At the point where my story begins, we had just finished five terms at a university in the heart of Washington D.C., in the United States, only a couple blocks from the White House and the Smithsonian museum. I suppose that for you to understand just how large of a change this was for us, I should describe the town where we'd spent our younger years. Way up on the side of a sleeping volcano, it was the kind of town where there was one high school, one (small) movie theatre, and most places were closed on Sundays so that their employees could attend whichever of the town's twenty-some churches they belonged to. Our athletes were the best in the state in almost everything because they trained at the highest altitude and most of the town's inhabitants were scientists employed at the lab at the town's heart, which consequently resulted in the highest IQ concentration of almost any other place. This was not only true of the adults, but also of the children. It was common for high school students to be taking college courses by their sophomore year and graduate having already taken Calculus and able to test out of several of the freshman classes. However, the main reason that we both loved our little town so much was because you could climb a few meters up any of the countless rocky faces and suddenly see a whole new place that stretched countless miles in every direction. You could, for a moment, forget all problems and feel as free as if you were flying. The desert air was dry, the stars like bright gems in the sky every night (unless there were clouds), it snowed into at least March every year, and during the summer it was always at least 90 degrees in the shade. Needless to say, we were completely changing everything about the life we knew in moving to D.C. The first few days of every semester were spent re-learning how to breathe and taming our unruly hair in the humidity.
Along with our geographical history, I suppose a bit of background to our friendship would help you as well. Jill and I met in eighth grade and instantly got along, becoming best friends by the end of the year. Broken hearts and social issues in ninth and tenth grade, eleventh grade teachers and college worries, twelfth grade senioritis and goodbyes... all the while trying to make A's in every class... we'd gotten through all of it together. She's my best friend... my sister... I think the one person who really knows me completely and loves me for all of it. What made this funny was that we were polar opposites in almost every way you could think of. She was quiet, sensible, and taller than a lot of the guys in our high school (which caused her a great deal of annoyance). I was loud, impulsive, and one of the very shortest in our graduating class (which earned me a great deal of ribbing). She knew what she was going to major in by high school and I had too many interests to choose just one or even two. However, that seemed to not matter much, because I have never had as good a friend as her and most likely never will.
"Hey, they need more coffee at table five. Could you get it please? My hands are full."
"I'm on it."
I grabbed the coffee pot and walked over to the table. "More coffee, sir?"
I gave the couple a smile as I filled up their mugs. As I walked away, someone from another table called my attention to their empty cup.
Back in the kitchen, Kaley was up to her elbows in dirty dishwater and Jill was unloading a precariously balanced tower of dishes from her tray. I leaned against the counter for a minute, putting down the couple of empty plates I was holding and then lending Jill a hand with her tray.
"I'm really missing Tina today."
"No kidding... I think I'm realizing exactly how much she does. She's going to get bigger tips from me from now on."
"Me too."
Jenny poked her head through the kitchen door. "What are you two doing just standing around? We just got a party of six in at table seventeen, table four wants more iced tea, and table twenty-three is ready to order."
With a sigh, Jill and I got back to work. Jill nudged me as we hurried out of the kitchen. "Last day."
I grinned back.
After work, we walked down the street, arms linked and eyes wandering over the store windows. "Ugh," I groaned to Jill, "I'm so tired..."
"You need to get more sleep... you stay up until like 3 every night."
"Try 12... and you're just as guilty as me of staying up late."
"Yeah, but I'm not the one complaining. Nor am I the one who needs energy for ballet every day."
I shut my mouth and made a face at her. Our "arguments" normally ended that way.
"Oh look, an antique store! I haven't seen it before... c'mon, let's go in!"
Jill grabbed my arm and pulled me through the door. I rolled my eyes, but grinned and followed her. She loved antique stores, and it was a rare day when we escaped one without some new trinket. Not that we spent money carelessly; everything we got had a purpose (or at least almost everything). Our tiny apartment was full of old furniture and books. Since high school, she had dragged me into many antique shops... although dragged isn't really fair as I am just as guilty as her of spending entire afternoons in the little stores. In fact, about half of the old books were mine and the furniture that dotted the apartment was as much mine as hers.
As soon as we got inside, Jill disappeared into the back of the shop while I was arrested by the shelves of books toward the front. The small shop itself looked like an antique; dusty and dimly lit. The overall effect was almost one of stepping back in time, reminding me of a little cabin of pillaged items on a pirate ship more than anything. I loved it right away. My eyes played over the maze of shelves and dusty glass cases, noticing that they were arranged in nothing resembling proper rows as my fingers lazily fell from the spines of the volumes to my left. I wove my way slowly through the shop; stopping to look at most of the million things that drew my gaze: books, jewellery, clothes, and the many odd trinkets. I finally located Jill, who was sitting on the ground next to a bunch of old maps. She was studying one that looked like it could be seventy years old at least.
"What'd you find?"
She grinned, not looking up. "Pirate map."
I chuckled, rifling through the selection of old parchment on the table. Finding nothing all that interesting, I turned around, running my finger over another shelf full of old dusty books; this place had an unusually large number of books. Jill had this thing for maps. It seemed like she could look at them for hours. She had maps covering the walls of her room and there were even a few that had trickled into the rest of the apartment after her room had become too full. I liked maps of the fantasy worlds I read about, but most maps of the real world got boring quite fast. I much preferred books; especially books like these. I traced the fancy gold lettering set into the green leather cover absentmindedly, thinking about nothing in particular. Then I came back and actually read the letters that I was tracing again and again: Kardok's Warriors. I was caught right away... I picked it up and began to read.
About three hours later, we left the shop. I put my new books in my bag and played with the beautiful new ring on my finger. The lady who owned the shop had said that this ring was at least fifty years old. Jill folded up her map and stowed it in her bag along with the rest of her purchases.
When we reached our apartment, we unloaded our bags. I laughed as half a dozen new books were added to our already over-crowded bookshelf. "We're going to need a new bookshelf soon."
Jill looked over her shoulder and grinned as she watched me fail to wedge the last two in between the others. "Or like now. Hey, want dinner?"
I glanced at the clock. "Nope, thanks. I've got to leave now or I'm gonna be late."
"You've got to eat something or you're going to faint during class."
This is something that she says just to annoy me, knowing that I am proud of the fact that I have never fainted.
"Yes Mum..."
She made a face as I grabbed my dance bag from the corner and stuffed a few granola bars, and a water bottle inside.
When you think about ballet teachers, you'd normally think of a lady maybe in her mid forties or fifties who has danced all of her life. My instructor was sixty-seven and proud of it. He knew absolutely everything about ballet and loved it more than anything. I was so blessed to have his enthusiastic instruction and literally improved by leaps and bounds under his watchful and rather picky eye. He made sure that all his dancers felt completely comfortable and safe at his studio and was like a grandpa to every one of us. The first day of class, he had told me that I reminded him of one of his students that had gone on to dance the role of Juliet in an international tour of the ballet Romeo and Juliet. He'd called me Juliet from then on. She was a long shot from my favourite literary character but it was an endearment I loved all the same.
"Alright girls, great job today. I'll see you tomorrow. Juliet, may I talk to you a moment?"
I walked over and hugged my dance teacher. He smiled a little ruefully. "So, this is goodbye for now. I just want you to know that you've improved so much this year and if you were staying this semester, I'd have you dance the swan princess in the recital."
My eyes widened and a wave of disappointment hit me. He grinned. "Don't worry, you'll be coming back and I'm sure you'll be even better then. There'll be other opportunities."
"Thank you, sir. I'm glad to know that I've improved anyway."
He hugged me again. "I'll miss ya Juliet. Come back soon."
I grinned at the use of my pet name. "Bye grandpa, don't worry, I will... I'll be back before you know it."
I scowled as I looked at my phone. "He called me again! I'm glad I missed it."
Jill glanced up from her book. "Really? Wow, he's denser than I thought."
"Me too." I huffed, slouching back into my chair and tossing my phone onto the table.
"I thought that turning him down five times in the past three days might give him the hint. Apparently not."
"You know, turning him down flat would be more effective and probably nicer than just letting him ask you over and over again and giving vague excuses."
"You know I can't do that. Besides, you're the last person to talk. At least I haven't said yes to him just because I feel bad."
She glared at me. In high school, she had gone on several "pity dates" and I still never passed up an opportunity to make fun of her for them. I grinned, then slumped back again dejectedly.
"By the way, I'm going out with Connor tonight. I'll be back prolly around nine."
"K... I'll be here... alone... watching television and eating the rest of our ice cream."
"Oh shut up." Jill dug around in her purse for her phone.
"Hey Jill... your phone's ringing."
"Shut up Sue! Hello? Hi Con!... Um, no I don't think she'd mind."
I looked at her sceptically. "If he wants me to take care of his piranha again, I won't do it. That thing is evil. I still have scars from when it bit me."
"That's because you stuck your hand in the bowl while you were wearing jewellery. Only a moron would stick their hand in a bowl with a piranha even with no jewellery on."
"Hey! No one told me it was a piranha and it kept its mouth shut up until then, so I didn't see the teeth. I won't do it."
"Well he doesn't want you to watch it; he wants you to come along with us as a date for his cousin. He just got here and Connor feels bad abandoning him."
"Does he bite?"
"Sue!"
"Well then, is he better than the last blind date you two set up with? Cuz that was not fun."
Jill rolled her eyes, "That was a joke. Connor, she'd love to. Ok, see you then. Love you too. Bye."
"Hey! I didn't say I'd love to! And it was a bad joke."
"Oh, just c'mon. You never know... he might be cute too. Anyway, you're not going to be stuck at home by yourself now."
I pulled myself off the couch. "Fine, but you owe me if he's a creeper. Where are we going by the way?"
"Virginia... dinner, dancing, and the beach."
"Great... so if the guy can't dance I'm gonna have to sit out with him and watch you two have a good time."
"Why don't you just hope that he can dance? Let's get ready... they're picking us up in half an hour."
"Hi Connor, thanks for the early warning!"
He grinned as he walked through the door. "Sure, anytime."
His smile broadened as Jill entered the room. "Hi, sweetheart."
"Hi."
"Ladies, this is my cousin Neal. Neal, this is Jill and this is Susan."
My jaw dropped and I almost collapsed, only staying upright by gripping the counter behind me. The colour had gone from his face and we just stared at each other for a few seconds before he got out a strangled whisper.
"Susie..?"
"N... Neal. Hello..."
"Yes... hello. It's... been a while."
I laughed and he gave me a rather stiff hug. It was all very awkward, especially since Jill and Connor were watching... she with shock and he with confusion. I threw a rather desperate look at Jill and she smiled brightly. "Hi Neal."
"Jill, hello... nice to see you again."
"You too. Well, we should get going or we'll be late."
Jill and I excused ourselves after we ordered and headed off to find the bathroom. I took a breath and braced my hands on the counter. She rubbed my shoulders.
"Are you alright?"
"I... I think so."
She was silent as she just hugged me and I drew deep breaths to steady myself, my eyes closed.
"I never thought... I'm just surprised to see him again."
"I know."
After a moment, I shook my head and let out a quick breath.
"Alright, I'm fine now. Let's go."
Actually, the rest of the evening was surprisingly enjoyable and everyone seemed determined to avoid any awkwardness so we laughed the whole evening through. We ended up not going dancing, just staying at the restaurant for dessert and then walking down to the beach. Neal, took my arm and determinedly steered me in the opposite direction from where Connor and Jill were walking and I nearly tripped I was so surprised. He let go almost immediately but my stomach was already tied in knots. After a few minutes of silence, he took my arm again and pulled me to a stop.
"Susie."
My heart immediately jumped into my mouth and I looked fixedly at my feet as he started talking.
"I promise that this wasn't my idea... Connor didn't even tell me what your names were before we arrived. I can imagine how you feel to be seeing me again and I'm so sorry if it's ruined your night."
Despite my nerves, I smiled. I was very aware that he still had my arm, although he seemed to have forgotten. Slowly, I met his eyes.
"You haven't ruined anything. It... it's been nice to see you again."
He drew a deep breath and hesitantly took my hand.
"Susie, I've missed you. It's been so long and I've regretted every day what I said and that I didn't fight harder. Susie, I'm so sorry."
Perhaps it was the shock of seeing him again, perhaps it was the moonlight on the beach, perhaps it was what I'd been wanting to say for two years now, I wasn't sure. But I felt tears threatening to fall and before I fully realized what I was doing, I reached up to stroke his cheek.
"I'm sorry too. Perhaps we were just too young to be engaged."
He took my other hand.
"Do you think... is there any chance that we could try again? See if it turned out differently?"
I met his eyes, remembering all the good memories from our four years together. Of course, I couldn't forget the bad times either but perhaps we could make it work. Something inside me stirred; an old ache that I only felt once in a while now and I wondered if I had ever actually stopped loving him or just learned to ignore it. Still...
"Neal, I want to. Truly, I do. But we're leaving for next term and..."
I could see disappointment in his eyes and I bit my lip.
"Maybe we could just focus on... being friends again, for now. When I get back maybe then we can see."
He smiled and squeezed my hand.
"I'm alright with that."
Returning the smile, I leaned into hug him without really thinking about it. But he accepted it without any of the stiffness that had been there earlier and I let myself just enjoy being in his arms again. When we pulled back, I looked up to say something but forgot immediately when I registered how close we were. For a moment, I couldn't breathe and we just stood staring at one another. I could very clearly remember how it felt to kiss him. But he smiled and I stepped back... now wasn't the time. My watch beeped and I looked down.
"Well I hate to say it, but Jill and I should probably head home, we still need to finish packing."