we were finally alone, we could talk about anything. I wanted to use this to my advantage, so I asked, “What do you think about Grace and Jason?”

“I don’t know how Jason feels, but Grace is completely in love with him.”

“Jason is in love with her too,” I assured her.

“Then we’ll just have to see how that unfolds.” More cautiously, I continued, “And what of Sarah and Skyler?”

Her forehead wrinkled as she thought. “Well, they’re definitely getting along well, but they’re only ten. I mean, I know they’re probably at the same maturity level as us in some ways, but in other ways they’re just kids.”

I nodded. “You’re right,” I agreed, “but maybe some day…”

“Maybe,” Ebony allowed, a small smile creeping onto her face.

After a long pause, I stated, “It’s weird.”

“What is?”

“Everything. Well, first how there are fourteen of us and that we have seven groups of a boy and girl that are roughly the same age. And then there’s how most of us have known each other for years. What are the chances that you and I, the only two seventeen-almost-eighteen year olds to survive, would’ve grown up next door to each other?”

“The only exception is Sarah and Skyler,” Ebony mused, her face thoughtful. “What are the chances that the other twelve of us would already know the survivor our age?”

Knowing her question was rhetorical, I started, “Not to mention that we’ve all coupled up, besides Sarah and Skyler, who are practically two peas in a pod. And it goes even farther than that. All of us have powers that match. Ethan and Nadia are a perfect example. Their abilities are so similar they’re almost identical.”

“And then there’s Sarah and Skyler, who both have an intensified sense. Leo and Shelby both turn into animals,” I continued. “Then it gets more complicated with me and you. You know things, they just come to you. I have prophetic dreams. Those are at least related. Miranda controls things with her mind, while Lance gets into other people’s minds.”

I suppose Tristan and Faith not having powers is strange, but since it applies to both of them, it fits,” Ebony said. “The only person who doesn’t fir the mold is Jason. He doesn’t have a power to relate to Grace’s.” After a few seconds of thought, she added, “Maybe he just doesn’t know what it is yet.”

That was an interesting thought for me. “Do you think it’s all a coincidence?” I asked skeptically.

Ebony shook her head. “It’s not coincidence, but nobody planned it. It’s just fate.”

I accepted her answer without question.

She sighed. “We’re finally alone, and we’re talking about everyone else.”

I looked around and saw that it had gotten dark. The air was also cooler. “Let’s go find someplace to sleep,” I whispered.