Chapter 2: Smile Like You Mean It

Save some face, you know you've only got one

Change your ways while you're young

Boy, one day you'll be a man

Oh girl, he'll help you understand

Smile like you mean it

Smile like you mean it

Looking back at sunsets on the Eastside

We lost track of the time

Dreams aren't what they used to be

Some things slide by so carelessly

Smile like you mean it

Smile like you mean it

And someone is calling my name

From the back of the restaurant

And someone is playing a game

In the house that I grew up in

And someone will drive her around

Down the same streets that I did

On the same streets that I did

Smile like you mean it

Smile like you mean it

Smile like you mean it

Smile like you mean it

Oh no, oh no no no

Oh no, oh no no no

Even when it seems time isn't moving you'd be surprised…

It is…

1 Year Later…

As of right now I am exactly where I want to be… I am sitting in the car with my i-pod in my ears on the top level nodding my head in time with the furious beat. I could hear my mother only slightly through the haze of music it was all, be sure to wash the dishes, and walk Gabbana, and go food shopping more then once a month and sushi is not break fast. I turned it up higher trying to drown out her maternal concerns.

"Mom I'll be fine, you raised me well." I told her patting her leg. She smiled nervously but none the less stopped the pre apartment babble.

We pulled up the small road leading into the cozy town of North Brook. I leaned up yanking the ear buds from their place chucking them in the dash board with the i-pod it self. I lifted myself up gazing out at the bright little town. Tiny cafes on every corner and a sushi bar every couple of blocks. It was every thing Jenny said and more, not that Jenny said much of anything to me any more I thought drearily.

"I'm sure jenny will be so happy to see you." My mom said as if reading my mind.

"I'm not."

"You're not what?"

"Sure."

"Sure of what?"

"Her being happy to see me." I muttered into the window wormed by the bright sun.

"Natalie I'm sure she's just been busy, this is college you know its not just about beaches and frat parties." She told me pointedly.

"That's why this was voted best party school." I snorted.

"You never told me that!" She exclaimed.

"I'm telling you now." I smiled.

"Natalie Lenix you-."

"There it is!" I yelled pointing. She pulled up. "16! 16!" I jumped up and down in my seat pointing to my blue labeled parking space.

"I see it! I see it!" She snapped. Once the car had come to a stop I jumped from the passenger's seat almost forgetting to take off my seat belt.

"Oh my god its sooo pretty!" I announced looking at the wide brick building with flower gardens out front. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" I shrieked throwing my arms around her.

"Your welcome kiddo." She smiled. "Now lets get this stuff up to your room." I nodded running to the car. I opened the back door grabbing Gabby's carrying cage.

"Hey Gabby I hope the trip wasn't to hard for you." I looked at the sick look on the corgi's face. "Sorry." I murmured. I ran up the stairs my key in hand. I got to the white door with black iron letters that read 106. I shuddered with excitement. I placed the key in the lock giving it one good twist watching in fascination as the door opened. I walked in looking around the small kitchen just big enough for one person to live comfortably with one oven, a dish washer, a sink and all wooden cabinets and a connected island with four high stools beside it making a nice kitchen table. I walked into the living room opening Gabby's cage so that she could wander around and get acquainted.

"No peeing you." I told her pointing a finger at her. She just turned, her short stubby corgi legs wobbling down the narrow hall way. I scanned the living room. It had a simple beige couch with a glass coffee table in front of it and a beige recliner in the corner beside it. There was also a desk a couple feet in front of the coffee table where a TV would obviously go. I flopped down on the couch giggling like a school girl. I yes I had my own completely furnished apartment. I rolled of getting up to go check out the bedroom. Just a queen sized bed, a desk in the corner up against the wall where the door to the bath room was. I could work with this. I nodded softly to myself looking at the light blue walls.

"Green bedding…" I muttered to myself.

"What?" My mom asked coming up behind me.

"Green." I said.

"Green what?"

"You know all the bedding to give it like a fun bouncy atmosphere but still looking sophisticated." I said falling back onto the bed dramatically.

"You can work that out with Jenny I put more money on your debit card to do apartment shopping not shoe shopping." She told me putting down two boxes of my stuff on the floor.

"Promise." I told her before getting up and walking down to the car to get my suit case filled with my summer wardrobe from home. Its wheels slammed on the stairs making a harsh bang bang bang. I bit my bottom lip hoping that no one was going to come out and yell at me. I waited a minute then shrugged continuing back up the stairs.

"hey sweetie I put all Gabbys stuff in a bin by the door and I got all your kitchen stuff set up and ready for use.' She told me proudly waving her arms out at her work.

"Thanks mom." I told her pulling my luggage into my bed room and placing it in the dresser piece by piece.

"There's a closet out here you can use for your jeans, shoes, dresses, jackets and whatever else you may see need to shove in there." She told me peaking her head into my room.

"Thanks." I said back closing the last fully stocked draw. I walked out side reaching for the last box which just contained stuff from home that I'd set up later. My mom was sitting at the kitchen table on her cell phone.

"Oh yeah it's lovely, I think Natalie really loves it." I hated only hearing one side of a phone conversation. "Yeah my flight leaves in a couple hours, I should probably be getting home very late tonight." She told them, them I assumed to be my dad. "Do you want to talk to her? Alright hold on." She held out the phone for me to take.

"Hey dad." I said.

"Hey Nat, how's Cali?" He asked cheerily.

"It's great, lots of sushi restaurants, cafes, malls-."

"That sounds great Nat, but I've got to take this call." He said quickly. My smile dropped slightly.

"Okay dad." I nodded.

"But, I promise we'll talk later." He said but I knew he already had his finger over the send button.

"Okay." I muttered.

"Bye sweetie." He hung up. I stood there the phone still pressed to my ear.

"Bye dad…I love you too." I murmured before clicking the end button even though I already knew he was gone.

"So what did he say?" She asked excitedly.

"Oh he just wanted to know what I thought of Cali and how I was getting on." I told her flipping the phone closed and passing it to her. "Can I go see Jenny now?" I asked hopefully.

"It's your apartment now." She held her arms out for one last hug. I threw my self into her arms holding her close. I looked up into her teary forest green eyes which were identical to my own.

"You know this isn't good bye forever." I told her repeating the same words she had told me the night I got back from saying good bye to Jenny.

"Yeah but my little girls growing up, soon you wont need me." She said through her tears swabbing at her eyes wit the pad of her hand.

"That's crap and you know it." I chastised.

"There's no need for vulgarity Natalie." She told me releasing me from her embrace.

"It's my apartment remember." I stuck my tongue out.

"Yes, but that's no reason to he a gutter mouth." She told me pulling her self up to full height as if it would intimidate me.

"Yeah yeah." I hugged her once more before grabbing my keys off the kitchen table. We walked down the stairs and to my white and black Mustang. She climbed into the passenger's seat as I plopped myself down in the driver's seat.

"So I'm driving you off at the air port?" I asked.

"If you wouldn't mind." She told me.

"No, No problem." I told her starting the car and turning up the stereo as loud as it could go.

"Must you always give a migraine when I drive with you?" She grumbled.

"You know what this means don't you?"

"What?" She asked lifting her head toward me.

"It means your getting old." I whispered one hand cover one side of my mouth.

"Shut up I am not!" She yelled out raged.

"Calm down of you could become prematurely gray." I laughed.

"Why you little-."

"Wait, I think I see one." I plucked one of her charcoal red hairs from her head.

"Ow!" She yelled. "What the-"

"Don't worry mom, I got it." I smiled. She glared in return. I saw a very low flying plane so I knew we must be getting close. I nodded my head to my loud crescendo of beats and bangs. I saw the door to the air port and I looked to see my mom nawing her lip nervously. I could swear it looked like she was going to yank me from the car and force me to return home with her.

"I'll miss you." She told me looking side ways.

"me too mom." I said softly.

"Say Jenny I say hi." She said opening the door.

"Will do." I said nodding.

"I love you." She said leaning in to hug me once more.

"I love you too mom." I said tears choking me just a bit. She nodded once before turning and walking through the doors. She looked over her shoulder and smiled one tear smile. I tried to smile a true smile but failed miserably. I would miss her…