Fernweh

“Hey Kell, I just wanted to let you know that I made it to Hollywood so far,” Simone said, running a hand through her blonde hair. She was leaning against her car in the parking lot of a burger place.

“That’s good,” her friend said through the phone. “Are you spending the night out there or continuing on?”

“Not sure,” she said, “Probably gonna find a cheap motel and just leave early in the morning. I’m kind of tired.”

That was true enough. She’d spent the day packing her things and collecting her last paycheck and explaining to her dad. Of course, the hardest part had been breaking up with her derelict, near abusive boyfriend.

Simone had been ready to leave San Diego for a long time. She’d been ready to leave years ago. San Diego had brought her down. Now she was driving up the West Coast, her destination was Oregon.

“That’s probably a good idea. I have to go though okay? Ben’s being a pain in the ass and he insists on—” her voice cut off and she giggled. Simone grinned and rolled her eyes. “He’s just being a pain in my ass.”

“You wish I was a pain in your ass,” Simone heard Kelly’s boyfriend say in the background. Both girls shrieked with laughter, one in New York and the other in California.

“Okay, well for that one he deserves what he wants so I’ll call you later alright? Please don’t hesitate to call if anything happens, yeah?”

“You know I won’t. Thanks for everything.”

“It’s no problem,” she said, “Get a good night’s sleep.”

“Bye.”

As Simone hung up the phone, a huge black bus pulled into the parking lot. She watched it and then pushed herself off the side of the car and headed to the door of the restaurant. The teenager behind the counter took her order with a bored expression.

She waited for the food at the counter and as she found a seat, a group of rowdy guys walked in. She glanced in their direction and pulled a book out of her bag. Her eyes were tired from the two and a half hour drive but the book was extraordinarily addicting.

Within 10 minutes a body sat across from her. Simone looked up and wondered idly if this was some sort of joke. Today just wasn’t the day for it. As she looked at him though, her heart palpitated because she’d seen this face before.

“Hi,” he said, smiling.

“Hi,” she said, “I’m Simone. You’re Austin.”

His smile grew bigger if possible. She found herself smiling back at him. His smile was contagious. She folded the page of her book (which she never usually did) and placed it on the booth next to her.

“I knew you looked cool. You obviously are if you listen to my band,” he said. She nodded and then shrugged.

“I’m the coolest, man. You won’t find any cooler than me.”

“You have me convinced.”

“Of course I do its part of my mystique.”

They both smiled and Simone looked away. She noticed the rest of the band and other guys looking back at her and she quickly found her eyes looking at the floor. Her veins felt like ice and her heart beat near painfully fast.

“Mystique,” he chuckled quietly to himself, “So mysterious Simone, what exactly are you doing tonight?”

“Um, nothing really. I have to find a motel or something. I’m only passing through,” she explained. He nodded.

“Well then, you obviously have to hang out with us. We just got home from tour!” he said, excited. Simone smiled and nodded. He had her sold when she first saw his huge grin. “Cool! So you’re not from around here?”

“Nope, I’m from San Diego. I left home though. Going out into the great blue yonder and all that jazz, it’s an adventure.”

“And where might the great blue yonder be for you?” he asked.

“Oregon. I’ve always wanted to go there so I figured I might as well live there. My friend Kelly, she’s a real risk taker, she kind of talked me into it.”

“Hm, well that’s pretty neat,” he said, smiling and tilting his head. She shrugged and ate a French fry.

“It’s not that neat. I’m just another girl running away from her problems,” she said, looking down at her food tray.

Austin tilted his head at her and reached out to tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear. She looked up at him. “Somehow I find it hard to believe that you’re just another girl.”

“Well, thanks I guess.”

“You’re welcome.”

A silence fell between them. It was mildly comfortable, though Simone was hyperaware of his gaze on her. She rested her head in her hands and smiled at him lazily. “So what’s going on tonight?”

“Nothing really. Actually, I wish more was going on so I could impress you with how rockstar cool I am. I think we’re all just hanging out at my place or something.”

“Nah, that’s pretty cool. I’ve always wanted to see a rockstar in their natural habitat or whatever.”

He laughed loudly at that. She smiled to herself and glanced out the window at her car. She suddenly felt awkward. What did Austin Carlile want with her? She was, after all, an unusually normal person.

“I guess those idiots are done eating,” Austin said. They both looked over and saw the band making weird faces from outside, pressing their faces against the glass. Simone laughed. “So you wanna come with us?”

Simone weighed her options. She had an attractive male asking her to hang out and while his motives were mildly questionable, he seemed like a genuine person. On the other hand, she could go sit on a moldy bed in a cheap motel watching bad basic television all night.

“Yeah, sure I’ll come.”

It was the best decision she ever made.

*

“Remember the night that we first met?” Austin asked. Simone cuddled into him under the warm blankets and chuckled. He loved her laugh and kissed her forehead gently.

“Yeah, we all played hide and seek, Phil tackled me, and then I crashed on your sofa and you didn’t wake me up.”

“And risk never seeing you again because my friends are crazy? Besides, my sofa was more comfortable than some stupid motel bed,” he said, running his hand up and down his girlfriend’s arm.

“Why do you ask though? I mean, do you really think I could ever forget meeting you?”

“I guess it was a stupid question. I am fabulous, how could you forget?”

She hit his chest playfully and then sat up. The small bedroom was warm and there was snow falling lightly outside the bedroom window. Simone smiled down at her boyfriend and bounced out of bed.

“It’s Christmas Austin! C’mon let’s open presents!”

Austin got out of bed and threw a t-shirt on over his boxers. Simone went in the living room and sat on the floor next to their small Christmas tree. She pulled on a Santa hat and grinned up at her boyfriend.

“Here you go beautiful,” he said, handing her a pile of presents and then sitting on the floor in front of her. She pulled her pile for him from behind the Christmas tree. They both set to opening each other’s gifts.

They both knew exactly what to get the other and each got progressively more excited as they opened each present. As Simone reached her last present, Austin smiled and leaned his back against the couch.

Her eyes grew wide as she pulled the cover of a small necklace box open. It was a heart shaped locket and it looked very old. There were lace-like decorations engraved around the edges of it. She opened the small locket and on the inside were the words ‘Our Love Is Forever.’

She squealed and jumped into his lap, attaching her lips to his. She was ecstatic and she loved it. She loved it almost as much as she loved him. He wrapped his arms around her and she rested her head on his shoulder.

“I love it. I love you,” she whispered.

“I love you ten times more than you love me,” he said, “An infinity times more maybe. You will always be mine and I will always be yours.”

Her heart swelled and she looked into his eyes. “Promise me. Please promise me.”

“I promise baby. I promise you the world and I promise you my love until the end of my days.”

She kissed his forehead gently and then his lips just as soft. “I obviously promise you the same.”

They were quiet for a moment and then Austin reached for the box. He took the necklace out and Simone lifted her hair so he could put it on her. When the clasp was together, he kissed the back of her neck gently.

“Merry Christmas Austin.”

“Merry Christmas Simone.”