Lasting Love

Hello Again

"Jen?" I heard my name being called from behind me as I sat, lonely, on a deserted beach. "Oh my, I can't believe it's been over 5 years since I saw Jennifer Aniston!" I recognise his voice all but too well. "I can't believe it's been about 12 years since we've had a proper conversation!" He continues to say.

I turn round to see my teenage love. "Justin" the first smile in weeks appears on my face. "How are you?" He asks, sympathetically, sitting down besides me. "I heard about the divorce, as did the rest of the world. It's ridiculous how much people do to get any information about your life!" He admits, astounded.

"Yeah" I whisper, turning back around to look out across the sea as the waves come crashing forward. The water flowing gently back into the sea before a strong force pushes it towards the shore. Increasing speed at a rapid pace before tumbling over and falling with might to the sharp sand below. Repeating the process over and over again. Pretty much how my life has been in the more resent past.

"It's just... I used to have things to look forward to: A life to look forward too. But now..." I try to explain the way my life is changing. "A year ago, I was happy. I had the perfect job, working with the perfect friends. I thought I had a perfect marriage to the perfect guy -or at least to the guy the world seemingly believed was perfect. I guess I was clearly wrong about that though, huh!? I thought we were going to move forward and start a family but that never worked out for us. He lost interest. Not only to our marriage but to me and everything in my life. He drifted away and gave up on us and all that we were. He cheated and ruined it!" I murmur, upset with not just Brad, but at myself for not sorting it out.

Justin half wraps his arm around me as he begins to softly stroke my back in a soothing manner. "If this was to happen a few years ago and not now, then I think it would've been easier! I would still have my work and still have my friends to look forward to seeing everyday. I'd be able to get up, drive to the Warner Brothers Studio, 3rd street, stage 24 and have some happiness. I'd have the fun and joy of working with my best friends and them making me laugh. I would have the people that have formed me and be around them everyday for the support and it wouldn't be so lonely.

I would still have a life!" I continue to complain. "He's just great with timing isn't he!" I state with a strong sense of sarcasm in my voice. "I've been through this enough times!" My voice all small as I slump my head onto my arms that lay upon my tucked in knees.

"Brad... Tate..." I look up at Justin, "You!" Our gazes locking together like Velcro. I look back in front of me after seeing his face drown into a sorrowful frown. "I- I'm sorry about that! I am! But we both wanted different things at the time. And in different places from each other!" I hear his voice shake and crack from the memory. "I know." I whisper in a very gentle voice.

We sit in a hushed silence for many extending moments. Both of us looking out to the empty sea. The ocean waves still going in the never-ending pattern of disappointment. Crashing to the shore. Creeping back to the worlds pool. Stumbling on the sand. Sneaking back to the sea. Sprinting to the land. Falling back to the oceans. Over and over and over again and again and again.

Non-stop.

Forever.

Always.

Justin then says something else that brings my attention back to the real world and away from the nothingness that seems to fill my mind more often now. "I miss you!" His voice was sad, but friendly. It made me feel more safe in this world that takes every opertunity to put you down to your lowest. "I miss how close we were!" He continues to say as I look up at him again.

"I miss it too!" I half smile as I fall into the side of Justin's body. Wraping my arms around his waist as he places his arm around my shoulders. I let out a long breath in the length of a sigh. I rest my head on his shoulder as it still fits into the gap in his neck.

Sitting in this position reminds me of a memory from roughly 16 years ago.

I sat in my back garden, at the age of just 17, thinking about how my life was changing. We had just had a small party. A gathering of close family and friends to be more specific. Justin was there with me as it was coming up to our 2 year anniversary and we've said we wanted to spend as much time together as we possibly could.

I sat on our garden swing, alone, looking up at the stars. Thinking about the way my life was in the past; the way it was then and the way it ws still changing. I never used to stress over school. I never had many plans with friends, or with Justin. My parents were happy, from what I knew anyway.

A 15 year-old only just starting to get into the serious stage of their academic life, happy with everything she endures and sees around her. -I was happy.

And then Justin and I began to get really close and would spend so much time together. Life got even better. He would help me with my homework; help me with all my school work. I would always have a smile on my face.

We would go out for meals together; go to the cinema, go swimming or do any other activity we happened to want to do at that moment in time. We were happier than ever before, together.

Then it started to get closer and closer to my big exams and I would stress over anything and everthing that I could stress about. My parents seemed to be more tense around each other. They would argue and fight more often, and it was then that they decide to tell me they were getting a divorce.

People had started to clear out of the house, after the last party this family would have together. Instead of saying goodbye, I stayed seated on the swing, staring out into the trees ahead as they battled each other in the wind.

With the wind struggling to depart from the angry towers and their branches non-stop attempt to whack the neighbouring statues of nature, I listened to the calming sounds and just let my thoughts over run in my mind. What would my life change into once all of the current drama fades? Who would I be at the end of it?

I altered my gaze over to the figure aproaching me from the door of the house. "I was wondering where you disapeared off to!" Justin offered a warm smile as he sat down beside me.

We spoke for hours that night. He comforted me and I rested there, with my head balanced in the gap of his neck. I was contempt with the love we shared and hoped that we wouldn't end the same way as my parents did that night. I loved him too much to wish anything similar to us.

Please vote, comment and share with others! Hope y'all like it :) ~Lisa and Mari