I Guess This Is Growing Up

I closed my eyes, my best friend next to me. This feeling was all too familiar, except this time we were coming to Maryland, instead of leaving it. She had all the items that she planned on selling shipped to our hotel in New York and she was currently fast asleep in the seat next to me.

Her newly auburn hair was in a ponytail, ripped up skinny jeans, flip flops and the Hurley jacket was on her torso. She didn’t look anything like a fashion designer, but then again, she could play the part of a shirt designer. I only knew she was asleep because she had been quiet.

I felt a tap next to me, and turned my head. “You and your friend are pretty.” The little girl next to me said a smile on her face.

I smiled back, “Thank you.”

“My mommy is from America. I’m visiting her mommy. That’s why I’m by myself.” I smiled, “I’m from America too.”

Her dark blue eyes widened, “Really?”

“Mmhmm.” I smiled at her, “I grew up in France, and then moved to America with my parents. When I graduated from high school, I came to England with my best friend, who is like my sister.”

“Is that her?” she asked, gesturing to Evan. I nodded, “Yeah.” The auburn haired girl shifted and yawned and uncurled from her seat.

She took off her sunglasses and the younger girl next to me smiled shyly. “Hi.” She said. Evangeline grinned. “Hey.”

“I like your hair.” She said and Evangeline smiled. “Thank you.”

The three of us talked, and she had talked us into playing a card game with her.

A few hours later we were landing, and we helped her off the plane. There was young looking elderly woman that the girl ran to. As we walked by we could hear her talking to the woman excitedly.

When we walked out of the airport, we caught a cab and went to the hotel. When we got there, her boxes were waiting for her, and they told us that they would send them up. We yawned and both curled up on our beds. After a few minutes, she asked me softly, “How does it feel to be in America for the first time since we left?”

“Right now? A lot of fucking jet lag.” She laughed and then we both fell asleep from the exhaustion from the flight. I was woken up by a knocking at the door, but Evangeline silenced that quickly much to my pleasure. After I heard the door shut, I snuggled deeper into the sheets and went back to sleep.

A few hours later, we both got up and decided to go out to eat. As we got dressed, I noticed that she was wearing the leather jacket that Zack had given her. I half smiled, knowing that she loved that jacket and hadn’t worn it since we had left. I was digging through my bag and saw the necklace and earrings that Jack had given me; I hadn’t remembered packing them. I saw Evangeline looking non-chalent and I half smiled, shaking my head.

My fingers wrapped around both items, and I put the key back. That one held too much meaning. I slipped the earrings into the holes and then we were off. We caught a cab to a sushi place, and I felt eyes on us as we walked in. My hair had gotten longer since I was last in America, and I knew that Evan would be virtually unrecognizable.

We slid into our booth seats, and she ordered us some sake, and flashed our fake I.D.’s. The waitress looked at them, and shrugged. They were our I.D.’s from when we had lived here, and were kinda old, but useful in times like these.

A few hours later, we were just walking around New York. “Did you tell your parents that we were coming?” She asked as we headed to a club. I nodded, “Yeah. Did you call yours?” she shook her head.

“No. I haven’t really talked to them that much since we left.” I looked at her shocked.

“Why?”

She bit her lip, “They became really close with the Merrick’s while we were dating. And when we would talk, they would tell me about how well Zack was doing. And the last time was how he had a new girlfriend.”

“How long ago was that?” I asked, knowing how much this must hurt her.

“About two months ago.” She said softly.

“Around the time you and Pierre started dating.” I stated. She averted her gaze and I sighed, running my hand through my dirty blonde hair. “You should call them. Let them know we’re here.”

“I guess. Maybe later, though.” We headed inside, and once the alcohol was flowing in her veins she became happier.

At two in the morning, we left the club and she had a grin on her face. I knew it was the alcohol in her veins. I smiled as we stumbled to a cab and got in. Inside, I looked out the window, and felt my heart leap into my throat as I saw a group of guys walking down the sidewalk, and when our cab stopped and we got out; I realized that the group of boys were headed to the same hotel.

I heard one of them say, “Those girls look hot!” I recognized the voice as Vinny, and I pulled Evangeline inside. In my defense, I only knew it was Vinny because of the videos of the guys that my co-workers watched while we were supposed to be working.

She laughed as we walked in, and up to our room. Walking inside, she headed straight to the bathroom and started her bath. She walked out and grabbed her p.j.’s. and then walked back in. I sighed and plopped down on my bed, taking off my heels.

Twenty minutes later she emerged, and smiled at me. “Your turn.” I rolled my eyes and took my own p.j.’s into the bathroom, and filled up the Jacuzzi jetted tub. I sat down and let the warm water relax my body. Tonight had been a close call. I had a feeling that we would probably run into Vinny again soon. I knew that he lived in New York, and figured that since they were in the same hotel as us, we would run into them.

That would just be our luck.

I didn’t want to see Jack.

I was still hurt how he handled things, and even though it had been two years, I still wasn’t ready to face him again. I had had the last word, and I planned on keeping it that way. Later on when I was trying to sleep, I heard Evangeline get up and walk outside to the balcony. I waited a few minutes and then joined her.

“What happens if we see them again?” she asked softly. “What happens when we see them and all of those old feelings that we’ve tried to shove down come to the surface?”

I bit my lip, knowing that she was right. If I were ever face-to-face with Jack Barakat again I would probably hit him and then make-out with him. I sighed, “I don’t know. But hopefully we won’t have to find that out.”

She nodded and we came back inside and laid down. She was laying in hers for a few minutes, then got out of her bed and climbed into mine. We faced each other and we both knew that in theory this was a good plan. We would come and not run into them. But in reality, we knew that we would probably run into them. It was just the way the world worked.

When we awoke the next morning, my mind and body were still groggy; but we got dressed and went downstairs to get some breakfast in the café. Afterwards we went back upstairs and sent the t-shirts down, and then caught a cab. Walking up to the park where the festival was taking place, some staff members carried the boxes to the table.

After setting up, we walked around, looking at all of the other booths. There was one that was KillBrand, and then Glamour Kills. We had heard of both, and seen the guys sporting the clothing. When the park became open to the public we walked back to our booth, and soon different people came up.

Apparently she had somewhat of a fan base overseas, and so her shirts were selling fast. And just as I had assumed the two coupled shirts were almost all gone.

“Do you have the green eyed girl one in medium?” a girl’s voice asked snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked at the boxes and then shook my head, “No sorry, but we do have a small.” She bit her lip and then bought it. A guy came up behind her, and his voice called out, “Is that Mickey Mouse on that shirt?”

I looked up and my eyes met those of Matt Flyzik. I felt my heart leap into my throat and Evan walked over. She gave them a smile, and Matt asked her, “Is that Mickey Mouse on that one?” she shook her head.

“Non.” She then whispered to me and I nodded.

“No, she can’t legally put Mickey Mouse on it because of the Disney Trademark.” Matt grinned and nodded, “Okay. I’ll take one in medium.”

A few moments later, when they had walked off; the girl asking if we were going to both be at the fashion show tomorrow, and me telling her that we would be. When the night was falling, we packed up and a few guys came over and asked Evangeline if she needed help with the boxes. I was busy helping the last customer and wasn’t able to be there to ‘translate’ for her.

“Que?” I hurried over after I finished helping the girl.

“Sorry, she knows very little English.” She shot me a smirk. “I’m Amanda, and this is Evangeline.”

“I’m Marky.” Said the guy with the beard and glasses.

“Jonny.” Said the other, “So do you need help with your boxes?”

I nodded giving them a smile, “Sure.” They helped us carry the leftover shirts to the car that we had rented around lunch time. After all the tents had been taken down, and basically everyone had left, Jonny and Marky invited us out to eat.

“Sure, sounds great.” I responded with a smile, and I sensed that something was going to come from it.

I just didn’t know what.