Photo Finish - (One Shot, Short Story)

I came up with this short story for my English homework and I really liked it so I thought that I would share it with you guys!

The task was to come up with a short story about a reunion. Enjoy!!

Photo Finish

The woman paced the arrivals area impatiently. It was nearly empty in the small airport. There were only ten or so other people dotted around the place, looking at her suspiciously. She stopped walking and forced herself to breathe. It was no big deal, she told herself. She was only going to see her best friend after six years! Grinning, she thought back to the text she had received a week earlier. 'Rachel McHale! Get ready to paint the town red, 'cause yours truly is coming back home!'

She rang him immediately, completely disregarding the eight hour time difference between Mayo, Ireland and Florida, America. "Peter Swift! I swear if you are kidding again I will fly over there myself, shove you in a suitcase and force you to stick to your word for once!" He had been promising her the exact same thing for the past three years, but had backed out every time.

"Nope. This time I'm being serious Rach. I've turned freelance and I am returning home to the 'Emerald Isle'." Peter promised. They had been making preparations all week; Peter was going to stay on Rachel's flat with her until he found a place for himself.

Rachel was looking forward to Peter coming back from America. He was only supposed to be over there for a year apprenticeship with some top photographer in Miami, Florida. Then a year turned into two, then three, and eventually he just said that he would be home when he was ready. Rachel hated it. She and Peter had been best friends since Transition Year in secondary school when he transferred from Cork.

She remembered when she first saw him in class. He walked in confidently, as if he had been in the school since first year and he belonged there. He walked up to the teacher to introduce himself and scanned the room when the teacher told him to sit down. 

Thinking that he would probably sit at the back like the rest of the guys in their year, she turned back to her work and ignored him. She was shocked when the seat next to her pulled out and a body flopped casually onto it. She looked up in surprise to see the new guy looking at her with a speculative look on his face. After a minute he held his hand out a little grin. "Peter Swift, photography extraordinaire." She had raised an eyebrow at that but shook his hand anyway. "Rachel McHale, and you're a little over-confident aren't you?" He laughed and they were practically inseparable after that.

He wasn't wrong about the photography though. He really was brilliant at it. He took a photography course in Dublin and then moved to America for six years. Now, he was finally coming back. 

Rachel quickly glanced at her watch and then over at the arrivals board. She frowned. His flight should have been here ten minutes ago but there was still no sign of life from beyond the doors.

Suddenly, there was a surge of noise from Arrivals, the doors burst open, and the fifty or so people on the flight flowed through, some stopping to greet loved ones that were waiting for them and others just filing out the doors, eager to be home. Rachel shuffled forward craning her neck and swinging her long brown hair from her eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of Peter before he spotted her. She wanted a chance to ogle him and see how much he had changed in six years. Sure she had the pictures he had sent her but she knew that a picture could never capture the spirit of a person just right, at least as far as she had tried. 

 Slowly, the numbers dwindled down until there was only one couple, whispering sweet nothings to each other as they slowly made their way from the almost empty airport. Rachel's hope was slowly fading away as she realized that nobody else would be walking out of the doors anytime soon. She was really hoping that Peter had been serious this time and she was surprised that he hadn't at least text her to tell her that he wasn't coming. She was surprised when she felt a lone tear sliding down her face.

She was just about to turn around and leave when she felt a sharp jab on her sides, just under her ribs, while a voice breathed into her ear, "Guess who?" She squealed and jumped forward, clutching where she had been tickled. She twirled around to find Peter standing there grinning sheepishly with his bags at his feet. Despite the fact that she had warned him never to tickle her again after an awkward incident in their final year at high school, Rachel could not find it in her to be mad at him. Instead she launched herself into his open arms, wrapped her arms around his neck and breathed in his familiar husky smell. He smelt of peppermint and 'Lynx Attract'. He had worn the body spray ever since she had bought him the gift set of it as a joke, saying maybe he would be able to attract a decent girlfriend for once. He teased her right back and bought her the one for girls saying that she could do the same.

"I missed you Petey", she whispered to him. 

"Missed you too Ray-Ray." he whispered back hugging her closer He had started calling her Ray-Ray during their first year of college when she had done most of the cooking for them. "My very own Rachel Ray," he had grinned. 

Rachel pulled back and smacked him on the arm. "Ow, woman! What was that for?" Peter exclaimed.

"Don't you ever, and I mean ever, do that again Peter Swift! I thought you had changed your mind and stayed in Florida without telling me." She pouted childishly. 

"I'm sorry Rachel. I just wanted to surprise you," he shrugged. 

"That's fine Peter." She pulled back and got a better look at him. "Looking good in your old age Petey." She teased.

"Old age!" he protested. "I'll have you know I'm only twenty-four." Rachel looked at him. "Twenty-six?" She raised an eyebrow. "Alright, alright, I'm twenty-eight as you very well know."

"Yes, I do. But mean it Peter, you do look good. Florida was obviously very good for you." And he did look good. His black hair was windswept from when he had walked from the plane to the terminal, his stormy grey-blue eyes were shining with happiness, his skin was a golden brown tanned colour and he seemed to have grown a couple of inches, placing him at a tall six foot, two. He was the quintessential model, if that was what he was interested in anyway.

"Thanks Rach. Now it's your turn. Spin around and let me look at you." he insisted. She looked at him bemusedly, but spun around to appease him. He whistled low in his throat as he looked her up and down. "Wow girl. You grew up! When did that happen?" he teased.

"Well that's what happens when you miss six years of someone's life Peter. You miss a lot." Rachel said, her mood dropping quickly.

"Sorry Ray-Ray." He mumbled. "Well I'm back now and I can help you find a decent boyfriend!" he grinned.

 She looked up at him in alarm. "No Peter. I said I was fine and I meant it. How about you?" She asked, trying to distract him. "Did you find anyone special over there?" 

"Now, now Rachel," he teased. "You know I'm just waiting for you to see the light!" 

"Keep dreaming Petey!" she teased right back, but her heart ached with longing as they walked out of the airport. "I know I am." She whispered to herself.

Let me know what you think please!!!!!