Scarlett Johansson | One-Shots (1)

30 Years Later

Callie:
"I have something to tell you..." My best friend starts to tell me.

"Okay. What is it?"

"My mom said we have to move."

I stay silent, not sure what to say. "W-" I attempt but she just starts again.

"We're going to New York until mom says we don't have to live there anymore. She didn't explain a lot..." She looks down at her hands out in front of her. We're laying on her bed under the comforter we draped over us as a fort.

"When are you leaving?" I squeak, holding back tears.

"A month."

I sit up under the blanket and bring my best friend with me. The tears finally fall so I hug her tightly. "Please don't leave," I sob quietly into the hug.

"I love you. Don't forget me when I leave. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too. I could never forget you. I love you too."

-30 years later-

I just ran four miles so naturally, I need something freezing to put in my body. I start my walk to a local smoothie shop here in LA. I instinctively fiddle with my dog tag chain that also has half of my childhood best friend and I's matching pendants on it. My half has her initial with half of a heart. Her half, if she still has it, would have my initial with the other half of the heart. We got the pendants the day before she moved away. I think every day about her and wonder what happened to her. I would've reached out or tried to find her but I took a vow to leave literally all social media years ago. I don't have much of a social life, I'm boring.

The streets of LA are unusually busy today. The sidewalks are packed and the streets are filled with cars bumper to bumper. I try not to let the sounds bother me, I really just want a smoothie. As I'm walking, I get a text from a friend so I text her back as I'm walking. Dumb idea since there are so many people here and I should be watching where I'm walking. Suddenly, I'm running right into someone, like I was afraid of.

"I'm so sorry. I should've been watching where I was going," I apologize quickly, politely grabbing a hold of the person's arms to make sure they don't fall.

Scarlett:
It's always when I'm trying not to draw attention to myself, I draw attention to myself. I'm attempting to balance out all my things, a tote bag full of work things since I came from a meeting, my light jacket draped over my other arm, gripping my phone uncomfortably in a hand, and my keys in my mouth since I have no other way to hold them. I'm practically tripping over myself when all of a sudden, I run right into someone, almost dropping my stuff.

"I'm so sorry," we say at the same time. I don't look at the person because I'm too busy making sure I don't drop my things.

They grab my arms to make sure I don't fall, I guess. This is the first time I look up and I immediately freeze. In the middle of a crowded sidewalk in Los Angeles, I don't move a muscle. Because she's bent over to grab me, it's right in front of my face. The silver pendant with my initial and half of a heart dangles in front of me. Suddenly, I feel overwhelmed with happiness, even through the slight sadness due to the situation and person. I slowly stand up fully and grab her wrist as she's turning to walk away. When she turns back around, she furrows her eyebrows at me but I can tell the gears are turning in her head.

"Callie?" A smile steadily forms on my lips and it takes her a minute but her face instantly lights up.

"No way," she mumbles, letting her mouth gape open ever so slightly.

"Oh my god!" I almost jump into her arms but then quickly remember it's been 30 years so maybe not.

"Well shit! Um, I was about to grab a smoothie. Do you want to join me?"

I have a meeting, that's where I was headed, but I think seeing Callie for the first time in 30 years is a little more pressing than a meeting. "Yeah, that sounds great!"

"Awesome. Here, let me help you with your shit," she chuckles, taking my jacket and bag for me, not even letting me refuse.

I smile the whole way to smoothies, again trying not to attract attention to myself. Thankfully, we don't stick around the shop. She invites me to her house, which I more than happily accept, to enjoy the smoothies and to catch up on the 3 decades of life we missed.

Her home is gorgeous. She's got to be doing well. She lives in the hills, in a huge house that has a beautiful lap pool in the back that looks directly out over the side of the mountain at the city. I can't stop my amazement from shining through. She leads me through the front door to a stunning living room-looking room with a square of fancy white sofas with tiny black glass tables on the corners. In the middle of all of it, a neat white carpet under a wooden square coffee table that evens it all out.

She sits us down on the same couch and faces me. We sit in silence for a while. I know we're both just trying to wrap our heads around our situation and what's happening. Finally, Callie starts for me. "I can't believe it."

"Neither can I. Where have you been? How long have you been in LA and how have we not run into each other until now?" I drill her with questions.

Callie:
"Well I've lived here for a few years but my job requires running around so I'm not in LA a lot. I'm a lawyer, a damn good one if I do say so myself, so I travel. But what about you?" Scarlett gives me an expression I remember from when we were kids. "Oh, I'm sorry... Did I- Did I offend you or?"

"Wait you're being serious?"

"Yes?" I let my smile come back.

"Oh shit. Okay, it's been a while since someone didn't know what I do. Oh, wait that sounds so bad. I'm sorry-"

"Scar, stop rambling. It's fine," I cut her off with a little giggle.

"Right, sorry. I'm an actress."

"Oh shit, that's dope! I'm so glad you made it. I remember how much you used to love acting when we were younger. So are you famous or something?" I tease, not prepared for the response.

"Yeah. Being Black Widow in Marvel really helped."

I choke on my smoothie. "What? Oh my fucking god! Man, I really do live under a fucking rock."

"Yeah, you do," she giggles in agreement. I playfully shove her arm but continue staring at her instead of continuing the conversation. "What?" Scar asks, snapping me out of my gaze.

"I really missed you. The day you left broke my heart. I was so scared I'd never see you again," I vent softly, still staring at her. The longer I look at her, the more I see the young 6-year-old Scarlett staring back at me. I feel like we're back in her room, giggling to ourselves under our blanket fort on her bed.

"I missed you too. I can't believe you kept your pendant." Scar gently takes my necklace in her fingers. I'm about to ask if she still has hers but before I can, she reaches into the collar of her shirt and pulls out the end of the necklace she's wearing. Her side of the pendant. "It would've made it heartbreaking if you didn't," she chuckles with a huge smile. My smile grows from ear to ear and I can't stop myself from grabbing her and pulling her into a tight hug. Thankfully, she hugs me back just as tight.

Scarlett stays a while longer. We continue to catch up on everything and anything, talking like we used to. Our bond clearly didn't break in the slightest. I still can't believe I found my childhood best friend 30 years after she moved away. We exchange numbers and promise to hang out more, which we do. Damn, I've missed her.