Summer [Completed]

Chapter Two

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Moving Day
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nos·tal·gia

   noun

              1. a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.
  

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I walk into our small dorm to find Kelly sitting on my bed reading a magazine.

Why she insists on sitting on my bed as opposed to her identical twin bed is a mystery to me.

She looks up when I close the door, and puts down the magazine, smiling.

“So, did ya do it?”

I nod my head and she immediately climbs off the bed and wraps me in tight hug. I shrug her off.

“You don't have to do this, I'm okay.”

She pulls away, holding her hands up in surrender. “Alright. Alright.” I watch as her brown eyes study me curiously. “You sure? I mean two years is kind of a long time.”

“One and a half.”

“Huh?”

I slip off my sandals. “It was a year and a half. Not two years.”

“Oh,” Kelly looks at me with wide eyes. “My bad.”

I shrug, plopping down on my mattress. “It's not that big a deal.” My eyes stay trained on the nail polish stain on the hardwood.

I feel the mattress sink beside me as Kelly takes a seat, wrapping her arms around my shoulders and leaning in to me. “I'm really proud of you Mani. It takes a lot of courage to do what you did today. ”

I smile a tight-lipped smile.

“If I'm being honest I don't think I could do something like that. Mainly because I don't think I could do a relationship for that long. I mean don't get me wrong, if the right guy came along I'd probably go for it, but right now I don't think—” She stops her rambling when notices my rapid blinking as I silently fight the urge to cry.

I thought I was happy, and I was initially, but Kelly was right. Two years was a long time, and it was all for nothing.

My bottom lip begins to quiver and I bite it lightly, slowly closing my eyes.

Then the tears come.

They start slow, hot and salty as they run down my cheeks, but soon the flow freely.

Kelly's long arms wrap tigher around my body. “Shh,” she coos as I sob, “It's okay. Two years is a long time.”

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“I'm really gonna miss living with you Kells.” I take a slice of my favorite type of pizza: pepperoni and bacon.

We wanted to splurge and celebrate the start of summer, but pizza was the only thing we could afford.

So we sit, surrounded by a sea of boxes and celebrate our last night rooming together.

Kelly takes a third slice of her vegetarian pizza and frowns. “Aww Mani, why'd you have to remind me.”

I look around the room and raise an eyebrow, “Girl how could you forget? You're literally resting your feet on a box right now.”