World Tour

“Alright, one last picture before you hit the road.”

“But mom, that’s what you said about the last one,” whined the girl with bright purple hair and a smile.

“I know that, but I may never see my baby girl again,” sighed the older woman in return with a sad smile of her own.

“Come on, Laura, give the kid a break. You’ll see her again,” chuckled the older man with crow’s feet and already graying hair.

“Yeah mom, I’ll be back before you know it. You’ll see me on holidays, laundry days, weekends…,” she trailed off watching as her mother grew teary eyed.

“I know, but do you have to go so far away? There’s still time to register for classes at the community college and you won’t even have to pay rent,” pleaded the girl’s mother.

“Laura,” said her father in that tone he got when even he knew that it was a losing battle.

“Oh alright, you win, but just one last picture, please,” pouted the older woman causing the other two to grown as they rolled their eyes, but smiled nonetheless. At this she perked up holding up the camera, “Alright, stand next to each other in front of the car and say, ‘Graduate’.”

“Graduate,” they said in unison as the camera shuttered, capturing that moment for years to come.

“Cony! Oh Cony!” Startled by the loud intrusion he fell out of his chair with a yelp. Rubbing his butt Conrad looked up to see his best friend, Torreon, standing him over clenching his sides as he was doubled over in fits of laughter.

“What the hell, dude? That was right in my ear, and what did I say about calling me that,” he said, rubbing his head as he stood up picking the computer chair up in the process.

“Oh you know you like it, Cony,” he retorted wiping away tears as he attempted to sit down in the now upright chair. However, Conrad pulled the chair out from under him causing the other man to fall on his ass this time.

“No, I don’t like it, Tory,” he smirked, watching as his friend glared at him for calling him that more than the chair thing.

“Fuck off,” he growled rubbing his ass now as he stood up.

“Says the guy barging into people’s homes unannounced,” sitting back in his computer chair swiveling around to look at Torreon. “Now, what did you want? I have work to get back to,” he said, as he turned back to his work.

“Please, you were day dreaming about what’s her name again. Besides, how can I barge in when I have a spare key,” he stated matter-of-factly.

Choosing to ignore that last part Conrad shook his head, “No I wasn't. I was thinking about my job, and what I was going to do next with it.”

“Uhu, sure,” he said, rolling his as he plopped down on his friend’s bed. “Dude, when are you going to stop fantasizing about a girl half way across the world and go for one that’s, I don’t know, here? Besides, I hear Loraine is single again,” he suggested with a wink.

Rolling his eyes Conrad turned back to his computer, “Don’t you have anything better to do on a Saturday than bug me the whole time?”

“Yeah, like taking you out and getting you laid, or at least, out of the house,” he said, standing up to stretch.

“I’m busy,” Conrad huffed, not looking away from the screen.

“Oh come on, one night out won’t kill you. Besides, when is that job even due?”

“Two weeks from now.”

“And how long have you been working on it without any down time?”

“Two weeks…”

“That settles it then, you’re coming out tonight with us and there ain't nothing you can do about it,” he said, as he clapped his hand on the other man’s shoulder receiving a quick glare from him.

Sighing heavily as he massaged the bridge of his nose, he asked, “Will you stop bothering me if I do?”

“Yes.”

“Fine, I’ll go, but let me check the mail first,” he said, getting up and stretching as he did so before grabbing his keys to which Torreon rolled his eyes.

At the mailbox he sifted through looking for one in particular. Just as he had almost given up hope, there it was, the letter he’d been waiting for. Shoving it in his back pocket he went inside, tossed the other stuff on the table, and walked out to meet Torreon and the others.

“Woo! Let’s get our drink on,” shouted Torreon, as the two of them climbed into Mark’s car.

Honestly, Conrad was more excited to read the letter and see the latest pictures from his mystery girl. It had been a couple of months since the last one, and he was curious as to where she had gone this time. Much like the others these no name, or return address on the envelope. Just the initials D.H. in the left corner, and mom and dad above his address in the center. Though his friends insisted that he find out who her parents were and give them the letters, there was a part of him that had no desire to do that. He was enjoying being able to share in this stranger’s adventures from afar. He’d reasoned that once they stopped coming he’d give the letters resealed to her parents, wherever they were, as if nothing had happened. But for now, he would stick to storing them in an old shoe box in his closet with all of the pictures that came with them. All in hopes of maybe one day meeting the mystery girl with a tattoo of the world on her back.