Cherry
one
Scarlett's dyed black hair, cut short into a choppy bob, was messy and unkempt. Her usual bright green eyes were full of sadness. Her breathe was minty as she chewed nervously on a piece of gum. She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "I'm leaving tomorrow. Going to stay with my aunt in New York for awhile." She said, her eyes refusing to meet his.
"How long?" Roman asks, his voice soft.
"I don't know..."
"Why? Why are you leaving now? Things are going so good."
"Good? Are you kidding me?" She shakes her head, trying to keep from crying. "Things haven't been good for awhile, Ro." She finally looks at him, but he's so angry. She was finally his after years of friendship. They'd only been together a few months, but he loved her more than anything. "I don't want to leave like this." She says, taking his hand in hers, but he pulls it away.
"What does it matter? You're still leaving." He replies before turning to walk away.
"Ro." She says walking after him.
"I've loved you for a long time, Scarlett. We made plans! We were gonna go to college together, and travel and get married and start a family, what happened to that?"
"You made those plans, Roman. I don't know if that's what I want, but I know I will never find out if I stay here. I am not happy here, and I won't ever be unless I see what the rest of the world has to offer."
"I can't believe this. I honestly..." He shakes his head. "You know, it sounds like you've made up your mind, this conversation is pointless."
That was the last time they saw each other, so imagine his shock when he's picking out the perfect Thanksgiving turkey for dinner with his fiancee's family, and he looks up to see her, standing just a few feet away.
She doesn't notice him, and he almost didn't recognize her. The once choppy, black mop of hair was no grown out, and returned to her natural red shade. She's fixated on something, but his unwavering gaze is felt. Her bright green eyes dance around the room until they land on his. She smiles, but he can't return the gesture.
"I was wondering when I'd run into you." She says coolly.
"You're back." He responds. His thoughts racing with a million questions and those were the only two words that could form.
"Yeah, my dad..." She trails off.
"I know, I heard."
"He just needs some help." She glances away before changing the subject. "You look great, finally filled out" She says squeezing his arm. Roman has always been tall and skinny, but weeks of surviving on nothing but ramen and energy drinks at college helped him put on some weight. She always poked fun, knowing it was his biggest insecurity.
"Uh, yeah." He replies and she slowly releases her grasp.
"Roman? Did you find a turkey yet?" Taylor calls as she rounds the corner digging through her purse for her ringing phone.
"I did." He says as his eyes dart from her to Scarlett.
"Good, that's mom now." She says, pressing ignore on her phone and dropping it back into her purse before looking up at me.
"You remember Scarlett, right?"
"Wow! I didn't even recognize you, Scarlett!" Taylor exclaims before embracing the unsuspecting girl into her arms.
"It's nice seeing you, too, Taylor! Are you guys..."
"Engaged!" Taylor cheers and extends her left hand out to show off her large diamond. "I still need to grab some wine for Mom, I'll meet you at the checkout?" Taylor says, kissing Roman on the cheek before disappearing back down an aisle.
"Wow," Scarlett says, surprised. "When did that happen?"
"Just a few months ago, but we got together Sophomore year at Lanebrooke."
"I never would have guessed." She responds, and he can see the flash of judgement in her eye.
"You've been gone five years, Scarlett. A lot changes in five years." He says, feeling the need to defend himself.
"I know. I changed, too." She says, her eyes sad as they gaze into his.
"I should go." Roman finally says.
"We should get coffee sometime. Here's my number." She says writing on a small piece of paper she dug out of her purse. He takes it hesitantly and shoves it deep into his pocket before walking off to find his fiancee.
"How long?" Roman asks, his voice soft.
"I don't know..."
"Why? Why are you leaving now? Things are going so good."
"Good? Are you kidding me?" She shakes her head, trying to keep from crying. "Things haven't been good for awhile, Ro." She finally looks at him, but he's so angry. She was finally his after years of friendship. They'd only been together a few months, but he loved her more than anything. "I don't want to leave like this." She says, taking his hand in hers, but he pulls it away.
"What does it matter? You're still leaving." He replies before turning to walk away.
"Ro." She says walking after him.
"I've loved you for a long time, Scarlett. We made plans! We were gonna go to college together, and travel and get married and start a family, what happened to that?"
"You made those plans, Roman. I don't know if that's what I want, but I know I will never find out if I stay here. I am not happy here, and I won't ever be unless I see what the rest of the world has to offer."
"I can't believe this. I honestly..." He shakes his head. "You know, it sounds like you've made up your mind, this conversation is pointless."
That was the last time they saw each other, so imagine his shock when he's picking out the perfect Thanksgiving turkey for dinner with his fiancee's family, and he looks up to see her, standing just a few feet away.
She doesn't notice him, and he almost didn't recognize her. The once choppy, black mop of hair was no grown out, and returned to her natural red shade. She's fixated on something, but his unwavering gaze is felt. Her bright green eyes dance around the room until they land on his. She smiles, but he can't return the gesture.
"I was wondering when I'd run into you." She says coolly.
"You're back." He responds. His thoughts racing with a million questions and those were the only two words that could form.
"Yeah, my dad..." She trails off.
"I know, I heard."
"He just needs some help." She glances away before changing the subject. "You look great, finally filled out" She says squeezing his arm. Roman has always been tall and skinny, but weeks of surviving on nothing but ramen and energy drinks at college helped him put on some weight. She always poked fun, knowing it was his biggest insecurity.
"Uh, yeah." He replies and she slowly releases her grasp.
"Roman? Did you find a turkey yet?" Taylor calls as she rounds the corner digging through her purse for her ringing phone.
"I did." He says as his eyes dart from her to Scarlett.
"Good, that's mom now." She says, pressing ignore on her phone and dropping it back into her purse before looking up at me.
"You remember Scarlett, right?"
"Wow! I didn't even recognize you, Scarlett!" Taylor exclaims before embracing the unsuspecting girl into her arms.
"It's nice seeing you, too, Taylor! Are you guys..."
"Engaged!" Taylor cheers and extends her left hand out to show off her large diamond. "I still need to grab some wine for Mom, I'll meet you at the checkout?" Taylor says, kissing Roman on the cheek before disappearing back down an aisle.
"Wow," Scarlett says, surprised. "When did that happen?"
"Just a few months ago, but we got together Sophomore year at Lanebrooke."
"I never would have guessed." She responds, and he can see the flash of judgement in her eye.
"You've been gone five years, Scarlett. A lot changes in five years." He says, feeling the need to defend himself.
"I know. I changed, too." She says, her eyes sad as they gaze into his.
"I should go." Roman finally says.
"We should get coffee sometime. Here's my number." She says writing on a small piece of paper she dug out of her purse. He takes it hesitantly and shoves it deep into his pocket before walking off to find his fiancee.