Blackletter Hearts and Painful Beauty

“Promise you’ll be back?” I said trying to hold back tears as I was hugging my best friend good-bye. He looked at me in the eye and said, “You know I will Caroline. You’re the greatest friend I’ve got.” With a smile he hugged me tighter. I felt a tear run down my face and quickly whipped it away as we started to let go.

“Promise me you’ll survive?” he said touching my soft brown hair.

“I suppose I’m going to have to.” I said feeling another tear fall down my face.

I saw his eyes fill up with tears, but he brushed them away as Aeson came over to us. He had a huge smile on his face and food in his hand, like always.

“Now don’t forget about me, Caroline.” He said grabbing me into a hug.

“How could I possibly forget you Aeson? You’re like the brother I never had.” I said and he hugged me tighter, not wanting to let go. I saw Nova, my twin sister, out of the corner of my eye running down the steps with the presents we each made them, as a going away gift.

Aeson and Blake Bliss have been my and Nova’s neighbors since we were 4. We always would go to the front yard and play. We all went to the same school and always pulled strings to get into all the same classes with each other. Blake and Aeson were cousins, Blake was our next-door neighbor and Aeson lived only a couple streets away. As Nova would go off and join clubs, I would always stay home, and that’s how I got really close to Blake.

Both Blake and Aeson are excellent musicians. They taught me well on the guitar. We even formed a band once, but we got a sound fine from the police for being too loud in the garage past 8 at night, during the summer even. Those were the good times before things happened.

Nova went up to both of them and gave them their presents. They each got two, one from each of us. I gave them each something that meant a lot to me while Nova gave them awesome mixed CD’s. She gave them each a long hug while the movers were putting the last items into the moving truck. Aeson opened up his present from me and started weeping. For him, I gave him a picture of him, his mom, and I at Christmas time. His mom recently died of cancer six months ago and his dad died when he was 2. He had to live with Blake after his mom died, and we all knew Blake’s dad was being shipped up to Canada for his job, but we didn’t think Aeson would have to go with them.

Aeson came over to me and gave me a huge hug, “I’ll treasure it always,” he said. I smiled at him as Blake unwrapped his present. I gave him what I treasured the most, my teddy bear I slept with every night that I named Patrick and a signed poster of Skinny Puppy.

“But Caroline, I can’t possibly take this! It means so much to you!” he said starring at his gift.

“Yeah,” I said, “but friends are more important.” He smiled his wonderful smile that I will miss forever.

I could hear Blake’s mom calling them to get in the car. I hugged Aeson one last time as Nova hugged Blake. She kissed him on the cheek as she started crying. Then she went over to Aeson as Blake and I looked at the ground, trying to fight back the tears that were threatening to come out any second. I looked up at him, stepped forward, and hugged him. He sobbed on my t-shirt as I rubbed his back. “I’m really going to miss you,” he whispered in my ear.
“I’m going to miss you too. Keep in touch okay?” I said. He nodded and walked towards the car. Aeson fallowed behind him after kissing my cheek.
“Bye Caroline,” he said.
“Bye Aeson.”

I saw them start to drive away while Nova came up to me and said, “They’ll come back soon.” She hugged my shoulders and starting crying.
They drove down the street and waved.
“I know they will.”