chapter 13.

                                    

                                          
"Jason, are you still here?" Clara asks.
"Yeah, I'm still here," he whispers.
"Okay, what part?"
"Greek and Roman."
"Okay."
"Okay."
They hang up. Clara finds Jason's car and parks next to it. She tells the rest to stay in the parking garage and wait for her to get him. 
She rushes towards the gate and is stopped by the lady at the front. 
"Ma'am we are closed to general admission. We are now only admitting patron members." 
Clara takes out her membership card and scans it. 
"Ma'am, just a notice, we'll be closing in approximately thirty minutes."
"Okay, thank you."
She rushes in and hurriedly looks for Jason. 
"Greek and Roman... Greek and Roman... ahh this way."
She speed walks in her dress, taking off her heels to walk faster. She finds Jason, standing alone in his baby blue suit, looking at a marble statue of a wounded Amazonian warrior.
She quietly walks up next to him, looking along with him.
"It's amazing isn't it?" Jason asks. 
"Yes. Yes it is," Clara replies, now looking at Jason.
Jason looks back at her. He sheds a tear.
"Don't cry Jay. It's okay." 
"I'm sorry Clara. I- I know haven't been a good person to you. To all of you, my friends," he says, his eyes now leaking tears.
"Jason, it's not your fault. Everything's okay. The whole gang's waiting outside. They want to see you're okay."
He looks away. He can't bear to look at Clara, his heart filling up with guilt.
Clara reaches up at the towering Jason and puts her hands on Jason's face. She wipes his tears.
"Jason, look at me... look at me."
He reluctantly does, looking down at her, gravity bringing his tears down his cheek.
"Jason, everything is okay. Everything is going to be okay," Clara says.
Jason pouts and looks at Clara. His heart is rushing, filling with the temptation to tell Clara how he has always felt about her. The words creep to the tip of his tongue. He begins to open his mouth to tell her.
He stops himself. 
"You wanna sit?" she asks, Jason still looking at Clara.
Jason nods. They sit on the bench next to a Roman vase dated during the times of Julius Caesar. 
Jason lays his head on Clara's shoulder. They look in front of them; a large mural of a Roman ruler, depicted sitting and speaking with his wife.
He smiles.
She smiles.
//////////////
They walk out of the Met. The cool, March evening winds blow through the city. They make their way back to the parking garage where the group is found outside of their cars, anxiously waiting for the pair.
"Hey guys," Clara says smiling.
"Uyyyyy Clara! Jason!" the crew yells.
The six of them run toward Jason and Clara. Kyle, Tommy, Ed, and Mike run to Jason and embrace him. Mariella and Jamie hug Clara. They proceed to come together for an even bigger group hug.
Jason begins crying again. 
"I'm sorry you guys. I'm sorry," he says, looking at everyone with tear-filled eyes.
"Ohhhh stop Jason. We love you. You know that," Kyle reminds him.
He nods and they group hug once again.