Till Next Time | completed | currently under re-edit

24

24
The car speeds over a pothole I failed to notice.
Thump.
"Jesus!", Anastasia screeches from the backseat. I see her vigorously rubbing her temple from the rearview mirror.
She had been painting her nails in the backseat.
"Damnit!", she shouts again. "I smeared the paint all over my hand."
I laugh out loud as the overpowering smell of acetone spreads throughout.
"That shit better not be on my seat. Crack a window open."
An incoming call replaces my tracking GPS, much to my inconvenience.
Mom.
I feel like I accidentally swallowed a fist meant for my face.
"You mind if I accept this?", I ask for her permission.
"Sure, I will be quiet."
I gingerly swipe up.
"Brooklyn? It's Mom. I couldn't make time before with your grandmother not doing so well. Anyway, how are you? How is Anastasia? Where are you?"
I mentally make a note of the barraging questions so we can both hang up at the earliest.
"Anastasia and I are fine. We are almost at Orlando. How is grandmother?", I ask.
"Better. Better than before. Are you okay? Are you happy?"
My tongue freezes in place, unable to articulate words.
Why would she ask me that?
The bubble that I had been living in for weeks now ruptures in places, my reality glimpsing itself at intervals.
I fight to keep my eyes on the road, tears clouding my vision.
Don't!, the voice screams at me.
My train of thoughts is invaded after Anastasia punches at my headrest. I snap out of it.
"I am driving, Mom. I will call you back later."
We both know it is a blatant lie.
"Okay. Take care," she disconnects the call.
I heave a sigh of relief.
"I can run, but I cannot hide," I speak before the dense air inside me could crush my lungs.
"What is the equation like with her?", Ana asks.
"Dislike. A very far reaching, deep dislike," I answer, my teeth almost grinding against each other.
"Why?"
"For her silence. For her acceptance. For her defeat at her own hands every single second of every single day."
I continue, "If there is one person in the world I do not want to be like, it is my mother. Anything, but submission. Anything, but defeat."
Anastasia replies back with a deep exhale.
"Are you happy, Brooklyn?", she asks, unflinching.
"Yes," I do not even have to think about it, "I am happy and it scares me."

We stop for some food once we drive into Orlando.
"What?", Anastasia asks as she finishes sipping her drink.
I point to her half nibbled sandwich, "Food is just too good for you?"
She rolls her eyes, "Try being restricted to a wheelchair for more than two year and you'll know where your appetite goes."
"Where to today?", she asks.
"Have you ever been to Orlando before?"
"Does it look like it?"
"Then it is for me to know and you to find out."
She groans, "I fucking hate surprises."
I lean forward to ruffle her hair, she slaps my hand away.
"Sucks to be you then."

"You are taking me to Disney?", Anastasia says as we drive past the humongous gate.
"Yes." I answer fearful of her reception.
"You - are taking me - to fucking Disney World?"
"Yes!", I laugh.
Anastasia screeches from the backseat making me laugh harder.

Anastasia gets herself a cap of Minnie ears the moment she walks through security.
A Goofy costumed character jumps out at us and she squeals like a child. She almost shoves her phone in my torso, shouting, "Take a picture!"
She wraps her arms around a squatting Goofy, smiling from ear to ear.

"Do we get to go on rides today?", Anastasia asks, craning her neck and eyeing the Astro Orbiter in fervent awe.
"No, we have been driving non-stop and I intend to and implore you to rest your back."
She groans, pouting.
"But we will catch the water fountain show and watch the fireworks," I wink at her and check my watch, "There is still time. Let's go get popsicles."

I spot her watching me with a hint of mischief in her eyes. She takes the Minnie ears off after almost an hour, relieving me of the distracting thought of how her neck was supporting that heavy thing in the first place. I also miss how ridiculously cute she looked in it.
"Slide closer, will ya?", she says.
"Why?", I ask, suspicious.
"Hey! I take direct offense to that. I shuttled halfway across the country with you, we have shared beds-"
I raise my eyebrows, looking around us for any eavesdropping ears.
"-like ol' chums!", she says, loudly enough for the whole of Orlando. I shush her. She ignores it.
"Come closer!"
I carry out her orders, seemingly failing to find a way out.
She puts the Minnie ears on me and goes down in hysterics.
"Look at yourself!"
I open my front cam and cringe so hard my toes curl and I almost crush the stick of my popsicle.
Anastasia waves a Polaroid at my face and I go red in realization.
"You little witch!", I lunge for the picture as she stretches her arm as far from me as possible.
"Get rid of it!"
"No," she makes a stupid face.
"Give it to me!", I try to reach for it again, apprehensive of pushing too far and ending up hurting her without intentions.
"I think not, sir. I am going to keep this one."
I give up pursuit of it.

We make our way through the crowd of parents and tired children well past their bedtime after a chaotic day close to dropping off in their father's arms.
The fireworks show is set to begin at 10:15.
Anastasia yawns and rubs her eyes.

In the flash of a second, the sky fills up to the brim with streaks of burning crimson, yellow and orange shuttling upwards, rising together and then parting ways, each going their own direction and unfurling like flowers in spring.
The murmuring crowd falls into a hushed trance, the sleepy toddlers now wide awake and watching in wonder.
A blue aerial shell explodes lighting the sky up in blue and is immediately outshone by a green.
A cheer rises from the crowd for gay couple sharing a kiss. No one looks away, no one cares.
An unfortunate kid who couldn't keep awake gets a kiss on the back of his drooping head from his mother.
I look over at Anastasia. We both find ourselves looking at each other.
The red light from a shell radiates off of her skin and the brown of her irises a deep dark and calm ocean of secrets.
She looked like an angel no one on this planet deserves.
And yet she was here with me.

A/N: Hi, everyone! We are almost near to the end and I hope you have all been enjoying this story.
We recently hit 1.01K reads and oh boy, not a big deal but SUCH A BIG DEAL!
I also regret to announce that there will be no update on the next Thursday. I will be sitting for my finals. :(
As much as I love writing, I also enjoy studying and I want to excel in it.
Thank you for being to so patient and loving and I will see you all next week.
Till next time. ;)