In real life

Until we meet again

Julia kissed me fiercely. Her soft lips pressed hard against mine, but it only lasted a brief second before she pulled away. She was a little out of breath and her eyes were huge. "I can´t believe I just did that", she mumbled. Neither could I. You could expect a lot from Julia, but this? I could never have seen this one coming. The shock I was feeling most have shown on my face cause Julia suddenly got up from the couch and backed away from me. "I´m sorry", she said. She turned around and quickly started to exit the living room.

She had gotten all the way to the front door when I finally was able to push myself out of the shock and get up from the couch. "Julia!" I called and ran out of the living room to catch up with her. I found her standing with one hand on the doorknob, facing away from me. Even from behind I could see that she was crying, her whole body was shaking. "Julia…" I whispered. She turned around and looked at me. Her face was wet and her pale green eyes were bloodshot. "You don´t have to say anything Taylor", she said, her voice thick with tears. "I know that what I did was dumb. I don´t know what I was thinking. I guess that the thought of not getting to kiss you at least once before you leave was just too much, even if I know that you don´t feel the same way. I realize now that I was stupid." Her eyes left mine and looked down at her feet. "Stupid", she muttered again and kicked away a shoe that was lying on the floor.

I went over to her and put a hand on her chin, forcing her to look me in the eye. "I don´t think you were stupid", I said. "I think you were brave. You had the courage to tell me how you really feel, and I admire you for that." Julia shook her head. "It doesn´t matter", she said. "You still don´t feel the same way, right?" I looked her in the eye. What I was about to say would be painful, but it was necessary. I couldn´t lie to her. "No", I whispered, "I don´t." She nodded. "That was what I thought."

We just stood there for a while, a thick silence filling the air between us. At last I was the one to break it. "What you said earlier", I said, "about me leaving. I don´t have to do it you know. I don´t have to leave. I could stay here, we could sort things out between us." Julia gave me a sad smile. "No Taylor", she said, "you have to go. Chad and his gang mean business, you aren´t safe here anymore. And even if you did stay it wouldn´t help us to sort things out, cause I´m leaving too." I looked at her in confusion. "You are leaving? Why?" "As soon as Chad finds out that I was the one who knocked him out in the ally and that I have told you that he still isn´t done with you I won´t be safe here either. I need to get away, just like you." She turned her head away from me and looked out of the window. "To be honest it is going to be kind of a relief to get away from here", she said. "I think L.A. never was the place for me really." "Do you know where you are going?" I asked her. She shook her head. "The only thing I know is that it´s going to be some place far away from here." "I hope that you´ll be happy, wherever you end up." I said. She looked away from the window and gave me a small smile. "I hope so too."

After that Julia decided it was time for her to go. She opened the door and walked out in the chilly evening air, but before she left she turned around and gave me a serious look. "I´m leaving tonight", she said, "and if you are smart you are going to do the same. I don´t know how much time you have before Chad and the others decide to strike again. You need to get out of here as soon a possible." I nodded and Julia looked relieved. "Good", she said. We stood in silence for a while. 

"So I guess this is a goodbye then", I said after a couple of minutes. Julia nodded. The air around us felt heavy, like the sadness of the whole situation was weighing it down. "When am I going to see you again?" I asked. "I don´t know", Julia said. "Sometime." I smiled and said: "I guess we just need to hold on to that thought, until we meet again." Julia smiled back. "Until we meet again."