C-L-O-S-U-R-E

It was already pretty dark when, with a beer bottle in hand and a pack of cigarettes in his breast pocket, Ryan arrived at the graveyard. Chloe was already sitting there waiting for him.

“Hey loser” said Ryan as he approached her.

“Look who’s here” said Chloe and then looked down at her watch “You’re pretty late compared to last year”

“Had to escape mum and all my friends who kept offering me candy. I’m nineteen and for god’s sakes, I have no interest in going trick or treating”

“Why the hell do your friends still trick or treat?’ she said.

“I have no clue, and don’t give me that look, they used to be your friends too”

“Well, not anymore”

There was a brief silence after which Ryan said

“Anyway, I finally got my own car, dad gave me his old Toyota. It’s small and old but it works and it’s mine so I’m really happy about that”

“When are you taking me on a drive?”

“I didn’t bring it here because it was in the garage and opening it would have caused a lot of noise, so I walked instead, nine kilometers that is. The things I do just to meet you, if only you appreciated my efforts for once” he said.

“I didn’t ask you to come here, in fact, I never have, you yourself drag your butt here every year”

“Aren’t you happy I do”

“It would be selfish of me to say yes”

“You won’t ever change would you”

“I’m not the one who needs changing”

Ryan looked away from her and started examining the various graves they were surrounded by. He was familiar with all the names as he had been coming here for two years now.

“You’re annoyed now, aren’t you” she said.

Still looking away, he said

“Do we have to have this conversation every year?”

Completely ignoring this question, she pointed at the bottle in Ryan’s hand.

“Give me that” she said.

“But you can’t drink”

“Who said I can’t?” Chloe said agitatedly.

“Last year I gave you the bottle and you dropped it and it broke into pieces”

“Okay, who’d you bring the bottle for then?”

“For myself, so that I can handle your bullshit” said Ryan as he took a large sip out of the bottle.

“Okay you’re being an ass now, can we talk about something nice” she said.

“You fucking left, nothing’s nice anymore”

“I’m not the only one in the world. What about Jacob and Merry and Roy and your favorite, Isabelle! They’re your friends right, how are they?” 

“They’re all fine but they’re not you Clo”

He took another sip of beer and Chloe noticed him wipe away a tear.

“Did you come here to cry?” she said.

“I’m not crying”

“Okay”

She looked at the pack of cigarettes in his pocket

“I thought you quit” she said.

“For a while yes, but you know I can’t ever like quit quit”

“You can if you tried hard enough”

Ryan frowned and then said

“Who are you to say that, you’re the one who put me up to all of this shit, I used to be all nice and innocent until you came. You flipped my fucking switch, and I’m glad you did because otherwise I would’ve spent my entire life completing assignments and trying to top pointless exams, but then you left and now I’m all messed up and I only meet you once a year and I don’t understand anything anymore. I know I say all this to you every year but none of this is fair to me, and it never will be”

He looked away from her again.

“Breathe, babe” she said.

She tried holding his hand, he resisted at first but then finally gave in.

“I can’t even feel your hand, what’s the point” he said.

“Calm down, stop being so restless, you’ve spoken enough so now let me speak”

She gripped his hand more tightly and leaned her head on his shoulder. Even though he said he couldn’t feel her, she noticed his breathing slowed down and he relaxed a little.

“Okay, I’m going to be straightforward with you. Firstly, you’re the only one who can solve your problems and this may sound harsh but man the fuck up and get your life back together. Secondly, move on from me and I don’t care how you do that, whether it is by dating Isabelle or actually accepting how things are now which I know you’re not going to do but you have to try. And lastly, this is the last time I’ll be meeting you here so don’t come looking for me from next year. You really have to move on and I want you to promise me that you will try to”

Tears rolled down his cheeks but he didn’t want her to see him like this. He wanted her to think he was strong and was going to deal with his problems even though he knew he didn’t have the strength to.

He wiped away his tears and finally looked at her

“I will try, but only because you want me to” he said

“That’s good enough, now go back home and celebrate with your friends and family and if they want to take you trick or treating, it’s fine, go with them. After this, just don’t think about me tonight and try to enjoy. Goodbye Ryan”

“I love you Clo”

“I know you do, and I do too, and I forever will”

She took her hand away from his, stood up, and started walking away.

“Goodbye Clo” he said softly as his eyes teared up again.

He saw her wave goodbye in the distance until she finally disappeared into the fog.

He sat there for a while. Tears still fell uncontrollably and he didn’t try to wipe them away anymore. He looked around and spotted her grave. It read:

Chloe Peterson

2001-2018

“A Beautiful Soul”

A beautiful soul indeed, he thought.

He had to go now, otherwise they’d come looking for him like they did last year, and the year before that. Even though his legs were too weak and he didn’t want to leave, he stood up and started walking back.

After a long and tiring walk back home, he was greeted by angry friends. They inquired about where he had been and one of them said

“Were you again up at the graveyard talking to yourself and breaking beer bottles like we saw you do last year”

Ryan did not respond to this and walked straight into his house. His mom was busy in the kitchen so he was happy he didn’t have to deal with her. He was exhausted and all he wanted to do was go to his room and sleep.

But then, right outside his window, he spotted Isabelle. She wore a costume that appeared to resemble some Greek Goddess. He was about to look away when she saw him and waved excitedly. He was in no mood to talk to her but then he thought about what he had promised Chloe. He was going to try, at least for her, but inside he knew that he was never going to be able to move on.

He waved back at her and then walked outside to begin a half-hearted conversation with someone that wasn’t Chloe, and then probably go trick or treating after that.