City of Angels

bachelorette blues

Sophie's sharp eyes browse her extravagant room for the last time. She had thought that her stay at Ville d'Ange would be quite uneventful, but Nikki challenged all hopes of it. Sophie is beginning to think that maybe it wasn't such a terrible thing, either.
But the sand has fallen to the bottom of the hourglass, bringing the time where she has to pack away her things and move on. Once she leaves, the room will look untouched, wiping her from its face completely. Yet somehow, some way, Sophie doesn't want to forget.

She can't help but wonder if she should say goodbye to Nikki, thank him for his rivalry, because it had been the most fun she'd had in some time. She almost enjoyed being taken down from her pedestal.
Before she can come to a conclusion, a loud rap on the door interrupts her thoughts.

"Can I come in?" Naya's voice sails through, bringing a softened smile to Sophie's lips.
She crosses the room and swings the door open for Naya, waving her in.
"Hi! How are you?"
The two girls embrace and Naya glances around the room.

"Wow, still so impressed with this place."
"It's not so bad after all, is it?"

A warm smile tugs at Naya's lips.
"Sometimes good things come out of the bad."

"I think you might be right," Sophie agrees, tossing her hair from her shoulders as she pans the room again. She stops at the bed, where Nikki had patched her up after their incident. A blush rises to her cheeks as she remembers just how close he was. Close enough to feel warm breath from his parted lips, the tickle of his hair and the heat radiating from his chest.

"What're you thinking about?" Naya asks, although she can already tell.
Sophie's eyes snap back.
"Oh," she sighs. "I just-... I was wondering if I'll ever see um,"
"Nikki again?" Naya offers.
Sophie nods, embarrassment clutching her chest.
"Maybe you should talk to him."

After a lengthy pause, Sophie shakes her head.
"It doesn't matter, let's just go."

Naya pulls her keys from her pocket and twirls them around her finger.
"If you say so."

The entire walk to Naya's car, Sophie looks behind herself, constantly thinking she might see the back of a raven haired head that she could chase after, but nothing of the sort appears.

Naya and Sophie stack the car with her things and pull away from the curb.
"You gonna miss the place?" She asks as Sophie rests her cheek against the window.
"Maybe," she replies quietly. She doesn't even mind the slight pain in her cheek because it lead to a moment she hadn't expected.
Last night, while being tended to, Sophie had dared looking onto Nikki's concentrated face. There wasn't a hint of disdain for her on it.
He seemed just as vulnerable as she felt.
Sophie had looked into coal set eyes and realised how many colours they were really made up of. She hasn't felt the need to berate him with insults even though his girlfriend and thrown a nasty slap her way. And that was saying something.

Sophie rolls her head into her palm, embarrassed.
Why does she tolerate such an insufferable man? And why does he stir complex emotions in her that she'd never had to think about before?
She'd rather not know.

***

"Sophie!" Claire flies into Sophie's arms, followed by a flock of girls in expensive loungewear.
"You made it!" She draws back and catches sight of Naya.
"And... You brought a friend."

Sophie waves Naya closer, who had been leaning against the car, slightly intimidated by the wealth of all these women.
"This is Naya, I met her at the hotel."
Claire nods slowly and then decides to extend a hand.
Naya shakes it.
"Hi."