An (Un)Suspected Visitor -10-
Meeeeehhhhhhh...I'm having writer's block...or maybe not writer's block, but just lack of drive. I have some writing juice left in me, but I just can't seem to use it right. Hehehe. It might be from so much stress right now. I just want school to be over so I can be lazy and just sleep all day. :D
So, I think this will be the last CHAPTER. That's not saying that there's no epilogue(s) in the works. Cuz believe me...I have some written for THAT.
Is it weird that I'm having trouble writing the ending but I have no problem writing the epilogue? Everything I seem to start for this chapter seems to end up in the epilogue...well see what happens this time around. After all, third time's the charm ;]
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I lied on the pool chair trying to soak up some sun. The inside of my eyelids burned red even with my sunglasses on. Abruptly, things suddenly got darker. I lifted my sunglasses off my face and opened my eyes. I saw Jace standing over me with an indifferent look on his face.
"Yes?" I asked him.
"My brain hurts," he said simply.
I sighed and sat up. Looking down on my body, I saw that I got slightly tanner after lying under the sun in a teal bikini for a little less that an hour. I averted my gaze to the pool chair beside mine where Jace had been sitting while I just enjoyed some rays.
"Did you even open that economics book?" I asked him with one eyebrow raised.
He groaned. "I just finished the finance book you gave me. Can't I take a break?" he whined.
"No, you can't," I said sternly. "You leave in two weeks for Europe and your dad expects you to have a strong, slightly above average knowledge in all these areas. Now, that's my responsibility. You need to learn, then we review. So do as I told you; read out loud, take notes along the way, then, when you finish, read the notes and see if the keywords you wrote down on the paper trigger basic understanding about each key point. If they don't," I paused then shrugged, "then that means you're not doing it correctly."
He groaned and flopped down on his pool chair.
"These are whole textbooks you are talking about!" he said.
"They are generalized textbooks. Much more simpler than books they use in college," I told him.
"Simpler?!" he exclaimed. "They're just as heavy!"
I rolled my eyes at him. "They have so many authors writing these textbooks that you're reading that those authors have to barely scratch the surface so that the text looks like it flows. They have to be generalized so that all their work can be stitched together and they can be paid. Stop whining and get to reading."
He ran his hands over his face and groaned, but sat down again and opened the book.
"There you go," I told him with a smile. I just got a glare in response.
As I lied back down, I couldn't help but look at the direction my life was taking. I was done with high school and beginning the rest of my life. Despite the fact that I was going to college in a couple of months and technically still going to school, I am at the beginning of a very rocky road that will hopefully even out in the long run. In just a few years, I have to be ready to handle everything-the traveling, the problems that always seem to be there, the weight of so many things on my shoulders. I can't help but feel both excited and scared of the prospect of having to stand on my own as a leader and a person. Can I ever learn to be sure of myself? Or will I always second-guess every decision I make?
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.: Two Weeks Later :.
I stood by the check-in counter of the airport, leaning against the hard plastic, watching as Jace handed them his passport and did all the things they asked for. As usual, my entourage was there. Some were spread out amongst the many travelers while a couple lingered within a few feet of me. Jace finally turned to me and sent me a sad smile. We were parting.
He grabbed his carry-on and began walking away from the check-in counter and towards the general direction of the security checkpoint, which I would no longer be allowed to pass. He paused by a cluster of chairs a few yards from the checkpoint and dropped his carry-on unceremoniously on a chair. Turning towards me, he offered me his wide-open arms. My vision was blurry from the tears that were surely glistening in my eyes. I forcefully wrapped my arms around his waist and buried my face in his chest.
It was hard to grasp that he was leaving. For more than half a year now, we had both been living the same lives, our fates almost identical. Now, I'm left with the American market of the business and he was going to handle the European part. I can't help but be both grateful for his departure (because it means that I can focus more on myself) and sad about no longer having him a drive away.
"I'm going to miss you," I mumbled into his shirt.
"Same here, Kay," he whispered in my ear. His arms were wrapped tightly around my shoulders. "You've become one of my best friends."
I laughed into his shirt. "Who would have thought that when I first met you I wanted you out of my life in an instant and now, I can't stand you leaving?"
"Yeah, things can be pretty ironic when you look back on them," he said. "I'll visit you when I can. I promise."
I finally pulled away from him and looked up into his eyes, offering him a weak smile. He really had become my best friend and, at times, so much more. I truly felt that this definitely wasn't the last time we would be together-take it in any context you like.
"I got you something," I told him with a chuckle, quickly wiping my tears away with my fingers.
"What is it?" he asked excitedly. If there was one thing that I never expected from Jace, it was that he absolutely, head-over-heels loved
surprises.
I pulled out the leather-covered, rectangular device from my black hobo bag. I held it in both hands, handing it to Jace. It was smaller than a sheet of paper but not by much.
"It a touch screen Sony reader. I figured that you might need it for long flights or something. I put some of my favorite books in it and the textbooks we've went over. Don't ask me how I managed to do that, let's just say that it took a good amount of phone calls," I said, smiling.
He lifted the black leather casing as if he was opening the most delicate book and looked at the device in his hands.
"Thank you so much, Kay," he said with shining eyes.
"You're welcome. It's just a little something for putting up with me and being amazing," I told him, a few tears leaking out in farewell.
"You really have to go now, huh, Jace?"
He pulled me into a hug once more and mumbled, "I know."
He pulled away slightly, kissing my head faintly.
"I'll miss you so much, Kay," he whispered. "Goodbye, but I can assure you that we'll see each other again soon."
I left his arms and looked straight into his eyes. I felt the tears slide down my cheeks slowly.
"Bye, Jace," I said.
He started walking backwards to the security checkpoint, giving me a reassuring smile all throughout the way. Once he turned his back and faded into the crowd, I felt my heart sink. There it was. He was gone. Nothing could tell me know how long it'll be until I see him again.
I turned to my left and saw one of my bodyguards stealing glances at me inconspicuously. I gave him a small nod and saw him speak into his earpiece. Almost immediately, I saw good amount of black suited men head towards the exit of the airport. That was my cue to follow. As I walked away from the spot I hugged Jace at, I took a deep breath.
This is it.
Time to pull yourself together, I told myself.
Here comes life.
