The restaurant enjoyed a steady stream of customers on a warm summer's night. Despite the number of people, the noise level was not overpowering, and each patron could hear their companions' words. Jules sipped at the cool water, nerves gripping her intensely
Gretchen entered the sizable restaurant, eyes surveying the place before finding Amelia. Even though she went by Jules now, Gretchen had been calling her Amelia far too long to just quit overnight. In preparation, she took a deep breath and marched over to the table.
"Hey," she greeted, pulling out a chair and sitting down. Amelia returned the greeting, long fingers fidgeting with the silverware.
The waitress, a pretty, young girl of about 18, arrived at their table then. Both ordered Pepsis, neither feeling the urge to consume alcohol. With a polite smile, she left, promising to return soon with their beverages.
"So…," Gretchen began, eyebrows raised. "Explain," she ordered.
Amelia opened her mouth, ready to beg forgiveness for the abandonment, when:..
*SRU Headquarters*
"Is that..?" Ed questioned, reticent to believe it.
"Yup," Spike affirmed.
As much as Ed longed to deny, there wasn't any way to deny it. They were looking at a picture of a young Jules Callaghan.
"That means….she's lied to us this entire time. She didn't grow up in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Hell, she's not even from Canada," Ed pointed out, and rubbed a hand over his face.
"Yeah," Spike agreed, hurt and angry at his teammate's blatant deception. He trusted her, trusted her immensely. And now come to find out that a six year friendship was nothing more than a lie unnerved him.
"What're we gonna do?" Spike questioned.
"Call Sarge," Ed responded, pulling out his phone.
*Back at the restaurant*
"I left," Amelia began. "I left because I couldn't go back. There were so many things happening, things not even you knew about. Once you started seriously considering going back home, I knew we had to split. I'm sorry for abandoning you, honestly I am, but it was what was best for me at the time. And I can't regret it because it led me here."
The waitress returned then, delicately setting their drinks on the table. They denied appetizers, and claimed to need more time deciding on dinner.
Gretchen considered Amelia's words. A part of her still keenly felt the grief at losing a close friend, but another still raged with anger.
"Was it that easy to leave me behind?" Gretchen wondered.
Amelia stared at her for a moment, before nodding.
"Yes. Because I knew what the best decision for me was at the time. And I can never regret putting myself first. So yes it was easy to leave you behind," Amelia confessed.
Though she'd never admit it, Amelia had always felt a certain disconnect when it came to people. She could love them immensely and yet become frighteningly cold and callous towards them at times. It scared her to death.
"Was it all a lie then?" Gretchen questioned hostilely.
"No," Amelia assured. "I just had to look out for myself. I regret you got hurt, though."
Gretchen nodded. Her response was on the tip of her tongue, when a gunshot silenced the room.