Time of My Life (TOML)

Chapter 2

Heads up; this chapter isn't the best because I wrote it with many interruptions which is also why I had to cut it short :(

The glistening salty water trailed down her damp rosy cheek as she easily set foot after foot running on the treadmill. Her fingers scrolled through her playlist and tapped on a good Spanish song to encourage her willingness to workout even further into the morning.

What better way to spend my last day before I fly off to Honolulu than breaking a sweat with Tina in her parent's gym. Her parents are comfortable with enough money to decrease their financial burden you could say, they're rich, nothing extremely but for one thing, they're always working which is one of the reasons why Tina is not particularly close to them. Instead even when they're home, Tina prefers to go for a run alone or catch up with her new boyfriend or her best friend, that would be me.

I settle for a break by picking up the water bottle and clenching the plastic in my hand as the cool liquid soothed my body. I dried the sweat from my forehead and neck as Tina continued.

"I'll meet you back at my place when you're done, I for one can take no more"

"Hang on, I'll head back with you. Mum's coming home in an hour."

"You should really try and spend more time with them. You'll regret it later."

She focused on fixing her laces again and didn't bother replying to me but I knew she was still thinking it through. It was mostly a dead end when it came to her parents. I barely ever see them, I guess most teenagers would willingly take her place as well, to have so much freedom but I don't think I'd trade my relationship with my parents for anything, despite the fact that they're willing to send me 4000 miles away on a risky flight.

We cycled a few streets down to my house and started going through my suitcase one last time to make sure I had all the necessary items, I would have been less doubtful if Tina hadn't dumped my luggage upside down a few days ago to empty out all my "trash clothing" and replacing it with ONLY the small pile of new outfits that mum and Tina herself had bought me from the mall recently. It was hard to get a clear image of what was really in the suitcase as of all the clothes and essential toiletries Tina had put together messily.

"This isn't my honeymoon, you don't have to plan out all my outfits" I had told her.

"What's the difference? You have sex both ways" Was her reply.

She had only decided to help me neaten it up after lurking around my room, either hanging upside down from the edge of my bed or playing with my old radio as she spun in my chair repeatedly. "This is hard work" She said.

I glared at her through narrowed eyes, "You don't say"

"What?" She looked at me without the slightest hint of guilt in her eyes.

"Just help me finish at least"

A while later we were lounging around my room playing video games and eating pizza when mom barged in and said "Is everything ready, dear? We can still go to the mall if you're missing anything, dad called the airline sponsor and the hotel you'll be staying at one last time to make sure everything's set. Are you feeling okay? You look a little pale, if you aren't, it's okay to turn back. I'm sorry if I was pushing you a bit to go on the trip these past few days, I just wanted you to try out something different before senior year. Maybe it isn't the best idea that I send you 4000 miles away and all alone. I mean what if something happens-"

"Mom," I yearn.

I hear Tina stifle a laugh "Mrs. Taylor, it's alright. There's nothing to worry about, Tommy's suitcase is in the corner all set and ready to go." Tina bounces off and gives mom a hug from the side, who in turn hugs her back with a bright smile that wrinkled the edges of her lips.

"Guess it's just you and me now Mrs. Wilson" Tina sighs jokingly.

"Well no, it''s just her and dad, remember? You're going to have to find someone else to buy you're lazy ass food while I'm in Hawaii."

"Nonsense, Tina's welcome here any time."

"Besides, I have other friends!"

"Those womanisers you hang around aren't worthy to be called friends"

She stuck out her tongue at me in response.

"Real mature"

"Just tell me if you start second guessing anything" With that she shut the door behind her.

"How much time is left?"

"The flight is around 10, we have time" I watched as the seconds hand turned endlessly around the clock showing that it was as of now 7:22.

"Roof?"

We were staring at the dark grey clouds transitioning into, what was previously a clear blue sky, like puffs of smoke. The birds swayed their wings in the chilly air gracefully as I closed my eyes, focusing on the sounds of the crickets steadily getting louder. The air wind brushed my hair messy and left a tingling sensation on my burnt skin from the heat of Houston. I wondered what it was like to be as free like the owl in the tree a few feet away. It sat silently gazing at it's view much like ourselves, yet it looked so satisfied with itself all alone and independent. It was just a thought but I was snapped out of it when a drop of water fell heavy on my lower lips, involuntarily I pressed them both together and licked my lips. I looked further up into the darkening sky and saw the salty drops of rain water increase by time. I wanted to stay here, free from all troubling thoughts of new experiences, bad experiences, happy moments that will always end and which one my trip to Hawaii would be but I found my mind drifting their ever so often. Tina sat up and looked over to me, "Stop"

"What?"

"Thinking"

"I-"

"No, I know you. I know you want to stop over thinking this trip but you're just seconds away from these small thoughts to soon drowning in a sea of them, then you'll tell your mum you're second guessing and the next day you'll see the both of us eating ice cream in my room as you feel bad about yourself so stop now before it's too late."

I sigh, "Then I think it's time"

She looks at her watch and pressed her lips together, nodding her head to confirm what I said. She adjusted her yellow blouse and stood up, holding a hand out for me, I let her pull me up as we made our way to dad's red Audi with me strolling my mint green suitcase in my salmon coloured button up and white shorts. My family makes weird choices most of the time, that shouldn't be surprising by now, but in that moment I felt like we were on our way to the circus. Tina squeezed my hand and sent a pouting look as she sat beside me, I smile at her "I'll be back soon"