‹ Prequel: Awake and Unafraid
Asleep Or Dead
Innocence is A Virtue
~Gerard's POV~
The next day, when we were in San Antonio, where Frankie's uncle lived, Kaitlyn and I took a pleasant walk on the riverwalk. Hand and hand, we talked about nothing, and everything. When I glanced down at my phone that Ray insisted I'd buy, to check the time, I noticed a sliver band on Kate's ring finger.
"What's that?" I asked.
"What's what?" She repiled confused.
"That." I bluntly said, holding her hand up and twirling the ring.
"That is a purity ring."
"A what?"
"A purity ring, I was given it on my 14th birthday, it was blessed and I took an oath that I wouldn't have sex before marriage."
"I've never seen you wear it before."
"I wore it before I met, you and I wore it to college, because not only, am I saving myself for marriage, I'm saving myself for you. I needed it as a reminder to stay pure and stay true."
"What's the inscription say?"
"Innocence is a Virtue."
"Wow, it must be really hard, being that way, being bonded by God."
"Not by God, by a youth movement. I could defy it, but it is a wonderful concept."
"I like it. Also, it matches your eyes."
"Maybe we'll get you one."
"Hm. Maybe."
I myself never believed in marriage. I believed that you didn't need a piece of paper stating you love someone.
-----
(Later that night)
Kate and I returned to our hotel, A local La Quinta, and she sat on the bed. I climbed up beside her, and wrapped my arms around her. I noticed the book in her bag.
"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas?" I asked reading the title.
"Oh!" She shook out of her thoughts. "It's a wonderful story about the son of the leader of the concentration camp Auschwitz, and he befriends a Jewish boy behind the fence, and he is toatally ignorant about the war and everything. It is a heartwrentching story. You really must read it."
"I will after you finish it. World War II, huh?"
"Yeah. Nazis fascinate me. They are cruel and terrible, and I fucking loathe them, but they are interesting. I actually have finished it. Here." She handed the book to me.
"It really is a good book."
We cuddled for a while then she fell asleep in my arms. I turned on the reading lamp next to the bed, and started reading.
I read that book until the sun came up the next morning. The end was tragic, and I discovered that maybe being best friends meant they all had a strong relationship. It is a different kind of love. And like Kaitlyn's ring says, Innocence is a virtue, but it is also bliss.
I wiped my tearstained face, and cried softly. After my little moment was over, I laid down, and looked up at the celing. I thought. I thought about that little boy, Bruno, who was so innocent, and died innocent, I thought of the gift that was life, and the gift that was love. But mostly, I thought of Kaitlyn, and what a gift she was.
When I about had my fill of thinking, the accused woke up. The first thing she said was:
"You read the book."
"How can you tell?"
"Your eye makeup is running down your face in streaks."
I laughed and we made coffee, the sun shining down on us.
Life is like living in a glass house, the sun filters in at all of the right moments, but sometime fate throws a stone at you.
Fate's stone was thrown.
The next day, when we were in San Antonio, where Frankie's uncle lived, Kaitlyn and I took a pleasant walk on the riverwalk. Hand and hand, we talked about nothing, and everything. When I glanced down at my phone that Ray insisted I'd buy, to check the time, I noticed a sliver band on Kate's ring finger.
"What's that?" I asked.
"What's what?" She repiled confused.
"That." I bluntly said, holding her hand up and twirling the ring.
"That is a purity ring."
"A what?"
"A purity ring, I was given it on my 14th birthday, it was blessed and I took an oath that I wouldn't have sex before marriage."
"I've never seen you wear it before."
"I wore it before I met, you and I wore it to college, because not only, am I saving myself for marriage, I'm saving myself for you. I needed it as a reminder to stay pure and stay true."
"What's the inscription say?"
"Innocence is a Virtue."
"Wow, it must be really hard, being that way, being bonded by God."
"Not by God, by a youth movement. I could defy it, but it is a wonderful concept."
"I like it. Also, it matches your eyes."
"Maybe we'll get you one."
"Hm. Maybe."
I myself never believed in marriage. I believed that you didn't need a piece of paper stating you love someone.
-----
(Later that night)
Kate and I returned to our hotel, A local La Quinta, and she sat on the bed. I climbed up beside her, and wrapped my arms around her. I noticed the book in her bag.
"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas?" I asked reading the title.
"Oh!" She shook out of her thoughts. "It's a wonderful story about the son of the leader of the concentration camp Auschwitz, and he befriends a Jewish boy behind the fence, and he is toatally ignorant about the war and everything. It is a heartwrentching story. You really must read it."
"I will after you finish it. World War II, huh?"
"Yeah. Nazis fascinate me. They are cruel and terrible, and I fucking loathe them, but they are interesting. I actually have finished it. Here." She handed the book to me.
"It really is a good book."
We cuddled for a while then she fell asleep in my arms. I turned on the reading lamp next to the bed, and started reading.
I read that book until the sun came up the next morning. The end was tragic, and I discovered that maybe being best friends meant they all had a strong relationship. It is a different kind of love. And like Kaitlyn's ring says, Innocence is a virtue, but it is also bliss.
I wiped my tearstained face, and cried softly. After my little moment was over, I laid down, and looked up at the celing. I thought. I thought about that little boy, Bruno, who was so innocent, and died innocent, I thought of the gift that was life, and the gift that was love. But mostly, I thought of Kaitlyn, and what a gift she was.
When I about had my fill of thinking, the accused woke up. The first thing she said was:
"You read the book."
"How can you tell?"
"Your eye makeup is running down your face in streaks."
I laughed and we made coffee, the sun shining down on us.
Life is like living in a glass house, the sun filters in at all of the right moments, but sometime fate throws a stone at you.
Fate's stone was thrown.