Chapter 24: Chapter 24

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: THE REVELATION

D12.

DANIEL

It’s been three days since Isabel went in for questioning with the police and to my disappointment, nothing has happened. An arrest for Anna’s murder still hasn’t been made. Apparently, they haven’t found enough evidence that Isabel was anything more than a weirdo. She claimed that she always admired Anna and took the diary from the wake because she wanted to be more like her. As for the necklace, she said she found it on the side of the road not knowing whose it was at first, but when she realized it was Anna’s she panicked and hid it, afraid to get in trouble for taking something from a crime scene.

It all sounds like a load of crap to me. Isabel didn’t admire Anna. She didn’t even like Anna. I don’t know how much she really had to do with Anna’s death, but I know of at least one thing she is guilty of: being an obsessive psycho. Whenever I think of how she has been secretly taking pictures of me for years, I get chills. I don’t know if she has tried to contact me because I blocked her number, but she hasn’t shown her face again in school since I made the statement. I have a feeling she is going to drop out or transfer to another school.

Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for Jenna. She’s back, as dumb and carefree as ever, though I think this whole questioning thing has affected her popularity somehow. More people seem to be talking about her these days than to her. I’ve never been one to wish unhappiness on others, but Jenna deserves it and not-so-secretly, I hope she gets so lonely she drops out too.

Anyway, I've been so caught up with everything else going on in my life that I almost forgot what day today is. Today is another big day. MAU qualified for the TBA for the first time in the university's history. That means our games will get TV airtime on local channels. I'm particularly excited for this game versus Carrabba Academy.

I've done really well the past few practices. Coach changed a bit of our game plan for this tournament. I'm going to play point guard in our upcoming games, and as one, I am tasked to execute our plays. A lot of the plays Coach came up with are either me or Radjan taking the shot. Easy enough game plan to follow.

Despite the school drama recently, involving talks about Isabel and Jenna, a lot of people still showed up to watch our first game in the TBA. This game isn't free by all means. Everyone who wants to watch in the venue needs to buy a ticket. It is a surreal feeling for me to be in this position, playing on national television. I start really well in the game, scoring-wise. I keep making so many getaway layups because my defender always commits to double teaming Radjan. Also, when I see Radjan free for three, I make sure to pass him the ball. The guy never misses anything. Three points, fade aways, and one plays; he even made a semi dunk that sent the crowd in frenzy.

Radjan Carpiniello is a basketball superhuman, honestly.

Eventually, our energy starts rubbing off on the others. Everyone is playing inspired. We don't look like a rookie team in this league at all. Coach decides to field everyone in the game at some point. Everybody is on the scoreboard by the time all four quarters are played and the game finishes. The final score is 100-88. Our first ever televised game is a victory.

My father looks as if he is going to have a heart attack from so much excitement. In this brief moment, everything feels back to normal. Well, almost normal. Things will never be normal again without Anna.

The league organizers name Radjan and me co-best players of the game. I scored a double-double performance: 20 points, and 10 assists. Radjan also scored 31 big points. A member of the television crew calls our attention for a TV interview shortly after the game. I agree to it, but I hear Radjan politely decline and head over to his father instead. I was so wrong about him all along. I thought he came into my team to steal my glory, but I was very wrong. He helped me get back to the level I was in before Anna died, he helped everyone be eligible to suit up for this league (Jason told me he wrote a cheat sheet for everyone to copy from and pass around during the eligibility test), and he motivated and inspired everyone to perform their best. For the first time since I started playing basketball, I start appreciating the word 'teamwork'. I smile upon entering the locker room after my interview, seeing everyone's happy faces.

This team is not my team as I originally thought. This team is ours. One for all, and all for one.

I think about doing something nice for the team. Buying everyone dinner or a round of drinks or something. We’re all in the right mood for it, even me. Winning the game has me feeling lighter and happier. I realize I could use a night out too.

I head over to Jason to ask him what he thinks about my idea. He’s changing at his locker and talking with Radjan, who looks a bit distraught considering the awesome day we have just had. I catch the last bit of what he’s saying.

“—Mirjana’s address?” he asks Jason.

“Who?” Jason responds with a bewildered look on his face.

“Mirjana,” Radjan replies simply.

I freeze in my tracks.

“What did you say?” I ask.

I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Did he really just say Mirjana?

One of the things that I discovered about Anna when I read her diary was that her birthname was actually Mirjana Molnarova. When things went bad with her father, her mother had it changed to Anna, a shortened version of her name and changed Anna’s last name to her maiden name, Abramovic. Anna still liked being called Mijana at times though. It was always what her father referred to her as during their times spent together.

I feel a strange tugging feeling in my chest. Why is Radjan asking about Anna, and how does he know about that name when I myself didn’t know it until days ago?

Radjan gives me a look, “Me? I wasn’t talking to you,” he responds to my question.

“Did you just say Mijana?” I ask, not caring that he wasn’t talking to me.

“Yeah, what about it?” he shrugs. “Mirjana is my girl, I thought she dated Marsh before. I just wanted to know something, so I was asking. Why do you care?”

“Your girl?” I ask, my cheeks burning red with anger. “Is that some kind of joke, Carpiniello?”

I can’t believe this. Here I was feeling so grateful for this guy and thinking about how wrong I was about him, and he’s here trolling me about my girlfriend. This is so messed up.

He looks at me with a confused look on his face, “Wait, what do you mean? Do you know her?” he asks me.

Jason is standing between us awkwardly, moving his head side to side as we argue, as if watching a tennis match. A few other guys have sensed a commotion and have started gathering near, watching the scene.

“I think I’m the one who should be asking you that,” I reply curtly. “How do you know her?”

“What’s your deal, bro? Why are you so interested? I know her because she is my girlfriend. I met her on my first day here,” he explains. “Why are you so worked up? What’s wrong with you?”

“My girlfriend Anna, her real name was Mirjana…” I say quietly. I can hear a few of the guys whispering at this revelation. Of course they would. They didn’t know. No one knew.

“Dude, I really don’t care about your girlfriend,” he begins to say, but then stops, his eyes widening slightly. “Wait, what did you say? Anna?” he pauses. “Do you have a picture of her?”

“I thought you didn’t care about my girlfriend,” I say sarcastically as I pull out my phone and open it to the home screen. On display is a picture of Anna and I that was taken on a date to the local carnival. I hold it up so Radjan can see. “There. That’s Anna.”

“Yeah, that’s her,” he responds. “That’s Mirjana. So, you’re the ex, huh? Not Marsh?” He looks me up and down, sizing me up. “Big deal. Look, I just want to know where she is, okay? I haven’t seen her in days.”

“What the hell are you playing at, bro? What kind of joke is this?” I ask, my voice full of venom.

“It’s no joke,” he replies. “I haven’t seen her since we… since the night of the Drakonas game.”

He looks around, feeling my glare and the stares of the other guys who have dropped all pretense of doing anything and are now listening in on our conversation. The room is so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

“Do you know where she lives?” Radjan asks, then looks around at the others. “Does anyone know where she lives?”

“Dude, come on, stop,” says Jason quietly. “This isn’t funny.”

“I’m not joking!” Radjan exclaims. “Do I seem like the kind of guy who jokes around a lot? I don’t understand what the big deal is.” He looks at me. “Why are you so jealous? You’re her ex and you’re acting like you two are still together. Come on, dude, stop being such a loser and move on already. I was kind to you because I felt bad knowing you lost your—” he stops. I can see the color draining from his face. “Wade…where is your girlfriend?”

“Gone,” I reply simply, seriously. “Anna died last month.” I look at him with disgust and shake my head, “You’re really sick for making up some crap about dating her, Carpiniello.”

Radjan looks as if he is about to be sick and topples over, grabbing onto the nearest locker for support.

“That’s not possible,” he says, his voice almost a whisper. “I met her, I talked to her, I fell in love with her. I’m in love with her. This isn’t happening. Please tell me you guys are trolling me!”

Everyone stares, not knowing what to say.

“I can prove to you that I met her!” he yells. “She gave me a history reviewer and I have some of her books. She’s not dead! She can’t be dead!”

I look at him and maintain the serious tone I had before. “Why the hell would I troll you about my girlfriend being dead. Radjan?”

“I have her books,” he says, tears welling up in his eyes. “I kissed her, I…this can’t be happening to me. I’m dreaming. I’m dreaming. This isn’t real…”

A few guys rush forward to catch Radjan as he slumps down and passes out. Jason turns to me, looking a bit shaken.

“Dude, what the hell is going on?” he asks me.

“Damn if I know,” I reply and head for the door, leaving my teammates to deal with Radjan and get him to the hospital.

So much for a nice night out.

***

As I drive home, I keep wondering about what just happened with Radjan. I think about his question whether he seems like the type of guy who jokes around often. The answer is no. I don’t know Radjan well, but from what I can tell, he’s a pretty serious dude. He doesn’t smile a lot, he’s not overly social. He doesn’t really seem like a practical joker at all.

I wouldn’t actually think he is capable of trolling me about Anna. Especially not after today, after our big win, and after I repaid his favor by getting my dad to let him retake the eligibility test.

There is also no way he would have known Anna’s real name, not without reading that diary. But if he’s not trolling, then what is actually going on here? Is he dating Anna’s ghost? That is ridiculous, not to mention impossible.

I stop at a red light and stare at Anna’s seashell swaying on the rearview mirror. Is it impossible? I know I’ve felt her presence before. I know that she was in this car with me more than once and that she actually saved me from death one of those times.

But if Radjan is telling the truth then what does that mean? That her spirit is around and visible and she showed herself to him, a stranger, rather than to me? No! That can’t be right. I’m the one that Anna loved, and I loved her back just as hard. I’m the one that has been suffering and grieving for her ever since she died. I’m the one that went to the hospital on that wretched night and hugged and kissed her cold body until Dr. Marsh had to pull me away from it. How could she appear to someone else when it is me who has been dying to see her all this time, when it is me who chose to drive headfirst into an 18-wheeler so I could see her again?

I can feel a dampness on my face, and I realize that I’m crying. Whether they are tears of anger, sadness or betrayal, I don’t know. I just know that this doesn’t make sense. None of it makes any sense. And the only one who could possibly help me make sense of it is the guy who is laying ill in the hospital.

I wipe my tears with the back of my hand and make a U-turn, heading towards the hospital. I have to talk to Radjan. I have to find out what’s going on.