…:::Destination One: Dublin, Ireland:::…
Chapter One- Chinese Food and European Tours
It had been three weeks since Sakura had last seen Sasuke, and she was beginning to feel like half a person. She did everything half-heartedly. Nothing seemed to matter much in the world anymore, and she wanted to hit herself for acting like a fourteen year old girl who just found out that the quarterback for the varsity football team didn't really love her. So, Sakura sat moping in the middle of her bed with her knees clutched to her chest.
Sakura and Sasuke were supposed to be high school sweethearts, since they had been together since the end of their freshman year. They had their whole lives planned out during their junior year, the house, kids, and pets. Not once had Sasuke seemed uncomfortable about talking about having children later on in life. They even picked out names.
Now, the Hollywood-style couple from West Brookes High was forever lost, and Sakura pressed her forehead to her knees.
Thank God it was Sunday because she didn't feel much like putting on a fake front to go to work.
Before she had the chance to shed another tear, her bedside phone rang. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself before she answered it, not bothering to look at the caller I.D. She prayed that it wasn't Sasuke, but he had stopped his frequent, almost obsessive calling, a week ago.
"Hello?" she said huskily.
"Have you really been crying again, Sakura?" a shrill, familiar voice replied.
"No, Ino, but I was about to."
Ino Yamanaka, her oldest friend from elementary school, sighed heavily.
"Girl, you definitely need to get out of the house except to go to work! No wonder you're so depressed all the time. You sit at home all day."
"I haven't really had the time or money to go anywhere," Sakura answered softly.
"Oh, shut-up. You have way more money than I do!" exclaimed Ino over the phone. "Anyways, get dressed. I'm coming to pick you up in an hour, and we are going to get lunch."
Sakura smiled at Ino's bossiness. She was obviously done caring for the sulking Sakura, and an odd sensation of happiness warmed her core. She loved her best friend.
"Alright, Ino," Sakura said, somewhat cheerily. "It sounds like fun."
After they said their goodbyes, Sakura hung up the phone and went into the bathroom to get ready. She had taken a shower last night, but her hair was a little bit messy, so she decided to straighten it for the time being, to make it flatter.
Maybe being single isn't so bad. At least I don't have to share a bathroom anymore.
She brushed her teeth quickly and threw on a little bit of make-up. The natural look was refreshing in a world filled with raccoon eyes, and it suited her well. Sakura had natural beauty, where she didn't have to wear any if she didn't feel like it, but she used it to enhance her features.
Satisfied with her look, she walked to her closet. The left side was completely empty except for two big suitcases because that was his side of the closet. Well, it use to be his side. Anyways, she dug through the row of her clothes and picked out a classic, yet formfitting silky black tank. It was asymmetrical with black flowers decorating the one strap that went over her right shoulder.
She paired it with a pair of nice jeans and strapped black gladiator sandals to her feet. Then, she stood in front of the mirror, admiring the outfit that complemented her short pink hair and unique emerald eyes. She looked… beautiful, something that she hadn't thought in a few weeks. It boosted her self confidence just a bit.
Sakura didn't have to wait long for Ino to arrive at her fifth floor apartment. Ino, who had been to her apartment thousands upon thousands of times, headed to the farthest window in the living room and peered out into the New York City street below. Her eyes sparkled like a child looking into the biggest toy shop it has ever seen.
"I still can't believe your view here is so perfect," Ino swooned. "Look! I've never noticed that you can kind of see Lady Liberty over there."
Sakura chuckled and grabbed Ino from the collar of her shirt.
"Come on, and yes, I've seen Lady Liberty."
Ino turned around happily and adjusted the purse on her shoulder.
"Where do you want to get lunch at?" she asked.
Sakura thought about for a second, digging deep inside her mind to find out what she was craving.
"Chinese food," Sakura replied nonchalantly. "I've been craving it recently."
"Ooh!" Ino exclaimed girlishly. "Me too! Let's go to Fu Li's!"
"I thought you didn't have enough money."
Ino gave a pouting face of realization.
"Well, I don't mind paying for something expensive every once in a while. Anyways, I want to see if any celebrities are there today."
Sakura laugh as Ino and her walked out of her apartment to go eat at the biggest, most expensive authentic Chinese restaurant in New York.
xXx
"So, I hope you don't me asking, but how does it feel to be single?" Ino asked as they sat at the booth in the corner.
A sharp twinge of hurt ran through Sakura's body, but she shook it off.
"It hurts some, and it sucks," she replied pessimistically. "Anyways, I was in a relationship so long that I have forgotten how to be single."
Ino smiled and shook her head slowly.
"Well, you're only twenty-two. You are still young!"
Ino glanced over at the table beside them where three forty-something year old women were dressed like eighteen year olds and flirting with the young male server. Cougars.
"At least you are not like them," Ino whispered with a wicked smile.
Sakura laughed loudly.
"That's so mean, Ino!"
Ino shrugged and looked up to see their waiter standing at the edge of the table.
"Hello, ladies," greeted a man about their age with long blonde hair. "My name is Deidara, and I will be your server this afternoon, yeah. Can I get you something to drink?"
He flashed a bright smile towards Ino, which automatically put her into flirt mode. She smiled back, somewhat seductively, and Sakura tried hard not to roll her eyes.
"Just a water, if it's not too much trouble," Ino replied cutely. He repeated her order and looked to Sakura.
"And you miss?" He asked, just as flirtatious. His slanted blue eyes bore into her emerald ones, enticing and entrancing.
"Um…" She had almost forgotten how to speak. "Just a diet coke."
"I'll be right out with those, yeah," Deidara said and walked away to the kitchen with a confident spring his step.
"I saw that," Ino said in a soft tone. There was a strange smile on her face, the one that she use to do in high school when Sakura would talk about a boy other than Sasuke. Her eyes studied Sakura's face.
"Saw what?"
"You were blushing…and flirting. Well, if you count that as flirting."
"I wasn't flirting!" Sakura exclaimed defensively. Ino giggled.
"You so were, and look! Your new boyfriend over there is talking with his coworker about you," Ino said, pointing behind Sakura.
Sakura couldn't help but turn to lock eyes with Deidara, who was giving a diamond smile and holding two glasses in his hands. The host up front was staring over at their table as well, and when he saw Sakura turn around, he smiled almost as brilliantly. Although, the poor boy didn't have the same good facial features as their server did.
Sakura turned around quickly to find Ino smiling bigger.
"He's on his way back," She teased.
Deidara was back in an instant, putting the drinks on the cup mats. He pulled out a small notepad and a pen from his pocket.
"What can I get you to eat, ladies?"
"Kung pao chicken and white rice for me," Ino said, raising her hand slightly.
Deidara scribbled words on his pad and thanked her with a heart-melting smile.
"And you, sweetheart?" he asked Sakura.
Sakura prodded through the menu and picked out the Mongolian Beef and the fried rice, blushing the entire time she ordered. Deidara thanked her with the same heart-melting smile and took the menus from their hands.
"Your food will be ready shortly, un," he said, walking away with an obviously natural spring in his step.
When he was gone, Ino stared at Sakura with that annoying face of hers.
"Don't say anything," Sakura growled.
"I wasn't," Ino laugh and threw up her hands in defense.
Before she could say anything else, Sakura heard a conversation the cougars were having with their waiter.
"Really?" asked the waiter. "Just eight-hundred dollars? That sounds really shady."
"That's what I thought at first, but I have a friend who has a friend who has a cousin-" one of the cougars stressed- "who went on this trip and said it was amazing. All you do need to pay for is the plane ticket to Dublin and the eight-hundred dollars and the rest is taken care of."
"Even food and housing?" the waiter asked.
"Housing, yes, but food, you have to pay for yourself."
"That sounds like fun, but sadly, I don't even have enough money to pay for rent this month at the moment," the waiter joked. "What's this thing called? I'm going save up money for it."
"Cross-trek tours," the cougar answered. "They do European tours, Australian, African, and even South American. All of them are rather cheap, and what I've heard, very exciting."
"Sakura?" Ino asked concerned. Sakura snapped out of their conversation.
"Huh?"
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah? Sorry, I just zoned out a little."
Cross-trek tours….I need to remember that and look it up when I get home. It sounds like fun.
"Ino, what would you think about going on a European tour?" Sakura asked.
Ino looked baffled, but after thinking about Sakura's question, "It would sound amazing, but I'm too poor to afford one. I still have to pay off my student loans. Why? Are you thinking about going on one?"
"Yes, I think so. I'm pretty sure I have the money, and I feel that I need to get out of New York for a little while. Even though it's a big city, I feel sort of….trapped, you know?"
Ino remained silent for a while, opening and closing her mouth as if she was trying to talk Sakura out of it. Maybe she was. Money was a big deal, and lost money meant a harder way to live.
But after a minute or so of pondering, Ino said, "When?"
"Soon, I hope."
Then, something inside Ino's head clicked, and she smiled warmly at Sakura. She grabbed one of Sakura's hands and squeezed tightly.
"That's a great idea! Do it, Sakura! It will help you forget about Sasuke, and I think it's time for your vacation!"
The mention of Sasuke's name poked at her heart, but the idea of going to Europe kicked the needle away.
Cross-trek tours… she repeated in her mind, and Sakura smiled.