Authors: Lilian Carmine
I watched him silently, trying to think of a good way to explain to my mother that I was going to be at a cemetery on New Year’s Eve. Alone. With a boy. A very, very handsome, charming, utterly strange, mysterious boy. Did I mention handsome already? Yeah. Very handsome. There’s no way in hell she’d let me come. Nope. No way. Mom had no objections to me dating boys in public places, or having dinner at home, but she’d have a big objection to me being completely alone with one, especially at a cemetery.
Tristan took my silence as rejection. “It’s all right if you don’t want to,” he said quietly. He looked so crestfallen and sad.
“No, it’s not that! I was just thinking that I’ll have to come up with a good excuse so my mom will let me, but I’ll come!” I said, cursing myself mentally. What was I doing? There’s no way I could keep this promise.
“Really? You’ll come?” he asked excitedly.
“Yeah. It should be fun!”
Crap. Crap. Crap
. Stop making promises you know you can’t keep, Joey!
“Swell!” he cheered.
“What?”
“What, what?” he asked, confused.
“What did you just say?”
“I said, it’ll be great! So you’re really coming?”
“Yes, I’m coming,” I said, smiling. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that my mom would never let me. I never had anyone wanting me to be somewhere as badly as he did …
Wait! Was this like … a date? Was he asking me out on a date? Or was it just a goodbye-old-year party type of thing? A big send-off before I left for school? I was still pondering that when he turned around, like he’d just remembered something really important.
“So … I have to go now, Joey. But I’ll see you around, right? We have all week until Friday night! I’ll talk to you later, okay?” he said, standing up really fast and running away, waving me goodbye. “And thanks again for your amazing gift! I loved it!” he yelled from far away.
I felt warm inside my chest, despite the cold wind brushing past me. How could I say no to him? He was the most amazing boy I had ever met! New Year’s Eve with him would be incredible. Maybe I could get a hug from him at midnight! Or even a quick kiss? It was a New Year’s tradition after all, right?
I sighed heavily and felt really sad about going away to boarding school. That would mean leaving Tristan behind. Well, I could always visit him at weekends, when I came to see my mom. That was a plan of sorts. I walked back home with mixed feelings of excitement, sadness and worry. I needed to find a way to trick my mom into letting me go out on New Year’s Eve. But what would I tell her?
The week went by like a hurricane. There was just so much to do, and so little time!
I had to go shopping with my mom, to buy new clothes for my new school. I got mostly sports clothes, baggy jeans, big sweats and Converse shoes, to my mother’s utmost chagrin. I like being comfortable!
And after that came the best surprise news ever. I was having breakfast in the kitchen when my mom walked in asking me what I was doing tonight for New Year’s Eve. Luckily, she had her back to me, or she would have seen me almost choking on my cereal. Before I could come up with a lie, she told me her office was throwing a big party, and asked me if I wanted to come.
I, of course, told her that I wasn’t in the mood for office parties (just cemetery ones), but that she should definitely go (please, please, just go!), that I would be at home, chilling out (not!). I even told her she didn’t need to call me at midnight because I’d probably be sleeping. She knew that I wasn’t a big fan of New Year parties, never had been. Some years I’d spent the whole evening sleeping through it all. So she didn’t think much of it. I, on the other hand, could NOT believe my luck! It was destiny giving me a thumbs-up to my New Year’s cemetery celebration! I didn’t even need to come up with a lie; Mom handed all of it to me on a silver platter!
Then I realized I hadn’t been at the cemetery all week, because my mother always got me to do something as soon as she laid eyes on me. So I made up some lame excuse and darted out of the house before she could stop me, heading straight for the graveyard.
I was ambling through the cemetery, wondering if I would find Tristan today, when I noticed the place didn’t look all that deserted any more. Pretty little lanterns were placed all over the place, hanging on the black naked branches of the trees; white flowers were placed on big vases at crossroad lanes, candle-holders were spread all around. The place looked dressed up, ready for a party. Tristan hadn’t been lying about the big celebration happening here.
“Hey, stranger.” Tristan’s voice came from behind me. I merely flinched this time. Usually I just jumped out of my skin in fright, but now I was getting used to his silent surprise appearances.
I turned to look at him. He was still wearing his usual black and white uniform, and had a stern expression. “Hey, Tris! The place looks fantastic!” I cheered.
He gave me a small smile, which swiftly disappeared and his serious face returned. What was up with him today? “Yeah, it is a big town tradition, I told you. Things here have been crazy all week,” he said.
“So, is everything set for tonight?”
“Huh … You mean you’re really coming, then?” he asked, his mood lightening up.
“Of course! I told you I’d come!”
“You’ve been gone all week and … I thought you were here today to say you wouldn’t be coming,” he said, explaining his somber mood.
He was so cute! That was his way of pouting at me! I laughed out loud. “No, I’m definitely coming!”
“Your mom is okay with you being here?”
“She’s fine,” I lied. “She has her own party to go to. She’s been asking about you, though. When do you have time off of work? You could come by and have lunch or something … It wouldn’t take long, my home is right at the end of the block!”
He squinted his eyes at me, suspiciously. “She’s been asking about me?”
“Yeah, because I’m always talking about you and …”
“You’re always talking about me?” he interrupted, giving me a playful, cocky smile.
“Hmm, you know, I’m always remembering something you said, or something we talked about,” I said, rolling my eyes at him.
“Can’t stop thinking about me, huh?” he teased, leaning sexily against an angel statue.
“You know what? If you’re going to be impossible like this, I don’t think I’ll be in the mood for a party tonight!” I grunted, annoyed.
“No! No! I’m sorry!” he said, raising his arms apologetically and giving me his best bright smile. “I’ll be good, I promise! I was just joking! You’re still coming, right?”
I put my hands on my hips and cocked an eyebrow, doing my
let me think about it
straight face. He put his hands behind his back and rocked on his heels, giving me the best puppy dog eyes I had ever seen! They glinted and sparkled in the winter’s light.
I couldn’t hold it any longer, and burst out laughing loudly. “Okay! Stop with the pouting! I’ll come!”
He beamed at me. “All right! We can meet at our spot on the lawn circle later, okay?”
“Okay,” I said happily, and ran home all excited about the party.
I spent the rest of the day picking out my outfit. It was going to be a very special night; I could feel it in my bones! And, oddly, I was suddenly in the mood for something more dressy than sports clothes now.
At long last, later that evening, I looked in the mirror, surveying my reflection. I had on my special-occasions-only black jeans and a silver tank-top under a fancy black coat that I had borrowed from my mother’s closet. I’d even dared to put on some light silver eyeshadow. I’d decided lipstick was a little too much, though.
I thought I looked good. Didn’t I? High self-esteem wasn’t my strongest point. At the last minute, I decided to wipe off the eyeshadow. But I left my hair loose, for a change. Okay, that was better.
My mom had left hours ago and I was still at home, staring at myself in the mirror. I glanced at my clock and realized it was eleven already! I was so late! Tristan would be freaking out, thinking I’d stood him up. I ran downstairs fast, opened the front door, when someone called my name.
“Joey? Where are you going?”
Holy crap
. It was my mom.
Chapter Six
New Year
“Hum … Hey, Mom! What are you doing here?” I asked, trying to disguise the panic in my voice. Oh no! This
cannot
be happening! What was I going to do now?
“I left the party early. I wanted to spend New Year’s Eve with you. Where are you going all dressed up like that? Didn’t you say you’re staying home all night?” she asked suspiciously.
‘I … well, funny you should ask … I was …” I mumbled, stalling for time. What was I supposed to say here? I was just leaving for this awesome party to be with this amazing guy, hoping with all my heart that he would kiss me tonight and, by the way, did I mention the party is at the local cemetery?
My mom was giving me
The Look
, waiting for me to answer.
“Is this something to do with this boy you’re hanging out with all the time now?” she asked.
“His name is Tristan, Mom. I already told you that! And it was a last-minute thing. It’s a party close by. I was going to call you, but it’s almost midnight and …” I trailed off. “Please, Mom! Can I go now?”
“Okay, where’s this party? I’ll walk you there. Don’t worry, I’m not going inside. I won’t embarrass you in front of your friends!” she said after seeing the look of terror cross my face. “I just need to see where you’ll be. In case something happens.”
“Nothing’s going to happen, Mom!” I whined.
“I know. It’s just for precaution, honey. Come on,” she said.
Oh. Crap. Now I was doomed, all right.
“Okay. Let’s go, then,” I said, speed-walking to the cemetery. It was really late. If Tristan was waiting for me at the front gates, maybe she’d let me go in. No one could resist his winning smile!
In eight short minutes we were at the cemetery. Lots of people were coming and going, chitchatting happily with drinks in their hands. The gates were fully open, candles decorating the iron sign above and yellow lanterns casting a warm light over the entrance. I couldn’t see Tristan.
My mom stopped at my side, glancing at all the people mingling around us.
“Look at all these people! What’s happening, here? Joey, is your party happening at the cemetery?” she asked in surprise.
“Well, yeah. It’s no big deal, Mom,” I said, knowing damn well that it was a huge deal. “It’s a tradition in Esperanza. Isn’t that cool? Everybody comes here to celebrate New Year’s Eve!”
“And you didn’t tell me because you knew I would never let you come alone to a party in a cemetery, Joe Gray!” she said, affronted, calling my bluff. Gosh. Maternal insights suck!
“Okay! Okay! But we’re here now, and you can see it’s not dangerous
at all
, and it will suck very much if you won’t let me go!” I pleaded. “Please, Mom!”
I could sense her resolve was faltering.
“And I promised Tristan I’d come. Are you really going to make me break my promise, Mom? It’s almost midnight already!” I said, delivering the final blow. She was the one persistently trying to hook me up with a date. Now I officially had one.
And she was RUINING it!
She bit her lip, sighed and then threw her arms in the air in defeat.
“All right! But I need to meet this Tristan boy before I leave. No, Joe, I will not let you go there alone without having a word with this boy first! And that’s final. After that, I’ll leave and you two can … stay a little while longer. Just a little while, mind you!” she commanded.
I rolled my eyes, knowing damn well there was no use trying to argue with her now, and walked quickly to the spot where I’d agreed to meet Tristan.
The whole place was packed with people! What a strange little town, with strange traditions and strange people who went to a cemetery to celebrate New Year … It seemed, though, that most people were mingling by the main gates; the deeper we got into the old parts of the cemetery, the fewer townsfolk we met.
“Joey, where are you going? I don’t think we’re supposed to come this far,” my mom whispered.
“It’s all right, he’s right over there,” I said, and turned the corner.
And then I came to an abrupt halt. Sitting on a little folded wooden chair, at the edge of the circled lawn, was old Miss Violet. She had a little candle on the floor right next to her chair, and appeared to be staring at the centre of the lawn. When my mom stopped at my side, Miss Violet noticed us arriving and turned to face us. “Ah. Hello, dears. I was thinking we were going to pass midnight without anyone in here with us tonight … Silly me.”
We? Was she talking about Tristan? Where was he?
Another voice came from the other side of the circle. An old lady’s voice. “I don’t like to boast, Violet, but I did tell you. It’s going to happen tonight. Meg has seen it,” the owner of the other voice bragged.
“Oh, shush, Margaret.” Violet scowled. I squinted my eyes, trying to see better in the dark. On the other side there was a stern-looking old lady – Margaret, of course – sitting in another folded chair. Like Miss Violet, she had a candle by her feet. She was watching us with a hard stare. This was definitely getting weirder and weirder by the second!
“Okay, what’s going on here?” my mom cut in.
As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I noticed a third old lady on the opposite side of the lawn. Exactly the same folded chair and candle. Even in the gloom, she seemed awfully old and pale and fragile. She sat in her chair in silence, watching us. She shouldn’t be out in this cold, at this hour of the night, I thought to myself.
“So, when are you intending to show yourself, young man?” Miss Violet asked the shadows.
I peeked at the dark bushes in front of her, just in time to see Tristan emerge and walk to the edge of the lawn. He looked a little scared and avoided looking directly at me. What the hell was going on here?
“So, what did you intend to do this night, boy?” Margaret asked gravely.
Tristan didn’t answer. He just lowered his head and stared at the ground.