The Beautiful You

Nine - Remember

"Jackson, you're a living legend! Brother, you did it!" I said, hugging him. He smiled widely and nodded. He was exuding happiness from the way he jumped up and down, and shouted for joy as he spread his arms out for all of us to hug him.

"Jackson, it was a great game. You don't even know how proud I was when that goal went in. I almost broke Lee's hand," Mei said.

Jackson smiled at her and said, "It was my last shot, so I had to make it count."

Mei hugged him tightly, and he lightly patted her on the head. We'd taken twenty minutes to leave the field because everyone wanted to talk to Jackson, but he wasn't interested. He just wanted to get out. He wanted to watch a movie with his friends at home.

With us.

"Perez, lets go pick up that pizza. I'm finally done with this stupid diet," Jackson said, slapping my back. He followed me out to my busted Toyota Camri and laughed.

"What's so funny?" I asked, smiling at him as I opened the driver side door. He shook his head and sighed.

"I'm just relieved," he said, sinking down into the seat.

"You didn't think you'd make it?" I asked.

"Yeah... I was scared. I didn't want to disapoint them," he said.

"You weren't going to disappoint anyone. If you missed the shot, nobody would be disappointed. "

"I just don't want them to hate me when I leave," he said.

"Leave? You still have senior year," I said. Jackson nodded and stared out the window.

"Apollo, I'm quitting the team. I won't be playing anymore," he said. I briefly glanced at him to see him staring at himself through the reflection in the window, the light from the street lamps rolled across his face.

"I don't get it. Why?" I asked.

"I'm tired," he said. " I don't want to feel tired anymore."

......

"Apollo, could you please put these drinks out." Mrs. Asher was rushing to bring out the refreshments. I think she was trying to distract herself from today.

"Mrs. A, the table is already full..." I said, staring at the mounds of food she had made. She nodded and stood there staring at all the cheese and pastries she had prepared.

I could tell from the dark circles under her eyes and her dry lips that this day kept her up. She probably hadn't slept in so long. This was the day she would have to let go. Had Jackson prepared for this part?

"Then...then I guess I'll just leave this here," she said. I nodded in response.

"Apollo, thank you for being his friend. He loved you. If there's anything I'm certain of, it's that he loved you like you were his," she said, beginning to choke up. I could feel the palms of my hands beginning to sweat, and I clenched my fists as I glanced down.

"I don't think anyone's told you this, but I think no one here really understands what it's like to be you and I. I want you to know it's not your fault," she said. I looked up at her as she said those words.

"I wonder most days if I did something wrong. If I could have saved him, but at the end of the day, I just have to accept that what he did, he did on his own," she said.

He did it on his own. That's right. Jackson was alone.

"Amy, can I help with anything? The food smells great," my mother said, rushing into the kitchen, brushing past me to Mrs. Asher's side. I think seeing my mom set her off because once she saw her, she broke.

"Elena," she cried. I walked out of the kitchen and glanced back at my mom hugging Mrs. Asher. I don't think Mrs. Asher was right. I know there's one thing I'll never understand, and that's the pain of losing a child.

"Apollo, I think David is looking for you," Blake said, tapping my shoulder. Blake wasn't my friend by any means; he was just one of Jackson's teammates. It was never anything more than that, but I think Jackson wanted us to be close to him.

"Oh, you mean Lee," I said. Blake nodded. Lee never went by his first name, but Blake wouldn't know that. I guess you could say Lee and Blake were from different worlds. Lee was more focused on academics than he was on athletics, and Blake's universe only thrived on sports.

"Yeah," he said.

"Thanks," I said, turning away.

"Wait!" He said, grabbing onto my shoulder. I quickly pushed his hand off and he stared at me wide-eyed, clearly taken aback by my actions.

"What's with that dumb look on your face?" I sneered.

"I-I just wasn't expecting you to be strong," he said.

"I don't expect you to know anything about me," I said. I hated having them here. I know they were Jackson's teammates, but it all just seemed like an act. They didn't know him; they didn't know our Jackson. They knew a fake version.

"I know we don't really know each other, but I just wanted to say that he was good," Blake said. "He was a good guy, a great captain, and a really good friend."

"Yeah."

"You know, he tried. He tried really hard for us to get along. Now that I'm lookin' back at it, I think he was trying to tell us something," he said.

"I guess we'll never know."

"He talked about you guys a lot. He really cared about you. You're lucky to have had a friendship like that," he said. I stared at him, waiting for something else. Something that would confirm what his mom had said.

"I'll see you," I said.