This Is How I Disappear

It’s like a dream. Everything’s blurry and I can’t really place what happened when and in which context. I’m confused. She’s confused. We didn’t plan it, and in some ways we didn’t want it, it just happened. And now? Well, here comes the awkwardness that always seems to appear after a ‘one night stand’. If I can even call it that, I mean, it’s Tess.

‘We should really get going’ I say, still in bed.

‘Get going?’ She replies, struggling to get her clothes back on. It’s actually hilarious to watch.
‘Yeah, I promised Gerard I’d get my ass to Jersey as soon as possible, and I just figured we’d go together. I mean, why not?’

‘Uhm, yeah, sure. Do you have a suit yet?’

‘I’ll buy one when we get there’

I ask her if she wants to go home to get her stuff before we go, but she say she can just borrow clothes from Juliah and that since the wedding’s only a few days away she won’t need much but a toothbrush. I on the other hand pack hair products (yes, hair products), way too much clothes, my toothbrush, iPod, my guitar, yeah, everything I need. And don’t need for that matter.

‘Frank, are you almost done?’

‘Yeah, just a second!’

‘You’ve been in there for ages, I’m sure you have everything you need, come on! I don’t want to miss our flight’ Oh my, we sound like an old married couple.
I walk out of my dark room and turn off all of the lights in my apartment. ‘Ready?’

‘Yep, let’s go’ And just as I’m about to close the door behind us and lock it, I feel my phone buzz in my pocket. Mrs. Miller?

‘Hello, this is Frank’

‘Oh hi, Frank. This is Mary, Jane’s mom’

‘Hey, what’s up?’

‘I’m afraid Jane won’t be able to continue with your guitar lessons anymore’

‘What? Why? Mrs. Miller, Jane’s amazing; she’s come so far, why can’t she continue playing guitar?’

‘Frank, call me Mary, please. And she literally can’t’ I hear her voice starting to break, like she doesn’t know how to say it. ‘She was in a car accident’

‘Oh my God. Is she okay? And I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but can’t she continue with the lessons when she’s recovered? I’m sure she’ll pick it up again pretty fast’

‘Frank, she’s been paralyzed’