The Soulmate Selection

05.

::

"Let's toast." Ira offered, holding up her glass. She glanced between Damien and I, both of us reluctantly going with the flow. Satisfied, she smiled, "Three's a party after all."

I held back a snarky comment of my own, "Indeed, it is." A party with the two people I never expected to meet again. The mood in the air was heavier than an oasis class cruise ship, one which I hoped she would get on and go away forever. Despite the common hatred in the air, however, we chose to act like civilised humans and exchanged cards instead of biting at each other's heads and punching each other's guts out.

Yes, we thoroughly despised each other. But it had been nine years. It was simple, neither of us wanted to appear as if we held any grudges so the first one to drop faces would lose. From there on out, it was a battle of wits. Damien on the other hand excused himself for a little while.

She glanced at my card briefly, an extraterrestrial sweet smile on her lips, "You're a lawyer now? How lovely. You really did make it big, Eleanor!"

Her exclaim of wonder amazed me. Was she that happy I was successful now? Did we really have to go this far to keep a facade? I realised, I no longer had to play her game. The past had passed and her sickenly sweetness made me laugh.

"Of course," I answered like it had been obvious. "I always did well in school, after all."

Ira seemed to be expecting a compliment back but was taken off guard by my matter-of-fact reply. Scoffing slightly, she answered, "You haven't lost your snarkiness, it seems, Eleanor." She tried to laugh off her embarrassment.

"Maybe," I spoke shrugging, "But what about you? I never expected you to go into journalism."

"Ah, yes." Her eyes dropped to the rim of her glass and the blue clear liquid floating in there, "I was searching for new career choices after gymnastics ended anyway. So, why not journalism?"

Ira had been a bubbling new gymnast when we were eighteen. Trying out for the national Olympic team, Ira had been everyone's glowing star. It only took one injury for the sweet all-loving Ira to turn into the monster I remembered her as.

The damage had been huge and for a second I felt sorry for her. "Ira I-" I started in an apologetic tone before she cut me off.

"I report sports news, now." She looked up, smiling to show that it was all okay now and that I needn't bring it up anymore. Watching my reaction, she rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, Eleanor. You're the last person I want sympathy from. After all, weren't you the one who followed Damien everywhere when he was my boyfriend?"

Her statement marked the end of my sympathy. Of course, people don't change. What was I expecting? Ira would never turn over a new leaf, even if it was offered to her on a golden platter with diamonds embedded in it. She made me furious, her unchanging guilt-free personality that found humour in hurting to hide her pain.

I had tried to understand her in the past but I knew that it was of no use. Ira Evans didn't want to be understood. No. Her hollow soul found pleasure in feeding off of other's misery.

I sighed, "Of course. Who am I to offer sympathy to the royal highness of evil?" I murmured, taking a sip of my drink. "I'd need a whole new pair of boobs to keep up with that kind of plasticity."

"How dare you?!" She exclaimed, growing pink. Perhaps she had heard me. I grinned. Oops. I was afraid. Ira placed her glass down on the bar top quite heavily, spilling a little in the process. "Like I'd ever associate myself with the likes of you filth. I humoured you a few seconds of my time because of our past but you come to bite me in the back?"