The Traveling Girl

The Last Dinner

The lights in the restaurant were dimmed, the music was a smooth jazz. The three girls were dressed in long dresses. Their hair was done up, their makeup near perfection. The three girls sat at he table and watched Mrs. Hodkins dance on the dance floor below the band.

Karlee tried to hide a laugh, while Jade was smacking the table with loud laughter. Aloisia sat in her seat, slowly stirring the lemon in her iced tea.

"Come on, laugh alittle, it's funny," Jade laughed, elbowing Aloisia in the side.

"Yeah, um, I'm just going to go to the restroom," she quietly replied, slowly standing.

As she walked away Jade turned to Karlee,

"Okay, it's not just me right? It's funny, right?"

"That's not the problem, although I can't for the life of me figure out what the problem is," Karlee answered.

"Probably something to do with her book,"

"No, Mrs. Hodkins said it was published and in stores, thanks to three articles that were explaining the concept of the book," Karlee replied.

"Oh, well, huh. Oh well, let's just enjoy watching Mrs. Hodkins dance for the one and only and last time ever in our lives." Jade finished, then turned back to facing the dance floor.

Aloisia slowly walked on the old fashioned red carpet, as a matter of fact, the whole restaurant was old fashioned. She looked in a mirror on the wall. It was beautiful, the golden brass was entwined along the outside, it looked so elegant she couldn't help but examine the design.

As her eyes searched the interesting mirror design, a voice she recognized started to talk, behind her.

"Beautiful mirror it is, even prettier the woman standing by it, though," a deep accent filled voice admitted.

She quickly turned, her heels turning on their points. Standing in front of her was Colin, in a black suit, the jacket was unbuttoned and he worn no tie or bow.

"Mr. McBlock I-"

He stood, for the first time looking no where else, but her dazzling eyes.

"Thank-Thank you, for writing-"

"Of course," He replied, not moving  and remained staring at her.

"I, um, am leaving tomorrow," she continued, breathing in and out slowly,

"I know," his accent hung in the air,

She slowly and unknowingly took a step closer towards him. For the first time in his life, he didn't notice, all he saw were her eye.

"I-I probably won't see you again, I won't be coming back here for, well,"

"I understand," he cooed,

Without noticing, both of them had made their way close to one another, inches away from each other's face.

"That's why I came, to say goodbye," he whispered.

She felt her eyes start to swell, she tried to hold the tears back, it was difficult.

As time began to slow, the only noise she heard was the two of them breathing. Slow and heavy breaths. Finally only centimetres away, he leaned his lips forward. She didn't jump or bounce back. She just stood and returned the kiss. It had been well waited, and as she knew this was the way he caught most of his girlfriends, something felt, different to him.

As they pulled apart time was still frozen, the music lightly playing in the background.

His lips parted again, and he stared into her eyes one last time, before whispering the word:

"Goodbye," then, her hands still entwined with his, he walked away.

She found it hard to let go of his hand, she felt herself let a tear slip out as his touch left her.

Immediately she assumed she was sick, she shook her head and stared in the mirror again. She smiled at the blonde in the reflection.

Finally, she took a large breath and started her way back to the dinner table.

As she sat down, she watched the others stuff salad in their mouths.

"We would have gotten you, but we decided to let you use the restroom in private, besides it's just the salad. not the main course yet," Jade huffed between chews.

"Oh, uh, it's fine," Aloisia stuttered, sitting by Mrs. Hodkins.

"Are you alright dear?" She turned and asked Aloisia,

"Yeah, you have a smudge of mascara on your right eye," Jade declared,

"Uh, yeah fine, I'm good," she replied, smiling, then stuffed salad into her mouth delaying any further questions.

~

As Jade flopped down on her massive bed, she looked at her freshly packed suitcase. Things were about to change, she wasn't going to be with her friends anymore. She was going to Korea all by herself. And as much as she had been dreaming of this day ever since she found love of K-Pop, she was scared to be on her own in an unknown country.

Karlee struggled to zip the edges of her suitcase up, she finally stuffed her foot down on the top and it eventually closed. She pulled on her pink pajamas and climbed into the largest bed she'd ever slept in, finally she was going to get to see her other best friend. The one she'd known since grade school. Well, she actually had known all of the girls since grade school. Finally she closed her dark eyes, and drifted to sound sleep.

Aloisia found herself dragging her luggage to the door and then slowly walking back to her bedroom. She was really going to miss this bed. She was going to miss the large room, the beaches, the accents people had, Mrs. Hodkins, but most of all she was going to miss him. And the thought of it made her feel confused. AS she climbed into the silky bed for the last time she let another tear slid down, before she wiped the rest away and decided that was enough. Aloisia sighed and turned to face the sheer curtained window. The lights of the city vividly shone through, as she looked at the beautiful city for the last time her eyes fell closed and her head fell back. She had  finally let herself fall asleep, knowing that tomorrow everything was going to change, again.