A/N: All right here you go. Just a shout out quickly to Anony for her reviews. You're a gem, thank you for taking a moment to drop a line. As you'll see you are right on track. Warning: There is some swears in this one, because we Americans have dirty mouths. Thanks for reading and drop a review if you have a moment. It helps.
Sophie walked thru LAX knackered. She had been on a plane for 10 hours, then security, then immigration. She'd been thru airports before while on family holiday, but never to the United States. Let's just say Americans take their air travel with a side of grumpy. Thank god she had arranged for a ride. She could barely stand.
Hayley was waiting for her outside security. Sophie had texted her while waiting in the security line. "Well you look like crap," Hayley laughed. "You know what I'm too tired to even fight back" Sophie smiled. Hayley threw her arms around her. "I've missed you" Hayley whispered into her neck. Sophie nodded. They separated and started walking towards the car park. "Here let me take this" Hayley took her carry-on bag.
Sophie just grunted in response. She was too tired to be stubborn.
They piled into Hayley's car.
"You do realize that for me it's the middle of the night tomorrow" Sophie said as she slumped in the seat.
"Yep, time travel's a bitch, huh?" Hayley said they pulled out onto the freeway.
"Welcome to Los Angeles where a 20 minute free way ride will take an hour minimum" Hayley sighed. The cars were bumper to bumper but at least they were moving. Inch by bloody inch. Sophie just closed her eyes and laid her head back. It was true that she had not come to LA for a holiday. She was here on a personal mission but still she would have liked to at least seen a palm tree. "It's okay" Sophie said squeezing the other girl's hand.
When Sophie had brought up Hayley on ichat and told her that she was coming, the girl didn't hesitate to offer her help. It was a bizarre coincidence that a girl from Manchester had two ex-girlfriends within 20 minutes of each other in another country. Sometimes Sophie wondered about her God's sense of humor. Either way she was glad that Hayley offered her a place to stay. Right now Sophie just needed a bed.
She was known on the street as the sensible Webster sister, but in many ways Sophie was just as impulsive as any one else in her family. The envelope had sat in her drawer for at least two weeks. She couldn't help but check to make sure that it was real and wouldn't disappear. Sometimes she worried that Ryan was just playing a cruel joke on her. That this was all part of some long time revenge plan like David Platt would devise. Perhaps he was still smarting from losing Sian to her so long ago. Then again he had claimed to be "over it." And had been a good mate since she had had her accident.
In the end she had decided that it was all worth the risk. Little did she know that Sian Powers had made it all the way to America. Honestly she had thought that she'd find her in Cambridge or even Oxford. Apparently it was never going to be that easy. Her ex-soul mate had fled the continent.
So it was to America that she had to go. Her mum had told her that she was mad. Rosie had demanded she take some of her headshots. Sophie had declined and Rosie had thrown a fit. At least she hadn't had to face her sister in person, it was a lot easier to deal with her tantrums over Skype. The rest of the street was all a stir with the goss. Why was she suddenly going over to the colonies all of a sudden they speculated? It clearly must have to do with that American girl that she was seen with, Sophie had heard whispered. Whatever, Sophie had sighed. She was used to being talked about. At least Dev had given her the time off.
She had been thinking, thinking, and thinking. She just needed to know. She needed to see her again. Even if it led to nothing. So she ripped that damn envelope open. And there was an address. It was one of the scariest things that she had ever done. It ranked right up there with kissing her and not being able to walk again. Sophie's heart had been in her throat. But once she saw what seemed to be a legitimate address then her mind started racing. She had spent so many years playing out the scene in her head. What she would say, what she would do. It was basically all apologies from her. It was all long due really.
So here she was, and maybe tomorrow she would be face-to-face with her and it was staggering. Sophie had run a million possible scenarios, but she was convinced that it was necessary for her to be happy. She had to sort things out with Sian Powers. She just had to.
"Oh look! The traffic is finally fucking clearing!" Hayley cheered. She cheered loudly, while Sophie gave a quick whoo-hoo. They were finally moving. Maybe Sophie would make it to a bed after all.
They were sitting in the couch watching the news when Hayley went and set it on mute.
"So when am I taking you over to UCLA tomorrow?" Hayley said as she blew over her green tea. She had stocked up on tea bags knowing that Sophie preferred tea over coffee. It was a Brit thang she guessed.
"I guess mid-afternoon? I have to get over the jet lag and then get myself ready so" Sophie guessed.
"Well UCLA classes are scheduled pretty regularly so, we can take a guess at when she'll be back to her place and have time to talk to you" Hayley added. She stretched herself out as they sat on her sofa.
Hayley's flat was pretty good. Sophie didn't know how it ranked by American standards but by Manchester standards it seemed all right. Of course there was only one bed. Hayley insisted that her and Sophie could still share it. They could be grown ups. It didn't mean they had to have sex.
"And you are way too tired to satisfy me anyway" Hayley replied. Sophie hated to admit it but Hayley was right. This jet lag was killing her.
So for that reason they were lying next to each other in the same bed. While Sophie was not althogether happy with it, she wasn't able to turn down Hayley's offer. There was no way her back was going to be able to put up with that hardwood floor.
"Sophie, Well was she your first?" Hayley asked. Hayley was clearly fishing for "Sian Powers" back history, Sophie knew.
"If we must then, Yes she was" Sophie laughed. She took a sip of her tea, keeping her eyes on Hayley. They were both friendly. Hayley laughed.
"I just realized that we hadn't shared our firsts Soph" Hayley offered.
"All right then, it's a long story but Sian and I were best friends and I fell in love with her" Sophie put it simply. "Then she broke up with her boyfriend and I kissed her. And then everything fell into place. I knew who I was and she freaked out but eventually she realized that she loved me and it was amazing" Sophie sighed.
"Well what happened?" Hayley asked breathlessly.
"I blew it. Sian loved me and I threw it away carelessly" Sophie tried to explain as easily as she could. After all this time, it still hurt. "What about you?" Sophie asked.
"Her name was Kaitee and we were 12 and I loved her" Hayley answered. She went to refill her coffee cup.
"We got busted making out by my dad" Hayley finished. "Wow" Sophie exclaimed.
"Yeah, but according to Kaitee we were just "practicing" so that put an end to it. But I told my dad the truth and he went ballistic but eventually he understood" Hayley ended it.
"But that wasn't your first time eh?" Sophie smirked.
"Oh my first time? Well that was with Samantha Dobbs, head cheerleader. She rocked my world" Hayley smirked.
"How so?" Sophie inquired.
"First girl to go down on me. Her tongue was amazing, but she wasn't gay" Hayley smirked.
"Whut?" Sophie asked.
"Well she just wanted to know what it was like. She didn't care about me. Inside," Hayley shrugged. "We don't all get to have our first times with people we care about" Hayley finished.
"I'm sorry" Sophie said. And she was. It reminded her how lucky Sophie had been.
"Well, you just find that soul mate of yours tomorrow girl" Hayley said as she yawned. She stretched out her muscles and layed back into the pillows. Sophie was still tired out from the day.
"Tomorrow" Sophie whispered as she closed her eyes.