Love Tides | ✓

eighteen | where did she go?

σε αγαπώ, το φοβάμαι

[ i love you, i fear that ]

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"Flight to New York City, U.S. Ten minutes till boarding."

Avery tapped his foot impatiently against the ground, he had his fists warped tightly in the pockets of his jeans as he bounced the balls of his feet. Was she coming?

The plane ticket on the pocket of his sweater seemed to vibrate, it seemed like a crime for Avery to even look at it. His thoughts always drifted to Penelope at the thought of leaving Greece. Avery had taken a ferry from Skopelos back Thessaloniki and was left in reverberating shock once he noticed that Penelope was nowhere to be seen, he even asked the guard if he had seen her around but he quickly claimed denial.

9:23 o'clock, Avery's watch read. His patience is drawing out slowly. Maybe she missed the ferry, or she woke up late.

He couldn't lie to himself, he knew Penelope, and he knew her well. She was an early riser since birth, for the last month she's woken Avery everyday at four in the morning, much to his protests, she wouldn't give in.

The minutes ticked by ever so slowly, a cloudiness invaded his mind—he couldn't think, he didn't know what to think. Avery's eyes were trained specifically on the airport doors just for the second for Penelope to waltz in.

"Five minutes till boarding."

Avery peeled his eyes off the doors and to the gates of the plane.

"Come on, Penelope. Come hurry," Avery mumbled, bouncing on his feet, he curled his fingers tightly at the strap of his backpack as he bit the inside of his cheek.

He was supposed to arrive at the airport with Penelope and Adamos—but the drunken man insisted on staying in Skopelos and not removing himself from his italian leather sofa in the large living room. He even added that if he felt obligated to go to California for the competition then he'd just take the Concord to get back earlier. But it seems not even Penelope was coming to wish her goodbyes to Avery.

Desperate, Avery pulled his phone from his back pocket, tapping on it furiously as he began calling Penelope. The phone rang various times until her voice appeared on the screen.

"Hi, this is Penelope leave a message at the beep!" Avery could hear her giggle through the tone right before the ring, before he burst into a quick ramble.

"Hey, Penelope. This is Avery, I'm just wondering if you're okay, if you're busy, or if something happened...just please, answer my calls—"

The message time quickly ended and Avery groaned as the message was immediately sent. He quickly placed the phone back in his pocket as he felt a couple of people quickly brush past him to his flight's gate.

"Flight for New York City, U.S. Boarding."

Avery cleared his throat, trudging his suitcase behind him as he quickly handed his ticket and boarded the plane, sitting himself comfortably into the plane seat.

He sighed as he quickly settled, thoughts invading his mind into a haze.

"Y'know, you're an idiot."

Avery looked to his right, towards the person sitting in the window seat and he quickly did a double take, vaguely recognizing the little girl from the flight he took a month ago, arriving in Greece.

"Excuse me?" Avery blinked, appalled as he looked at the little girl as she crossed her arms over her chest, an angry scowl twisting in her lips.

The little girl rolled her eyes dramatically. "You heard me. And you heard me right—you're an idiot, a big one."

"I don't understand," Avery prompted, eyebrows furrowing. "Wait—your name is Athena, right?"

"Aphrodite," Aphrodite corrected smugly. "And you're an idiot, how can you be so stupid and let her go."

Avery bit the inside of his cheek. "I'm confused. What did I let go?"

"If you really loved her, you'd know," Aphrodite whispered before turning in her seat and facing the plane's video.

A huff escaped Avery's lips as he looked at the seat in front of him. His thoughts swarmed back to the silhouette of Penelope—his conscience nipping him endlessly as realization quickly kicked in.

He looked to his right again, quickly. "Hey! Are you talking about...Penelope?"

Shock surged through him as there was no one there seated next to him, confusion biting his mind.

"Where did she go?"

author's note

well...that was awkward

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