Carmen danced around her kitchen making dinner and singing a spanish song with her mother. They had already finsihed packing and this would be there last night in Washington. They would be leaving at around 1 :00 P.M. They had invited everyone over for dinner and maybe a little dancing as well. Afterwards Lena, Tibby, and Bridget would be sleeping over.
Carmen was so pumped as she was going to Mexico with her mother and David (her stepfather) so her mother could properly introduce David to her mother. Carmen would be surrounded with her spanish mexican culture and be more intact with her family and heritage. She heard the doorbell ring and danced her way to the door. She opened the door and there stood Lena, Bridget, and Tibby who had Katherine on her hip in one arm and Brians hand in the other. Nicky ran zooming past Carmen and Katherine squirmed out of her arm. Together they ran into Carmen's old room to play with baby Ryan. 'Sorry, Mom and Dad are going to be late so they made me take them.' breathed Tibby. Carmen just laughed and excused her as everyone siddled inside. There was nothing that could spoil this night.
Soon everyone, even Win, were seated either on the couch, the deck or the table. All of Carmens cousins and Aunts were here. Even Davids family made a nervous appearance. Drinks were shared and Bridgets happy voice filled the air. Even Lena had a few glasses of wine and became very merry despite her modesty. Tibby couldn't be found without her video camera rolling.
Just as everything started it all ended. At around midnight everyone began to leave. Carmen kissed Win goodnight and Tibby did the same with Brian. Soon everyone was gone. It was just Carmen, Tibby, Lena and Bridget. They pulled out all the matteresses and sleeping bags. Everyone brought along a movie. Tibby brought the Action, Carmen had the Romance, Bridget had the horror and Lena brought the Comedy. They wasted the night watching movies, playing truth or dare, munching on junk food and talking their way through the night to the early hours of morning.
Lena closed the door behind her as she stepped out of her bedroom. It was 5 :30 A.M and her and Effie had already began to fight over the washroom. Triumphantley, Lena pushed Effie out of the bathroom doorway and locked the door. Effie began to bang at the door until her fathers angry voice filled the air. Lena splashed cold water on her face. She would be leaving today at around the same time as Bridget to the airport. They would be going together except Bridget was going to Italy for Soccer and Lena would be going to Greece for her cousins wedding. In no time she was ready with her suitcase along with the rest of the familys luggage waiting at the door. They walked out into the cool night air. Bridget had decided to stay the night so they would be riding together. Slowly the trunk space of the SUV filled up and they were driving off.
On the ride to the airport (with Bridget snoring lightly on her shoulder) Lena thought about Tibby who had already left to India to do her film making. She was going there to do a documentary on caste system in the state of Punjab. Lena knew that no matter how upset she got she knew that she would have Tibby to give her a good bit of wisdom. She knew that Carmen, probably at the moment absorbing the Mexican sun, would send her a bunch of sympathy. Lena herself didnt know if she was ready to do this. She would probably, at one point, meet Kostos, his wife and his baby girl. He had sent her a couple of letters to smooth things over about all that happened and now they were supposed to be 'freinds'. She didn't know how this trip was going to be but at the moment she really didn't care. She let her eyes close and drifted off into a sleep.
Bridget peered out through the oval window of her airplane at the vast landcape of the blue crisp water below her. In a few hours time she would be landing at the airport in Rome, and then taking a travel bus into the heart of the city. There she would have to find the landowner of her apartment/hotel that her, Diana, Eric and a few other people would be sharing.
Bridget looked into Erics tanned face as he slept comfortably with his head on her shoulders. She watched his chest rise and fall. She thought of last year and the camp they went to. She remebered the first year they had met. Before, whenever she thought about it she always forced herself to think of something else. But now she was comfortable talking about it. Back then she was so immature, not that she still wasn't, but now atleast she had a sense of responsibility and consequence. She remebered how she just did things so spontaneoulsy that no one knew what to expect of her. Now she started to get on top of her game. On the otherside of Eric, there sat Diana with her nose stuck in a book. It was 'Chains' by Frances Mary Hendry. Diana was so absorbed in the book that she wasn't bothered by the fact that one of her dreads kept slipping out behind her ear into her face. She just kept tucking it behind her ear and kept on reading. Bridget turned her face back to the T.V screen on the back of the seat and stared at it. She pulled the earphones on to her head, the movie was 'Bend it like Beckham'. Lucky Bridget, she was allowed to do anything she wanted and the poor girl couldnt do anything. Bridget then realized the girl was the lucky one. She had self control and new how to do things that no one else could. Bridget leaned back, sat silently and stared at the movie screen. It was almost finished meaning the flight would be done soon to. She got up to the washroom and freshened herself up. She new she had to make a good impression.
