c a r n i v a l

|| goodbyes ||

"He's leaving tomorrow morning?" Sophia asks Daniela as she sits talking to her in the salon.

"Si, he told Carla and Carla told me" she answers causing a sharp pain to shoot through her chest.

"Oh, he didn't tell me that" she shrugs playing it off as nothing. But really she's holding her tears in.

"I need to go see Nina" she says hopping down from the counter she was sat on.

"Okay mija, I'll see you later" Dani says pulling Sophia into a hug and kisses her head.

Sophia leaves and walks down the main road in the direction of Nina.

Usnavi and Sophia haven't spoken since they kissed yesterday. At first she thought it would mean something for them but now, he's leaving. So nothing is gonna happen.

She reaches Nina at the old basketball courts where the high school kids play. She sits down on the bench next to Nina with a huff, leaning her head on her shoulder.

"You heard?" she asks quietly.

"About Usnavi?" Nina replies instantly knowing what she's talking about about to which Sophia hums in reply.

"Have you talked to him about it yet" Nina asks.

"No, i haven't spoken to him since yesterday" she sighs.

"Aye, since your kiss" Nina nods in understanding.

"You need to talk to him, his flight is early tomorrow morning" she says causing Sophia to sit up immediately.

"Wait what?" she shouts.

"Shit, i need to go talk to him now" She says getting up.

"I'll see you later i love you" sophia calls back to nina as she starts running.

——

Sophia reaches the bodega and charges through the door angrily.

"She's angry i'm leaving" sonny says immediately after seeing the angry latina. He walks past her and sophia keeps her eyes trained on Usnavi.

"You're leaving tomorrow?" she asks angrily and his shoulders drop at her words.

"Oh that? yeah, i am" he says looking down at his feet.

"We're you planning on telling me or were you gonna wait till you were actually on the god damn plane?" she shouts at him. Usnavi does nothing but shrug.

"So what? That's it? You were just gonna leave and not tell me?" she asks incredulously, her eyes beginning to water.

"No i- i just-" he starts but is immediately cut off.

"After everything that we've been through and how long we've known each other and i had to be told that my best friend is leaving for the other side of the world for good, from Dani. I don't understa-" she is the one being cut off this time by his broken voice.

"Because if i don't tell you then that makes it less real" he shouts, his head snapping up to look at her, his eyes over filling with tears.

"I know we said that if you didn't get into the school that you would come with us but let's be honest Sophie, you are one of the best dancers out there. So the thought of leaving you here, breaks me. The thought of leaving you here with out abuela is tearing me apart" she moves closer to him slightly as he talks, his voice breaking and more tears flowing down his cheeks.

"Just the thought of not seeing you every day makes me not want to go" his hand comes to cup her cheek, his thumb running along her cheekbone.

"Your smile lights up my life Soph. You light up my life" he whispers shakily. His body trembling from his cries. She brings her hand to the back of his neck and lets him bury his face in her neck. His body shaking as he cries and she softly strokes the back of his head.