Midnight Mayhem

5

Eliza stumbled into her room with an impressive thump. She looked around for a sharpie that had been on her desk earlier that night, or yesterday. She gazed at her hamster clock pointing to the time, it was 12:13 am. She tested the marker on her arm swiftly, checking it worked and drawing a smiley face in the process. Yes! It worked. She swiftly scribbled on her address but looking in the mirror while doing so. She wrote on 43 Windsor, London but catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, of what he looks like—the person she really is going to turn into, she let a small tear escape from her eye.

'Lisa, do you know how I can get this—' Lily stopped, seeing her older sister not even a girl. 'Who- MUM!' She ran down the stairs and I charged after her.

'Lily, stop! It's me.' Eliza said, but the drop in her voice only made Lily run faster to their mother.

'There is a strange boy in Lisa's room!' Eliza couldn't let her mother see her, so she swiftly went back upstairs to slip out of the window the same way she came in. Only to find that she was a little louder in their trainers, and very warm summery clothes compared to cold London.

There was a thump when she landed on top of the playhouse, and a louder thump as she dropped down from there.

Her mother swung open the door to greet her before she had a chance to escape the dreaded discipline...

'Don't you come back! Eliza is too young for boys.' Her mother said.

'I-I don't know what you're talking about.' Eliza stammered. Yet, it wasn't long before a shoe came flying at her soulmates' pristine face.

'Go away and never come back!' Eliza rolled her eyes; she wasn't too young, and her mother had to stop being overprotective all the time. She knew it was because she loved her... however that love didn't show sometimes.

Nevertheless, she had done it! Her soulmate now had her address, and she could go back to being normal. She carried on walking back to Beth's apartment and found the back alley so she could slip in quietly.

As she opened the window, she heard talking coming from the kitchen. Not wanting to disturb a phone call, she snuck into Beth's room and just as she saw the clock turn, it was 12:15 am. Eliza's clothes were soaking. It made Beth's floor drenched. She smelled the salt water on her clothes but had no note... no sign of him. Why had she worn a dark t-shirt? Worst of all, the ink on her wrist stayed. Nothing had been passed on but the address of the shirt, even so, Eliza didn't believe that he had been able to read it. Refusing to cry, she got changed. Whoever had traded with her, had been in the sea.

She got out a comfortable pair of leggings, and an oversized brown bear jumper. She slipped it on and heard that the talking had gone quiet in the lounge. She crept back over and saw her best friend kissing what looked to be her soulmate... at least from the back of his head anyway.

Eliza smiled, 'go Beth!'

Beth stepped back from the guy, embarrassed. 'Eliza—you'll never guess. It's Harry! We went to college together. I had no idea he still lived in London.'

'Yeah, I remember, hi Harry.' Eliza smiled, 'I hope you don't mind me stealing some clothes, mine were soaked through.'

'No, it's fine.' Beth answered. There was a moment of awkward silence and Harry cleared his throat.

'It was nice being you for a while Beth. I'll come see you tomorrow yeah?' He kissed her on the cheek, and she said goodbye to him.

'I didn't get anything from my soulmate. I scribbled down my address, but there is still a smiley face on me, and I have no note from him. So no, you're not getting my violin.'

Beth sighed, as she picked up Daisy and came over to sit on the sofa with Eliza. 'I'm sorry Beth. I guess my soulmate was so close we could meet. Yours is somewhere in Italy, he's going to be hard to find...'

'I'm not finding him.' Eliza refused, 'I'm moving away this year, and I don't need someone else slowing me down along the way.'

'What do you mean? You can't just pick up and move because you haven't found your soulmate?' Beth asked, and she let Daisy bite her fingers lightly. 'Your mother said you were always going to stay in England, as a family...'

'I'm not moving because of that. Look, I promised I'd tell you tonight. I'm moving to Japan. It's my new year's resolution. I'm carrying on my life out there, Beth, and you know how much I need to be away from here. How long I've been saving to go.'

'Yes, but I guess... I thought the day would never come. I thought you wouldn't leave, and we could stay friends...'

'Don't make me feel bad, Beth, this move is for my sanity! I can't stay up in that suffocating house for any longer without yelling. I love you so much, you are my sister, but I can't stay with you here for the rest of my life. I guess we both knew it was coming.' Eliza laughed, painfully. 'You have a new boyfriend to keep you occupied now. Promise me that you are going to invite me to the wedding.'

'Your joking, right? You're my maid of honour, I'm not taking no for an answer.'

'That's the best deal I can think of. I just—thank you Beth.'

'I knew you didn't want to play violin anymore, but this is way more serious. At least that means I can come and stay in Japan for free, right?'

I took her arms in mine and hugged her. 'I'll pay for your ticket if you would get on the plane to see me. You will always be welcome.'

'I can't promise I'll be ok with this tomorrow. It's bittersweet really, I've found my true love who I am destined to be with, but on the same night I am losing my best friend.' Beth said, and that sentence hurt so much.

They both couldn't stop crying. Daisy was confused about what was going on, so she started licking the girls' salty tears on their cheeks.

'W-when do you l-leave?' Beth struggled to say between the short breaths from crying.

'I don't... don't know yet... I'm going to give you the best leaving present ever!' Eliza cried, taking Beth in for a tight hug.