The Smile Always Fades

25. Until We Meet Again

Anna woke up and looked at the time on her cell phone. "Crap," she exclaimed out loud. "Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap. I'm late!!"

A groggy version of Cassy's voice spoke up and yawned, "What's going on, Anna? Go back to sleep."

"My flight leaves in an hour and a half!" Anna jumped out of her sleeping bag and ambled over to her suitcase. She threw on an old t-shirt and shucked on a pair of faded blue jeans. She ran into the hallway bathroom and took a look at herself in the mirror. Yikes. She patted down and brushed her hair with her fingers and wiped her face with the back of her palms. That would have to do.

She came back into Cassy's room and started rolling up her sleeping bag. Thank goodness, I packed everything up last night, she thought to herself.

"Don't worry, Anna," Cassy said calm and comfortingly. "My dad is always rushing around because he's afraid that he has no time to get to the airport, but don't worry, he makes it every time."

Anna looked up from her messily rolled sleeping area. "Thanks," she said with a puff of a sigh. "So where is your dad anyway, cuz I really do need to get to the airport...pronto!"

As if he could hear the girls speaking to one another, Mr. Stevens walked into Cassy's bedroom. "You know your flight--"

"Yeah, we gotta go," Anna said with a sinking feeling in her gut. I have no time to spare.

Mr. Stevens nodded, grabbed her bags, and walked out of the room.

Anna turned to Cassy who was still laying underneath her fluffy covers. "I had such a good time with you, Cassy. I'm so glad that I came." She walked over to her friend's side of the bed. "Don't forget to keep in touch." Anna gave her a big hug.

"I miss you already," Cassy whispered.

Anna stood back and smiled with tears in her eyes. "Well, we said our goodbyes last night, right? So I'm just gonna..." She looked at her friend and waved. "I'll call you, I promise."

"Okay, I'm keeping you to that."

"Bye, Cassy," Anna said while making her way out of Cassy's room.

"See ya later, Annabell!"

Anna looked back one last time and laughed cheerily. "See ya."

Anna had made it to the airport on time, thanks to Mr. Stevens. The second they got into the taxi cab, he slipped the driver a couple extra bills to make their trek to the terminal a bit shorter.

"Goodbye, Anna. I hope you have a safe flight."

"Thanks, and thank you for letting me stay with you for the week," she said graciously.

"It was our pleasure. We haven't seen Cassy that happy for a while."

"I haven't been this happy for a while, so it must have been good for the both of us," Anna said honestly. "It meant a lot to me to see her."

It then hit Anna that just a week ago, her and Cassy's father were standing in this same spot, talking about the same person, but at that time, Anna had been petrified as to what lay in store; now she was grateful for the time she got to spend in New York, with a best friend that she hadn't seen a while, and this time, Anna was sad to go.

"Call us once you get home, alright?"

"I will. I better go," she said, looking toward the airport's doors. "I don't want to be late."

"No, I suppose you wouldn't. It was good seeing you, Anna."

"You too, Mr. Stevens."

Much to Anna's surprise, he reached out to her and enveloped her in a big bear hug. He must have really been thankful that she had come. Anna pulled away and took her bags out of the trunk of the taxi. "Goodbye," she called back when she was at the entrance.