Mallory

The little New York apartment was an absolute pain to pack. Everything was cluttered and out of place. The only good thing was that some things were still in the boxes. She knew she was going to go back to California, but part of her really fell in love with New York...How everything seemed awake all the time.

She played her music loud and tried to make packing fun. It was Thursday and she would be leaving probably that weekend. She could see her family in LA then go back to her apartment and see Chris. Part of her wondered what his house would look like. Probably huge with tennis courts and three swimming pools.

The sun was going down and she opened her windows. The city skyline lit up and she stared at it for awhile. The sounds of taxis and ambulances and music filled her ears. She imagined Central Park again, and crying. She felt stupid for doing that, but then again you can't always control what you feel.

The kitchen was the worst thing to pack. She wrapped all her dishes and mugs in bubble wrap then searched for boxes. She looked at the table and found one under Catcher in the Rye. She smiled when she thought of Chris reading it, feeling all the same things she did. She picked it up and grabbed the box. She sang along with her loud music and continued to pack until the early hours of the morning. Finally she dozed off on the couch wrapped in the soft blanket like the other night.

~

Her phone rang loudly and startled her. She jumped up and grabbed it off the coffee table, squinting at the bright screen. It was Chris, naturally.

"Hello?"

"Mals are you okay?" His voice sounded concerned.

"Yes I'm fine, why?"

"You haven't answered my text all day."

"Oh I'm sorry I was sleeping."

"Mals, I sent that Friday."

"What do you mean 'Friday'?"

"It's Saturday now." He chuckled lightly, trying to cover the concern.

"WHAT?!" Mallory looked at her phone screen. Sure enough it was Saturday night. She slept all through Friday and the majority of today.

"Yeah."

"How did I do that? I mean, I went to bed at three o' clock Friday morning. I shouldn't have slept that long!"

"I guess you were just tired."

"I suppose." She didn't know what else to say. Part of her was worried for sleeping so much. Maybe she contracted mono, but then again, she has been having fatigue problems for awhile now.

"I leave in the morning."

She felt a ping in her heart. She slept too long when she could be seeing Chris.

"Oh."

"Yeah. Do you want to go grab a bite to eat?" He was so nice to her.

"I'm not really hungry but I'll go with you."

"How can you not be hungry! You slept through like, six meals!" He laughed.

"I have no clue. Anyways I'll go get ready. See you in a bit!"

"Ok! Bye Mals!" He hung up.

Mallory got up and stretched. Her body ached slightly as she began to move around in the dark. She found her room and turned on the lamp. Her bed was calling her name but she couldn't sleep now. She looked in the mirror and saw she was wearing sweats and a shirt. She changed into shorts and put on a clean shirt and her blue chucks. She threw her hair up in a pony tail and touched up her eye makeup. She yawned and waited for Chris in the kitchen.

The majority was packed. She could finish the rest tonight then head out tomorrow or Monday. She wrote on a sticky note to call the movers then put it on the front door. Then she went and closed the windows and sat at the table. She picked up a book and looked at it. She thought about everything: about Chris, reading, her career. What would she do when she gets back to California? The director of the Avengers said he would keep her for future movies like Captain America: The Winter Soldier. If her and Chris ever did break up, how would she handle that? She didn't want to, but just what if? It would make things incredibly awkward between them. She disregarded the thought when she heard a knock on her door. She got up and opened it.

Chris smiled. "Hey Mals! Ready?"

She nodded and stepped out, closing the door behind her. They walked together in silence for a minute.

"So where are we going to eat?"

"Um, I don't know. Panda Express?"

"You and Chinese food." She laughed. "How about we try some New York cuisine? Since you're leaving tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan!"

They walked on and on until they finally picked a little pizza palace. He ate outside on the patio, and she sat across and watched him. The pizza looked amazing, but the thought of eating something made her stomach upset. So, she stuck to water.

"Are you excited to go back to California?" She asked to keep the conversation going.

"Yeah! When are you coming out?"

"Um I don't know. Tomorrow or Monday."

"You pack incredibly fast." He smiled behind the piece of pizza.

"Thanks." She laughed and looked around. The city was still awake even at such a late hour.

"Mals what's wrong? You seem quiet."

"I don't know. I'm going to miss this place."

"Me too. We can come back and visit though."

We. That rattled in her head. He saw a future with her in it. Her heart warmed up and she nodded.

"Yes we definitely should. And visit Central Park and Brooklyn and all the landmarks."

"Yes! And Coney Island!"

"Oh yes I would love to go there!!" She smiled. Things eased up a bit.

When Chris finished they walked back to her apartment and watched the city from her small balcony. Eventually Chris left, hugging Mals and telling her to text him back. (Of course, he winked.) Mallory agreed and closed the door after him and resumed staring at the city. The lights shined brightly against the black sky. The sounds rang in the air. Too bad she would be leaving it soon.