After The Ending (John Frusciante)

Chapter 30

2001

"Hello?" Amaya squeezed her phone under her cheek and smiled, then continued sorting through the pile of laundry she had just taken out of the washing machine.

"Hey, it's John," the voice on the other side happily announced.

"I know," Amaya laughed, "Caller ID, remember?"

"Right," he chuckled, "How are you? What are you doing?"

"I'm good, having a really exciting time sorting laundry," she answered, then smiled again, "What about you? Where are you?"

"I'm in London."

"Oh, how fancy," Amaya playfully noted, "And how is it treating you?"

"Very good, but the travel is still tiring. I'm really excited to be done in a few days and then back home."

"Yeah? What day are you getting in?"

"Thursday evening should be," he answered, then continued after a small pause, "You know, I was thinking.. I was thinking that maybe we could have dinner or something on Friday? Haven't seen you in a while. Miss having you around."

"I know, things have been quite hectic lately," Amaya softly breathed, "Friday did you say, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"You know what?" she smiled by herself, "How about you come to my place and I will cook something for us? You are always inviting me to yours and end up doing everything on your own."

"I don't really mind," John softly laughed.

"I'm sure you don't, but I think you deserve some relaxing after your tour."

"Well, if you put it like that," he laughed again, "If you insist."

" I do insist," Amaya confirmed, "So on Friday you can come at around.. 7? Is that okay for you?"

"Should be."

"Alright, so see you on Friday then?" Amaya concluded, John then once again confirming their plans until the phone call came to an end.

"Oh, Johnny, Johnny, Johnny," she took a breath once she set the pile of sorted laundry aside, a small smile still stretched over her lips and her heart childishly giddy.

She really hadn't seen John in a while, him busy with his third solo album and Amaya with her art exhibition and teaching and everything that came with sorting her life around a rather restless little girl. They of course did manage to call each other quite frequently just in order to keep in touch, but it definitely wasn't the same as spending time together and quite the same as John, Amaya too missed having him around.

She missed his adorable, even a bit of a bashful smile he flashed in her direction ever so often when they happened to be together, and she missed the sincere, almost childlike enthusiasm he carried in himself, just over the simple fact that he was alive and she missed seeing that playful twinkle in his eyes, the same one he had back when they were teenagers and things were still oh so simple, the one that always made her feel so warm and fuzzy inside.

And whenever Amaya thought about it, it still made her feel warm and fuzzy, but even if it did, she always made a point not to get too lost in it, never letting her heart take too much control over her almost painfully unromantic brain. Things of the past were supposed to be kept in the past, and the last thing she needed was falling into the illusion that something was still possible. That was just something she couldn't afford, even if all those things made her heart beat so much faster than usual and even if her wondering thoughts seemed to find him at every given moment, more and more often as time went by.