A Photograph of You & I

Bam showed up exactly twenty minutes after he'd hung up with me. I was just slipping into my Vans when there was a thundering knock on the door. I swung it open and a pink nosed Bam stood before me.

"Hey Rudolph." I greeted, my sarcasm seeming a little more venomous than good-natured.

"Oh shut it. My nose isn't red y'know." He stammered, the cold affecting him more than it usually did.

"Not yet anyway."

He glared at me and then a look of remembrance crossed his features as he lit up excitedly. "You need to come with me, right this second."

"Why?"

"I have a surprise for you."

"If Ville is waiting for me somewhere with a huge fuckin' bow on his head then I'm not going."

"No...but that's a good idea too..." He took out his cell phone and I snatched it from his hand faster than I believed possible.

"You will not make this any more difficult Bam. I'm serious, I've said my good-byes and despite the fact that they were the single hardest thing for me to do, it's done and over. I need to move on."

I said this more to convince myself of this than him. He seemed to understand that and shrugged as he took his phone back from my relaxed grip.

"I promise this has almost nothing to do with Ville. I also promise it has nothing to do with seeing him in person. AND this outing of ours involves Vanilla Chai with whipped cream and I know you won't pass that up."

My lip trembled as I fought with my decision. A day trip that almost didn't involve Ville wasn't exactly what I'd been hoping for but the Chai helped.

"Alright." I grumbled. "Let's get going."

He grinned and swung me up over his shoulder as he called a hello and goodbye to my mother who shouted the same quick greetings and farewells.

"I can walk y'know." I groaned as he readjusted my small frame on his shoulder.

"Yeah, but today is going to be Aina & Bam time - and what would that time be without a little discomfort on your part?"

"A hell of a lot more bearable."

"Oh shut up."

I giggled and he opened the passenger side door and practically hurled me in. I situated myself on the seat and buckled myself in. Knowing Bam's driving it would more than likely prove very helpful.

"So, where to?"

"To get your fuckin' Chai because you'll piss and moan until you get it."

"You know me so well." I chuckled, all the tears and anguish of the early afternoon soon melted away as I allowed myself a few hours of escape from the real world.

Ville's P.O.V

"That was her on the phone wasn't it?" Jonna demanded for the thousandth time in an hour. "Wasn't it?"

I remained stoic as I tried my best to ignore her. I was also trying to remember what I had ever seen in her in the first place. How stupid could I have been to believe that anyone could replace Aina in my heart? Or find someone who could even attempt to fill the void that now consumed me?

I'd been a damned fool, and I would see myself as such until my dying day.

"Why won't you answer me? Oh I know, because it was!" She accused validly and I finally turned to face her.

"Yes, Jonna. It was Aina."

She sighed. "Well damnit Ville, she's out of your life now. Me, you, and our child is your future - not her."

"Shut up." I murmured, walking out into the hallway with her chastising me for leaving during our 'conversation'. Pff, more like showdown.

I pitied the child who would be born to Jonna and I. All it would know would be fighting and I hated the idea of bringing an innocent into our midst.

"So, did she always yell at you like that or is it a recent development?" Ryan Dunn was leaned up against the wall and smoking a cigarette. A can of beer was beside him and I looked at it longingly.

"It's recent." I replied as I took the can that he offered me. I took several large sips of the liquid it contained and grimaced for some inexplicable reason.

"Oh so she does have redeeming qualities?"

"Ryan please don't start this with me. You knew her when I first met her - you know there's good in her."

"Yeah when you dig for it."

I sighed heavily and cradled my head in my hands.

"I don't see how you could choose someone so wrong over someone that is so right." He mused. It seemed as though he was trying to incite my temper.

"Because I have responsibilities Ryan."

"Who even really knows if it is your responsibility. What if she went out, fucked some guy, doesn't know who he is and is now laying the burden on you."

"I doubt it."

"You know you've been considering it being the truth."

"I know."

"So why not ask?"

"It's highly unlikely. Jonna's not the type to sleep around."

"Pff." He snorted and I just sighed again. A silence settled between us that was both comfortable and awkward. It was somewhere in the middle that was just as calming and expectant. Ryan was the first to end it.

"You know, Aina's leaving tomorrow."

"I know that."

"We should go say goodbye or something."

"We?"

"Well yeah."

"Why we?"

He looked at me as though I was missing something that should have been read between the lines. "She's my friend too." He answered though I realized there was something more.

"What does Bam have planned?" I asked, the suspicion in my voice was clearly unmasked.

Ryan bit the inside of his cheek for a long time and paused from that action to take several drags on his cigarette. I took my own pack out and listened to Jonna's grumbling though the thick wooden door.

"Well...?" I prodded, finally growing tired of the annoying silence that had settled around us.

"We're going to London."

I nearly fell over on my side as I heard their impending destination. "You're what?"

Aina's P.O.V

I shook a little as Bam drove me back home, my third cup of Vanilla Chai was almost gone and I relished the last few sips. I also peered at the four CD cases in my hand and wished that I'd reconsidered my decision to come with Bam.

He'd deemed it necessary for me to own these four CD's, all by Ville's band. Apparently he was new to this whole, 'dealing with a girl after she's had her heart ripped from her chest' thing.

"Anyway, you've got like a jillion hour flight so those should keep you occupied.

"Mmhmm." I mumbled and shoved the CD's into my purse. The picture of Ville on the hot pink CD seemed to be staring at me and it became intolerable.

"Well, here we are." Bam pulled to a stop out front of my mother's house. The lights were on and an unfamiliar car was in the driveway.

"What the..." I didn't complete my sentence as Bam and I both exited the car. I bounded toward the stairs but Bam caught hold of me.

"Wait." He said and I turned back to see his eyes were shining with some brand new emotion that seemed to confuse even himself.

"Yeah?"

"I just wanted to tell you..." He paused, seeming as though he were completely unsure of how to approach his next comment.

"Go on..."

He inhaled deeply as though bracing himself. "Aina, I'm coming to London with you."

"You're what?" I asked incredulously.

"Listen to me for a sec. I'm not sure if the conversation ever drifted to this particular subject between you and Ville." I cringed when I heard his name for some incredibly odd reason. Bam gave me a look then continued.

"Anyway, he and Jonna have a flat in London."

My face fell obnoxiously and I contemplated just falling to the ground and burying myself alive beneath the frozen earth.

"Of fucking COURSE!" I screamed, cussing loud enough for my well-to-do neighbors to hear. I imagined some of the looks on their faces momentarily.

"Listen to me. I'm going to make sure that things run smoothly alright?"

"I'll bet. This is probably some harebrained scheme to find the loophole in their relationship isn't it?" I accused and his face betrayed his guilt.

"No." He lied and my eyes narrowed.

"Whatever. I'm going in." This time he didn't stop me and I trudged toward the door while simultaneously trying to think up ways to deter Bam from his newest plan.

"Aina wait!" Bam called urgently as I turned the knob to the front door. I looked back to see him staring wide-eyed as he looked from the house to the strange car to me.

"No, I'm going in."

"STOP!" He roared as he raced toward me and I swung the door open in front of me.

"What in the hell are you doing here?" I yelled angrily as I pointed to the intruder that was engaged in a stare down with my mother.