Somebody That I Used to Know

It wasn't the fact that she was here. It wasn't that she just happened to be invited to the same cocktail party as Mark, or that she worked for the sister company of his. It was that she was ignoring him. It was the fact that Norah Ashton was standing next to some man in a stuffy suit drinking a martini, pretending Mark didn't exist.

You'd think she's be a bit more mature about all this. He thought, watching her carefully from his table across the room. Beside him, his boss's wife was trying to make a pass at him, the youngest attorney at the firm and the handsomest young man at the party. Mark tried his best to ignore her, but it was difficult when she was constantly chatting his ear off.

But didn't she look stunning. Norah, in that pretty black dress and those pearls draped around her neck. She was a gorgeous young woman, much older, much different from the beautiful girl he used to know.

"Go Mark, you can do it!"

Norah watched on the sidelines as Mark squinted, eyeing the stack of milk bottles carefully. He pulled his arm back, wound it up, and threw the softball straight at the target, knocking them all down. Norah went crazy, running over and leaping into his arms.

"Yes! Yes, you did it!" Mark laughed, lowering her back on her feet and smiling down at her.

"I told you I could." He grabbed the big stuffed animal the grumbling fair employee handed him, giving it to Norah.

"Thank you." She smiled, hugging the bear to her chest. Mark leaned down and quickly pressed his lips to hers in a kiss, but was immediately pulled back when he tried to move away. Smiling, Mark wrapped his arms around her waist and deepened the kiss.

"I love you." Norah breathed, when they finally pulled away.

"I love you too."

Mark watched, annoyed, as Norah made her way over to his boss, making small talk and smiling at his corny jokes. She could talk to everyone in this god damn party, but she couldn't even look at him. It'd been a good 7 years since they'd seen each other, 7 years. He wasn't asking for her to wrap him in her arms in a welcoming hug, he just wanted a simple hello. Something similar to the adult behavior he was sure she was capable of at 25.

But Norah was never good at confrontation, he knew that. He more than anyone should know just how far she would go not to get her hands dirty.

"Amy, I know you know where she went. Why won't you tell me?"

The blonde frowned, looking Mark in the eye. "You know why." She said harshly. "She doesn't want to see you. Why can't you accept it?"

"Because she's my girlfriend." Mark shouted. "I love her, and I want to see her right now. Right now, Amy."

Amy looked down sadly, sighing before picking up the big box at her feet. It was the last one, all of Norah's other things were downstairs in Amy's car. Of course Amy hadn't wanted to go to Mark's when Norah had asked, this was the exact thing she'd been hoping to avoid. Why couldn't she just leave her things with him, Amy had wondered. All she had left were a few clothes and some of her records. But Norah insisted, and Amy would do anything for her best friend.

"Mark," She finally said, "Just give up. It's over."

Norah gave the older man a fake smile, wishing she could be anywhere but here. She didn't like business parties and she didn't like small talk. Most of all, she didn't like having Mark here. She'd avoided him for years, making sure she'd never have to see him again. She moved to a new state, she changed her number, she moved into a small apartment and poured herself into her school work. She hadn't stopped working all through law school, hoping it would keep her mind busy. She didn't like thinking about her old love, and so she didn't. Until tonight, that is. Until she could feel his eyes on her, boring into her back.

Slowly, hoping not to grab attention, she looked over her shoulder. There he sat, his eyes on her, and it all came back.

"You know that nice restaurant that just opened up, around the corner? Well, I thought it'd be nice to go there for our anniversary this weekend. What do you think?"

Norah quickly glanced over at Mark, her sweet green eyes meeting his briefly before turning back to the road, her delicate pink lips set in a soft smile. Mark shrugged.

"Yeah okay, some food sounds good."

Norah bit her lip, watching the road. Quickly, she laughed, removing one hand from the wheel to lightly push Mark's shoulder and get his attention.

"Not funny, seriously. My cousin said she could get us a reservation. Do you want to?"

"Yeah yeah, okay. Let's do it."

Norah nodded, smiling as she drove.

His wild curly hair was gone, now professionally cut and quaffed, but it was still him. Still the same old Mark, watching her with those all knowing brown eyes. Letting out a breath, Norah looked away and excused herself from the man she'd been talking too. Finding a waiter, she gave him her empty martini glass and grabbed a new one off the tray.

The key, she thought to herself, is to pretend you don't notice. She could do that, surely.

She could stay for a few hours, chat to the important business people, and leave without having to say a word to him. She was never supposed to see him again, she long since closed that chapter. The thought of even being in the same room as him had killed her for years, and now here they were. Dancing around each other in fear of a confrontation.

Stealing another glance, Norah saw Mark's eyes still trained on her. She looked away quickly.
It appeared she was the only one dancing.

"Are you ready to order, Miss?"

Norah jumped in her seat, caught off guard by the waitress at her table. She looked around the restaurant, dissapointed by what she didn't see. Or rather, who.

"No, just give it another few minutes. He should be here soon."

The waitress nodded, giving Norah a pitying look before departing. Norah sighed, slumping farther into her seat. She took her phone out of her bag and checked her empty messages for the fifth time. The time caught her eye, and she gasped. It was almost 9 o'clock, and Mark was almost an hour late. Biting her lip, as she often did when she was unhappy, Norah rested her head on the table and tried not to cry.

She hated when Mark did this. He promised. He promised he'd come to dinner, and he promised he'd be at her sister's birthday party, and he'd promised he'd visit her in the hospital when she got in that small fender bender. He'd promised he'd stop staying out all night, promised he wouldn't drink as much, and he swore he'd stop being so mean. He promised Norah the sly, hurtful comments would stop.

Mark was always bad with promises.

Norah quickly dialed Mark's number, not surprised when it went to voicemail after a few rings.

"Miss?" Someone gently tapped her shoulder, and Norah swiveled around to see who it was. She was disappointed to see the waitress was back.

"We need the table," The waitress said gently. "And I don't think your date is coming."

Norah looked away, biting her lip. After a moment, she nodded. "You're right." She stood and gathered her jacket and purse, turning to the sweet waitress. "I'm sorry for wasting your time." She quickly left before the nice waitress could see her cry.

It was almost unbearable, being at that party. All Mark wanted to do was get up and go talk to her, demand an answer. Why the hell did you leave it like that? Why'd you run away? Why'd you have to stop talking to me, pretend I didn't exist, like we were nothing? Mark and Norah had been together for five years, since freshman year. She was the love of his life, nothing was more important than her. Were they perfect? No, of course not. They fought like cats and dogs, but it was worth it to him. He had still loved her, and was willing to stick it out. For a good two years, he called her everyday -even though he knew it was the wrong number. He asked her friends where she was, even though they never told him. He almost failed out of school. After three years he finally got off his ass and realized what this was doing to him. He was clinging on to her because he never got a real goodbye, not because he still wanted her. No, he didn't need her. But it hurt that she could cut him off so easily, and for awhile that's what he hung on to. He hated her, he would seethe at the very thought of her.

But people change, and as you get older, your wounds heal. Mark was only left with a scar of what once was, and that was okay. Now and then he'd look at the scar and remember the good days, the bad times, and the painful leftovers. All that he had now was a box of memories, and that was fine.
Norah didn't have to deal with him from another state, but it shocked Mark that she could still ignore him when he was right here. Norah wasn't the girl he used to know, and he wasn't the same stupid 18 year old.

"Where are you going?"

Mark quickly followed Norah as she angrily picked up whatever she saw was hers. A hair brush, three pairs of shoes, her old sweater.

"What does it look like, Mark? I'm leaving. I'm done."

"Because I made a joke in front of my friends?"

"Because you stood me up, Mark!" She yelled. "Because you didn't come to dinner, and you didn't pick up the phone, or call and let me know, and you talk back to my mother, and you yell at me for no reason, and yes!" She stopped to pick up a nearby picture of the two of them and throw it at a shocked Mark. It missed. "Because I spend all night making you and your stupid friends dinner and you call me your fucking maid."

"It was a joke-"

"It's always a joke to you, Mark. But I'm not laughing, I'm done."

Norah continued her fast pace to the door, grabbing anything she could. Her hand stopped at a teddy bear sitting on the couch. Mark looked from the bear, which he'd won for her, to Norah, who's face had dropped and was looking at the bear with tears in her eyes.

"Norah, I love you!"

In an instant she was back, and walking to the door, the bear left on the couch. And instead of a reply, Mark was met with a slamming door.

Norah leaned over and splashed water in her face, looking up at her reflection. The party seemed to last an eternity. Every time her eyes met Mark's her heart would speed up and she felt like she was going to throw it up. She hated seeing him, she hated this party, she hated herself for feeling like this. She wanted to go home.

Grabbing a napkin and drying her face, Norah made her way out of the bathroom. She made it five feet and was about to join the party again when she, looking at the floor, bumped right into someone.

Mark's heart dropped when his eyes met Norah's. He backed up quickly, his eyes widened in shock. Shit, he cursed to himself.

"Hi Norah." He finally said.

This could only happen to me, Norah thought. She bit her lip and stared at Mark, trying to speak.

"Hello Mark." She said stiffly, before moving around him. Mark quickly latched onto her wrist and pulled her back to face him.

"What?" She demanded harshly. Mark could only stare, looking into her eyes, searching for the Norah he used to know.

"Nothing." He said, releasing her. "Sorry."

Norah walked away, fists clenched, once again joining the party. She had to leave, she decided, and quickly found her boss to let him know she was leaving. She rushed to her car and didn't noticed till she was in her driver's seat there was something pressed into her hand. She unclenched her fist and looked at the small slip of paper in shock. She read it once, twice, over and over until the letters and numbers blurred together.

Call me, maybe? We should catch up. 201-577-890 ~Mark

Biting her lip, Norah crumbled the slip of paper and tossed it somewhere in the back seat, not sure if she would open it again later or if it would collect seat under the seats.