Seas Between

Chapter 25

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With her arms still wrapped around him, they both looked over at them. Cloe sprung on the opening. "Time to check out some attractions?"

Katrina felt a but weird at her word choice but agreed anyway. "Yeah, let's go." She said and let go of Alex. They left the parlour and started to stoll the beautiful Barcelona street.

Alex couldn't stop looking over at Katrina awkwardly after all he had said. He felt kind of nervous but he wouldn't let it show. He wasn't sure if what he said was true anymore. He felt like maybe it could have been possible that deep down, somewhere in his subconscious he did like Katrina more than that. He wasn't sure. The archetecture was distracting though and he used it to his advantange. He gazed up at the tall buildings. Though they were tall, they were not as tall as in Seattle. They all looked so old yet gorgeous just the same.

Cloe just observed, as she always did. She enjoyed that. She led them down the road at the front of the group.

Braden stood a distance away from the group. He kept thinking that he shouldn't be there. He looked longingly at Katrina, trying to find any slight indictication that she felt something for him. He was looking for a chance.

He knew preteen Katrina. They met soon after his family moved into an apartment in Seattle. He knew the Katrina who dreamed of being an astronaut and was determined that she would reach for the stars. He knew the Katrina who would notice all the little things and appreciate everything that we neglect. She would follow bees back to their hive and collect fresh honey for him and his family and he would taste it with the tip of his finger because he had never known what to put it on. He remembered the Katrina who would hum a song with the birds as she loved so much from her princess movies.

And, she had this carved doll, it was given to her by her great grandfather. It was supposed to be what he thought that she would look like in ten years. Her great grandfather knew that he wouldn't be around to see her then. The point was, the doll was everything to her and Braden destroyed it. It had been tossed in the fire along with the wood. He remembers the separation between them for the longest time because of it. Then, nearly a year later, she contacted him. She didn't even bring up the doll. But, they lost contact when his family moved away again. Occasional texts were the only times that they had heard from each other.

These are the things that ran through Braden's head as he strolled alongside Katrina and her best friend, Alex, and some random Spanish girl, can't leave her out. And she spoke. "Hey, we should get drawings done!" Cloe bursted, pointing excitedly at a woman with a drawing canvass.

"That sounds like fun." Alex says casually.

"Yeah! Let's do it." Katrina agreed.

Braden followed along, still contemplating what he was going to do.

Katrina sat down first and the woman glanced at her and smiled. "You are very beautiful."

"Thanks, but really, I'm not." Katrina smiled.

"But you are!" She sharpens her pencil. "American?" She asked, looking around at the group.

"Alex just moved here from America and his friends came to visit." Cloe said.

"Oh, Cloe, I'm sorry, I didn't even notice you there!"

"Oh, it's fine!"

"Well, I guess you'd like a drawing. That seat's not popular for its shade, though that must be nice."

Katrina noticed that the woman was in the sun. "Let's trade seats; I don't mind." She offered.

"No, I'm perfectly fine. It'd be more work than it's worth it anyway. Let's get started." She started to sketch an outline and in less than 15 mins, she's created a beautiful cartoon depiction of Katrina.

"I love it! Thanks so much!" She said, and paid for it. The rest of them, got their own done and they sat down for bit in the shade.

"I'll be right back, I just need to check something." Cloe announced and jogged towards a small alleyway. She took out her phone once she got there.

"I'm leaving.." Braden said.

"Wait, what?" Alex asked, surprised.

"I am"

"Are you sure?" Katrina asked.

"Yeah, I'm going to start looking for an earlier flight. Maybe I could see a few other countries along the way, make a few stops, I don't know. But yeah, I can't stay. It was stupid of me to even think I had a chance with someone as amazingly brilliant as yourself."

"Braden, I'm sorry." Katrina said mournfully.

"You can quit apologizing. You didn't do anything."

Alex wraps his arm around Katrina then Braden and squeezes them tightly. "Just friends?"

"Alex? Seriously?" Katrina said.

"Yeah, not now" Braden agreed.

"I'm serious. Braden, you don't have to leave. If you like Katrina, can't you be fine with just being friends?"

Katrina looked at Braden. "Could we be?" Hope twinkled in her eyes.

Braden thought long and hard about his answer. Alex still had his arms wrapped around their shoulders. He looked between Katrina and Braden. "Are you two going to make up yet?"

"We can be friends. If it will make you happy, we can be just friends."

"Thank you Braden, I'll try not to make it awkward but if it does, don't get mad?"

"Why would I get mad?"

"I don't know, it's just what I see in movies."

"Well then sure, I promise, I won't get mad."

"Yay, we're all happy now! And... we're all in Spain, let's check it out now please!" Katrina finished and pulled them both along down the street.