Breath Of The Gods

Old friends

Luna Santiago had been a good friend of mine in high school. Her being 2 years older than me and now graduated didn't change that.

She sat across from me in a small diner located in wellington point on the east coast of queensland, wearing a white tank top covered by a black jacket. The silky looking skirt was a silvery grey and stopped at the knee. Her long, black hair was falling freely over her shoulders and down to her waist, the ends being so curly you could make out the shapes of moons. Her perfectly shaped face, not to thin but still thin enough to show cheek bones, is completely make up free. But despite her familiar appearance i cant help but feel like somethimg is diffrent. That something had changed since the kast time i had seen her.

The first time i met her i was in grade 8 and her in grade 10, i immediately put her in the category of a 'mean girl'. After a little bit of chasing and convincing on her end, i let down my walls and we settled in as friends. Now, 4 years later, our friendship is still going strong.

We were sitting in a window booth in quaint little café smelling off fresh coffee and meat paddies sizzling on the grill. The best smell in the world if you asked me.

"How has life been?" she asked. Grey eyes shinning.

"Really good. You know, schools the usual" i mouth the word 'shit'. "Cory is loving daycare and currebtly going through the 'I'm a big kid now' stage and Sydney is just Sydney. Over sensitive about everything"

"Don't we all go through that stage! mine was completely horrendous" with a sigh, we start to reminisce "remember that time you asked if i wanted a salad and i thought you were calling me fat and were secretly trying to tell me to go to the gym" with a laugh, she bangs her fists on the marble table "hell, I'm still over sensitive"

"Yes! oh my gosh, i felt like such an asshole. That was the first time i had ever seen a girl apart from sydney cry and i had no idea what to do. You really freaked me out" i say.

I look directly at her for a moment, watching as she composes herself. She caught me looking, and pretending to rearrange my forks, my gaze shoots down to the table.

Luna laughed, a mystical kind of sound filling the room. Nope, her laugh hadn't changed. "Geez, your watching me as if you haven't seen me for years"

With a shrug, i meet her eyes. "Well it feels like we haven't seen each other in forever, but its not like you look diffrent at all"

"yea it does and I'm sorry i didn't contact you earlier, life has just been so busy lately" she runs her hand threw her hair "I just feel like everything is trying to pull me down to........hell" she says 'hell' with a funny expression on her face.

"Are you... okay?" i say. Unsure of how to ease a sad woman.

"yea, I'm just- yeah" Turning off her sadness like the flick of a switch, a smile is curled on her lips. "so is there a lucky women in your life yet?" she nudges my shoulder suggestively.

"nope not yet. they're still running the other way. it doesn't help that i don't really get out of the house either, but oh well" with a shrug.

"oh so your getting none" she makes a rude gestures with her hands, causing me to role my eyes.

"what are you- oh my gosh! Luna Sophia Santiago you better stop that now before i break your pinkie." When we were in high school together, we came up with a pact that if one of us ever embarrassed each other or made the other angry, the victim would be able to break the offenders pinkie. So far we haven't had to resort to doing that and I'm hoping today will not be the day.

"I was joking Mathias, I'm not that sick minded, unlike Elis. That guys is like a sexual innuendo volcano! He just cant keep them in"

Elis is Luna's boyfriend of 3 years. Personally i don't really know him. When i was in 9th grade he turned up at school one day and the next thing you know, him and Luna were dating. Its really weird if you ask me, seeing that she refused to date anybody in school but suddenly took up his offer, but maybe she knew him before she moved here. Actually that's probably it.

No, i was not one of the people that she turned down, because i never asked her out. Our relationship is completely platonic and that's exactly how we both see it.

"Can i ask a favor?" She looks me in the eyes as her hands start to fiddle with the knives and forks in front of her.

"Anything" I'm not to sure what I'm signing up for, but it couldn't be that bad.

Suddenly her expression changes from happiness, to one of absolute desperation. Right now, her mood swings are giving me whiplash.

"Will you go somewhere with me? please? Tommorow?" fisting her hands against her chest, she looks at me with pleading puppy dog eyes. The type you get when its dark and you accidentally step on the family dog.

"Im sorry but i cant. The next couple of days are going to be hectic, i'll be surprised if i even get enough time to sleep. Maybe ano-"

For as long as iv known Luna, i'v never seen her so destraught. Her usual in-control, cool headed behaviour is replaced by a frantic, crazy one as her manicured fingers latch onto my arm."No! i just- please. please i really need your help!" If it weren't for the table in front of her, I'm sure she would be down on her hands and knees begging.

She must be going through some serious shit and who am i to turn her away? She has been there for me through thick and thin and i will do the same for her.

But i cant help but feel like something is slightly off ; like my first assumption was wrong and that she isnt exactly the person that she used to be.

Looking into her pleeding eyes, i take in her oh so familiar features.

I guess i'm wrong, people change and its all apart of growing as a person.

"Okay, i will if you release my arm" I say, adding a chuckle in to try and ease the tension. "Man your strong!" I chuckle as i attempt to massage away the pain.

"Thank you so much!" She smiles, and suddenly she's back to the same old Luna.

"I'v got a full day tommorow, but i guess i could just leave school an hour earlier. Is that fine? Just as long as im back to pick up cory by 3pm"

For a moment something flashed in her eye. Pity? Sorrow? Sadness? If i had blinked i would have missed it as her expression went back to neutral.

She pulls me into a hug "That is perfect! Meet back here at 2pm tommorow. Thank you so much, i owe you"

"Nah its fine, its the least that i could do" i say as we both stand up to leave, and before i know it shes pulled me into another hug before taking off out the door and towards her car with a rushed goodbye.

"Weird" I mutter as i head towards my own car.

Somethings up.