Chapter 17 ,,Here is a picture album.” Rie's mothers stuffs a big book in Rie's hands. It's a heavy piece of work and Rie rests it on her knees and opens it, while her mother sits next to her, flipping through the pages. Seth is standing next to Rie, looking curious over her shoulder. Rie sees herself grow bigger and bigger on the pictures until she reaches the age of 10. Her mother stops going through the pages and taps her finger on a picture. Rie's sitting in the garden, a book on her lap. And next to her is a boy around her age with blond hair and eyes as blue as the high sky. Those eyes are staring at the camera so intensely, like a wild animal. He is making a gesture of moving closer to Rie, who is totally drowned in her book. ,,That...Am I...” Seth breaths, not believing his eyes. ,,You would just sit there and read, or do your homework. And he would accompany you. I believe you met in the park.” Her mother says with a little smile on her face. ,,You ran away because you found it so hard to get used to your little brother and you ran into Seth, who was being all by himself too. And I don't know what you said or did, but Seth came here every day. It was so cute, you never really mind. I thought it was good that you had a friend, because your father was out for work a lot and I was so busy wih Aye.” Rie touches the picture with the tips of her fingers. It is Seth, there is not a single doubt about it. ,,But after only a few months his parents suddenly moved. I never saw anybody look so torned up, that poor boy. Though you seemed pretty okay. You kept your nose in that book.” Her mother says and she gets up again. ,,I better prepare dinner now. Will you put that album back when you are done watching it?” Rie doesn't look up from the picture, Seth's eyes trapped her. ,,Why didn't I mind him leaving?” She asks. ,,Didn't I liked him around?” She hates the fact she is sounding so weak. ,,I think you liked him around, Rie.” Her mother says and she smiles again. ,,Your eyes would light up when he came. But you also did your best to act like your didn't care.” She opens the door of Rie's basement, ready to leave upstairs. ,,I guess that's typically you, Rie: acting like you don't care.” The door closes behind her and Rie now finally tears her eyes away from the picture, looking at Seth standing next to her. What must she say now? But Seth bows towards the album to have a closer look. ,,Am I that little boy?” Rie casts a look on the picture again. ,,Yeah, I know for sure that you are him.” Seth frowns. ,,Do I really have such blue eyes?” ,,Who gives a damn! We found you!” Rie cries out, a big smile on her face, putting the book down and throwing her arms in the air. ,,You should be happy! Jump for joy! Be annoying! Do your Daily Annoying Routine!” An insecure look goes over Seth's face. His eyes walk through the room, stick at Rie. ,,We knew eachother ever since we were little.” Seth mumbles. ,,Do you think I became invisible after moving away?” ,,I don't know. I didn't make you invisible!” Rie says, her smile fades away. The silence isn't comforting at all. She can sense that Seth is really worried about something. His eyes nervously swift from left to right, he bites on his lip. ,,What... what if you indirectly did?” Seth whispers, not sounding really sure about himself. Rie stares at him, her jaw hanging open. ,,Say what?” But Seth turns her back on her and sits down on the floor. ,,It doesn't matter. I mean, I can't remember one single thing, except for my name.” Grabbing in his hair he starts to rock back and forth. ,,Why can't I remember anything? How can I not remember you?” Now Rie believes he is even crying. She never thought he would be upset about this all. So she bows through her legs and sits behind Seth, placing her hands on his shoulders. ,,Shut up with your stupid whining, Seth.” She says. ,,I can't help it that you can't remember anything! Don't make me feel guilty over something I don't know anything about!” He's is quivering under her hands for a few seconds, but then turns around really fast and glomps himself on Rie, throwing her on her back. And he starts crying like a little kid. With big hales and wet salt tears. His chest heaves up and down and he burries his face in Rie's neck. It takes a while for him to calm down and all this time Rie has laid under in in silence. Sobbing in her neck, he finally starts talking again. ,,I'm sorry... I just... Why do things have to be... so bad for me? What did I do to deserve this?” Rie lifts up his face and whipes his tears away with her fingers. ,,I don't know.” She speaks the truth. She can't remember Seth being in her life at all. It's upsetting actually, because it's so hard to believe that you can forget eyes so blue as Seth's! ,,What if I forget again?” Seth asks. ,,What if I finally become visible and forget everything again? Everything, including you?” His voice shivers and his eyes shimmer in tears. ,,I don't want to forget you! I don't want that! I want to be with you!” She smiles and pets his hair. ,,Yeah, I want to be with you too, so shut up. If you forget me, I will make sure we get to know eachother again.” Seth lifts up his head higher and places his mouth on top of Rie's, leaves it there for a few seconds and then lays his head back to rest in his neck. Rie can still feel the cold touch on her lips and a faint smile curls upon them. That evening Rie is sitting in her bedroom with Seth, playing chess. She is moving the black pieces Seth points out, while she plays for herself with the white ones. ,,Rie, do you think I will remember everything or forget everything when I become visible again?” Seth asks, while scanning the chessboard with great care. Rie is much better in chess then he is, so he has to watch his steps. ,,I don't know.” Rie mumbles, also concentrating, not planning to let Seth beat her when she makes a mistake. She frowns and bows lower to the chessboard. ,,Make a move or I will slap you.” ,,Stop being so mean or I will kiss you.” Seth mumbles, pointing at a piece and then pointing to the place he wants it to be put. Rie moves the chesspiece and sticks out her tongue. ,,That was a losermove, fairyboy.” ,,Fairyboy?” Seth growls. ,,I'm not some gay fairyboy!” But when he looks up at Rie's grinning face, he smiles too. Rie concentrates on the game again, calculating the best way to win. ,,Maybe you will regain your memory instead of losing it.” She answers Seth's question. ,,That would be so cool.” Seth lets out a sigh, watches Rie move one of her white pieces. ,,Yeah, that would be cool.” Rie says. ,,Pity that I don't have any memory of you whatsoever, Seth. I mean, who would forget eyes that kind of blue?” They both stir up as they hear a formiliar voice say: ,,Blue eyes?” Marten's head is peaking through the little window that's open because of the hot weather outside. His eyes stare at her, gazes through the room as he expects somebody to be there, but at the same time the look in his eyes reveal that he heard the conversation for a few minutes already and he knows nobody is in the room. Seth stares at Marten with a shocked expression, as Rie feels her cheek become really red. She is opening and closing her mouth like a fish on the dry. Marten cought her talking to Seth. Brilliant, now he must think she indeed is crazy! Marten lets himself enter the room by slipping through the slim window and he walks over to Rie, sitting down in front of her, where Seth is sitting. Seth yelps and crawls away. ,,I don't like people going through me, asshole!” He shrieks. Rie's eyes swift to Seth, not knowing what to say or do. Marten follow her eyes, staring at Seth too, but ofcourse not knowing her is there. ,,To who where you talking?” Marten asks. ,,Who... who is Seth?” Seth is now waving his arms around, attending to hit Marten in the face, but he goes right through him. ,,I am Seth, no get out! Rie is my territory!” ,,I'm not.” She has spit it out before she could stop herself. She slaps her hands in front of her mouth and stares at Marten with a shocked expression on her face. How can she be so good in schoolwork and still be so uncarefull with this? Marten stares back at her. ,,I... I know you're not Seth...” He stutters. ,,But... who is then? And... what's happening here?” ,,What do you mean?” Rie says, deciding to play dumb on him. ,,You were talking to somebody. And I mean... really talking to somebody.” Marten looks really uncomfortable right now and he doesn't look Rie in the eye. In fact, he looks at everything except for Rie. ,,You even had the pauses and the look in your eyes, like you were having a real conversation with somebody... with Seth.” ,,I am real, dammit!” Seth cries out. ,,What's a Seth.” Rie mumbles, overreacting in her Play Dumb Act right now, but she is nervous as hell and she really doesn't know what she is doing right now. The only thing what is crossing her mind right now, is how doomed she is, now Marten heard her talk with Seth. ,,Rie... don't lie to me.” Marten says. ,,Don't act like you are my best friend, who I have to tell every secret to.” Rie gives him in return, her eyes are dark and she whipes the pieces of the chessboard, just to give her hands something to hold. Because sitting there, not knowing where to look or what to do with your hands is terrible. ,,Don't act so cold! I want to know what's happening here!” Marten says, raising his voice. Rie jumps up. ,,I'm crazy! That's what's happening! Now get the hell out and tell all your Popular Friends that you saw me talk to my invisible friend! Fanny would love to be your girlfriend again if you would do that!” ,,I won't do that!” Marten yells back, also standing up now. ,,Just tell me what's going on! I'm confused!” ,,No! I can't tell you!” Rie cries. ,,You wouldn't believe me! You would think I am the freak everybody says I am!” ,,I never thought of you as a freak and I never will!” Marten looks really determined and ready to face anything that's going to happen. But Rie is certain she doesn't want to tell Marten about Seth. He says he will believe her, but she doesn't think he really will. He would be intimidated and say she might have a mental desease or disorder. And she doesn't want him to think that, because it's not true! She isn't crazy! She doesn't suffer from some weird disorder! She is completly normal! Seth is the abnormal one! But he can't help it! Seth has also stand up and now putting his arms around her, hugging her. And Rie is so thankfull her is doing that. ,,Do what you think is best to do.” Seth whispers in her ear. ,,If you don't want to tell him, you don't have to tell him.” ,,I don't want to tell him.” Rie mumbles. ,,Don't want to tell who?” Marten immediatly says, hopefull Rie will tell him what's happening. Suddenly Rie goes in defensive mode. ,,I don't want to tell you! Now get out! Get out!” And she charges right at him. ,,Get away from me! Never come near me again! Go and be popular! Leave me alone! I never asked for you!” She forced Marten all the way to the door of her basement, chaising him away with everything she has. She pushes her hands against his chest and shoulders, making him go through the door. Marten can't do much to hestitate, because Rie doesn't stop yelling or pushing. She throws the door shut in his face and blocks it with a chair. Finally Marten is putting up some resistance. ,,Rie! Don't lock me out, dammit! I am worried about you! Why won't you let me be your friend!? Why do you mistrust me like that?!” ,,Get out! I never wanted you as my friend, you selfish asshole!! Just get the hell out, before I give you a real reason to worry about!” Rie shrieks, running to her bed, covering herself up in her hot and clammy blankets. Being under the blankets in this weather is terrible, but she wants to be alone. Being a lonely, isolated teenager with an inivisble boy to your side isn't the easy life.