Crystal Corde

Meeting

I flinch at the loud thud the door makes as it closes. I breathe out a sigh of relief, my heart still pounding from the lie I just told. But... what else could I have done? This way makes everyone happy, Courtney gets to hang out with me, Raven won't be upset, and I can talk to Courtney and get Raven's notebook back. Yes, this is the right thing to do...

I sigh and decide to clean off my coffee table of all my papers, sliding them all into one pile and stuffing them into a folder. I pick up the now empty tea mugs and bring them to the kitchen, throwing out the tea bags and putting the mugs in the sink.

I look at the clock and see that I still have fifteen minutes until I have to meet Courtney. "That should be enough time to get to the station," I say aloud. I go to my room and put on my black leather jacket and my short, red boots. I grab my purse from where it hangs on my bedpost, and throw in my wallet, my phone, a pack of gum, and my lip balm into it.

I leave my apartment and close the door but immediately pause, "Crap I forgot my keys," I angrily mutter, opening the door again. I run in and grab them from the coffee table in the living room, immediately pocketing them. I run back out, closing the door softly and locking it. I lean against my door and sigh again. I guess I'm really going through with this... I hope everything goes well.

I peel myself away from the cold metal door, testing the handle once more to make sure it locked properly. I run down the metal stairs, each of my footsteps making a quick clacking sound. After I hit the ground, I begin to walk in the direction of the station, which is the same way as school. As I walk, I notice that the streets and the roads are quiet, as school got out a while ago and most jobs probably don't end until six.

The quiet is nice, though, it makes the town seem beautiful, especially in the setting sun's light. I close my eyes and breathe in the cold crisp air, taking in the tranquility of this scene. I feel so free and unstressed right now, and for a moment I forget about my current problems, but as soon as they disappear in my mind, they return.

I take out my phone and see that I've been walking for five minutes already, only ten more minutes until five. If I don't hurry I'll be late.

I walk for another six minutes in a faster pace before I arrive at the station. When I look around I don't see Courtney but a vending machine catches my eye. I smack my mouth feeling that it's dry so I walk to it to get a drink. I take out a dollar bill and two quarters, putting them into the machine. "Hmm what do I want..." I hum as I scan the options.

I click the button for a bottle of iced tea, the machine shakes a little, and a bottle iced tea comes out in the bottom with a thud. I bend over to pick it up, and as I stand back up, a hand touches my shoulder, which startles me. I juggle the bottle around a little before I firmly grasp it again and I turn around to find Courtney standing there, a gentle smile on her face. "Oh, hi Courtney," I say with a small wave.

She waves back, "hey Addie."

We stand in silence for a few seconds, not knowing what else to say to each other. I break the silence, asking, "so where are we gonna go now?"

"I thought that we could go watch a movie in the theatre two blocks from here."

"Oh, so we're not taking a train?" I ask, turning towards the trains.

"No, this was more of just a meeting place. Come on let's go." I glance at her from over my shoulder and see that she is already walking away; I quickly turn on my toes and catch up to her, walking beside her. I open my bottle and take a sip from it, finally relieved of my thirst. I take another sip and see Courtney staring strangely at the bottle, the look almost sad.

"Want a sip?" I ask her shyly.

My words seem to snap her out of a deep thought, "no, it's ok, I don't particularly like tea. It's just that I don't think I've ever seen that brand before," she says as she shakes her head and waves her hand, with her normal smile and an awkward laugh.