The Promise

five

Year 2014 - Spring - 12:30 PM

LOUIS' POINT OF VIEW

"I'll have that out to you as soon as I can. If you need anything, My name's Brianna!" our waitress paints on a fake smile and turns around to get our orders in. We're at a small bistro on the front patio downtown for lunch, the sun reflecting off our silverware.

"Aren't you SO excited to pick out centerpieces after this?" Eleanor squints from the brightness of the sun at me from across the table. The only reason we're getting lunch today is so she can bribe me into going with her to pick out wedding stuff. It's not that I minded going and keeping her company, it's more of the excitement of it all. To put it in simple terms: it's not.

"Yes, of course! Then after that I thought we could just stay on a roll and get our nails done!" I roll my eyes, teasingly. I smile at her across the table, happy I found somebody I could joke around like this with. I can't wait to marry her.

"Shut up," She laughs. "I'm gonna go run to the restroom; I'll be back. Don't miss me too much!" She gets up and walks past me, and into the restaurant. I look around, admiring the day. It was perfect weather today- sunny with a high of 80. I close my eyes for a second, taking in the spring air.

"Louis?"

I open my eyes, confused. That definitely wasn't Eleanor's voice. I turn around to see a girl with a short blonde pixie cut and big brown eyes looking my way. She looks so familiar, yet something about her is different. She started walking towards me, shopping bags in hand.

After abruptly dropping the shopping bags to the ground, she says again, "Louis! I can't believe it's you. It's been what? Four years?" Still sitting, I stare up at her, squinting. She is so familiar, but I can't quite place her. I apparently have started to examine her for too long, because she interrupts my brain racking, "You asshole, It's me, Charlotte!" She slaps me playfully on the arm.

"Ahhhh! You look so different! I mean, not in a bad way, but you know. Different." When I knew Charlotte in high school, her hair was long and chestnut brown. She hardly wore any makeup, either. Really just an ordinary girl that didn't really stick out. Now? Now, Charlotte is standing in front of me four years later with a blonde dye-job and bright red lipstick on. I can't believe it. "How've you been? What have you been up to?" I ask.

"Well, after high school I went to college down at UCLA, just like my parents wanted. After the first semester, I hated it so much that I dropped out," she smiles, nervously. "Then, I moved to San Francisco and went to the Art Institute to study photography." Her eyes glimmer with the words, and I'm glad to see it. Ordinary Charlotte did something extraordinary. "I moved back to town about six months ago to start my own business. What about you?"

"Damn! Your story's gonna be a lot more interesting, but I'll just try to follow that up," She giggles. "I went to college at Sacramento State, got my degree, and went to work as an accountant at a law firm a couple of miles outside of town." I shrug. I warned her it was boring.

"How're you and Lydia? I miss her! We're both terrible at keeping in touch. I don't think we've spoken since graduation." She bites her lip out of embarrassment.

I nearly drop my glass of water I was sipping from onto the concrete. She must've not been kidding about not speaking to her since graduation. I quickly try to cover up my almost-spill and set my glass down on the wooden table, smoothing down my white tee shirt.

"Um, we're um," I start, but get interrupted by a gasp from her.

Charlotte covers her mouth with her hands and says, "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have asked. I'm such an idiot. Maybe I should actually get a Facebook account so I'll know these types of things next time I run into somebody," She laughs nervously.

"No, really it's fine. I'm actually engaged," I tell her. "She's in the ladies' room right now, actually."

"Aw, Louis, I'm so happy for you! I'm glad to know you're happy."

"Same goes to you! It was great seeing you, Charlotte, really," I tell her, and mean it.

She picks up her shopping bags. "See you around, Lou."

"Yeah, you too!" I called after her.

Eleanor walks out of the restaurant, and past Charlotte, giving her a polite smile. Charlotte turns around to me and mouths, "Her?" and I nod. She makes the OK symbol with her hand and turns back on her way.

I'm still kind of in shock that she assumed I was still with Lydia. It had been four years. Four years is a long time. I've been with Eleanor for two of those years. I frown, remembering the two years prior to meeting her.

"Everything okay?" Eleanor looks to me, sipping from her water with a look of worry on her face.

"Yeah, just thinking is all."

---

LYDIA'S POINT OF VIEW

Year 2014 - Spring - 1 PM

At long last, Saturday. I vowed to do absolutely nothing important today. I had plenty of food at home and plenty of books to read, so what's the point in leaving? Sophia left earlier after spending the night last night, and I was looking forward to being alone all day.

I brew a fresh cup of coffee and sit down on the couch, pulling the blanket onto my lap. I grab The Catcher in the Rye off the endtable and begin to read. I'm so excited to get lost in Holden Caulfield's mind instead of my own.

I get a few chapters knocked out when my phone starts to ring. Annoyed, I place the book back on the endtable and replace it with my phone.

It's an unknown number.

I think about answering it, but decide against it. I didn't want to disrupt my day specifically for relaxation. Maybe I'll call whoever it is back later. For now, I switch my phone to silent and pick my book back up.

-

I look up from my book, startled by my stomach growling. It's nearly 2 PM and I haven't eaten at all today. I place my book upside down to my left on the couch and get up to scrounge the kitchen for lunch.

Opening the refridgerator, I realize now that I was mistaken in thinking I had plenty of food. I push aside the carton of milk, hoping it's blocking some kind of leftover.

"Damn," I mutter to myself. No such luck. I go over my options in my head. I could try to whip something up really quick.. But that would take away valuable relaxation time. I decide to call the bistro downtown and place an order for pick up.

After calling, I head to the back of the house to my bedroom and hurridly grab some jeans and a sweatshirt. I run to the bathroom across the hall and braid my hair, quickly. This is no time to get fancy. I'm starving.

I slip on some tennis shoes, grab my phone from the end table and head out to my car.

Parking on the side of the road, I hop out of my car to quickly run in and grab my food. I take a look around at the diners sitting on the front patio. Man, this place is always packed every Saturday, I think to myself. I look further and see the back of a familiar head of hair. I quickly look away when I realize who it is.

Louis.

I glace back over quickly, keeping my head down and see that he's with a woman- the same woman from Starbucks last week, Eleanor.

His fiance.

I watch for a second, as she throws her head back with laughter and he grabs her hand over the table. I suddenly feel sick to my stomach and look away. I walk straight into the restaurant, grab my order, and practically run to my car to leave.

I squeal my tires pulling out and hurry to get home, speeding around the endless streets of downtown Citrus Heights. I attempt to take long, deep breaths but end up nearly choking myself and have a coughing fit.

I don't think I can go to this wedding.

I don't think I can keep our promise.