"What if-" She begins, sniffing.
"Don't worry. I'll call you as soon as I reach. Shut up, you'll always be my best friend. You're just 5 hours away. You can get some really cute guy to make a road trip out of it and drive you to Columbia." I say, my eyes threatening to drip. What am I going to do without Natalie?
She bursts into tears. "I'm going to miss you Kristen."
The sight of her crying is too much to bear and I begin to cry too. "I'll miss you too, Nats."
She tries to smile, hugging me one last time as I get into the car
and drive to the airport. I drive off, eyes blurry, waving bye. I try to smile, and instantly do when I think about Ray. He got into Columbia and of course, accepted. I'm going to be with him, in college, the thing is.. people change in college and I don't want him to. I pull into the airport, sporting sweats and a hoodie, the navy blue converse that Natalie gave me and my headphones are in as a distraction.
***
Someone taps me on my shoulder and I jump, "Kristen, there you are." Ray laughs, relieved but then he see's my puffy eyes and his laughter falls short.
He pulls me to him and rubs circles on my back, as I break down into tears.
"It's Natalie, I'm really going to miss her." I sniff, and he looks unhappy because I am.
"Just tell her that a hot guy will drive you there to meet her." He winks, and kisses me on my forehead.
"Mm, my hot guy." I whisper into his ear, flinging myself into his arms.
"Only yours." He whispers, tickling my neck with his cool breath and cuddling me close, leaving a trail of kisses down my neck.
Someone clears their throat and we break apart, quickly.
Ray turns a crimson shade and I look around. It's my Mom, and the expression on her face is the opposite of amusement.
"Just what do you think you're doing?" She says, tone accusing and reprimanding. "In an airport that too." She shakes her head at this. "Ray, I expect better."
"Mom. We were just-" I begin, but she cuts me off with a sharp nod towards my father.
"Believe it or not, your mother and I were once the same way but this is an airport and you know neither your mother or I are comfortable with- with this (Here he looks uncomfortable and searches for an appropriate term to use to describe our behaviour)-this (He came up with nothing) uh behaviour", He finishes lamely.
"Sorry Mr. Marlborough, It won't happen again." Ray says, meekly.
"Damn straight it won't happen again." My dad growls, and Ray apologizes hastily.
"We need to have a talk with Kristen. Alone." States my mum, staring pointedly at Ray, who awkwardly shoves his hands into his denim, levi jeans, a dark blue and mumbles a goodbye.
"Kristen Leigh Marlborough, That was inappropriate behaviour. Anyone could've been watching, from a 50 year old man with the wrong ideas, to young children who you are supposed to be setting a good example for. We've tried to understand what is going on between you and Ray, sweetie, we-"
"Think you're taking things much too fast." My dad finishes, shaking his head in disapproval.
When my mom is angry, interrupting her is not the best idea. She turns to my dad now and lectures him on how rude it is to interrupt someone when they are in the middle of a conversation. 'Conversation, ha?' I think.
She frowns at me. "You're going to college now, with that boy, and entering college in a relationship means that you're blocking your mind to trying new things, to meeting new people."
"I agree with your mother." Yep, that's my dad, pitching in in an effort to get on my mum's good side.
I look from one face to the other, my cheeks flushing angrily.
"What are you suggesting?" I spit out.
"That you break up with him until-"
"Noooo!" I yell, and I'm pretty sure the whole airport can hear us by now.
"Let your father speak." My mother snaps.
"That you break up with him until you are both done exploring other options."
He ruffles my hair. "Now is that so bad?"
Half of me screams yes, while the other half screams no and so I shrug. "But I love Ray and no one else."
"You won't know till you've been with other people."
They don't know how I feel about Ray but I do- I know that I will always love him, him and no one else. And If you love someone, you have to set them free. I will break up with Ray, so that I'm not holding him back. So that I'm not keeping him from meeting someone that he could be happier with, because if I was, I'd always be guilty about it.
