Wanted

Chapter 2

Melissa opened the van's window to get some fresh air. It had been a hot, humid day, and the fall of darkness didn't seem to change any of that. She felt slightly calmer since they'd safely crossed the border into Yorn. She looked at the sky, at the stars, then turned around towards Audrey. The moonlight was shining down her face, highlighting her profile, the dent on her nose from a childhood accident, the curve of her lips. Melissa dazed at Audrey's features until she noticed, "What?" she asked.

"Nothing", Melissa replied, turning back to her window and the stars. Audrey slowed down the van and put it into third gear. "I can't believe it's actually happening. It's been an ongoing joke for years. <<Look at that military plane in the sky! The war must be starting!>> Well guess what? It started!"

"Everything is going to be fine, panicking won't help" Audrey told her.

"Well yeah, it doesn't, but not doing anything also doesn't!"

"We're going to a port! We'll get out of here soon. I'm the one with anxiety here, how come you're the one panicking?"

"Because I don't want to die. I've barely done anything. I haven't got married yet, I've no kids, I've no house, no big career – no offence"

"None taken"

"They can bomb this area at any time! We'd then just be poof! Gone. That's not how I wanna go."

"You knew what you were getting into! You insisted too. What am I supposed to do now? I respected your wish and helped you get here. You've got no one to blame for this but yourself", Audrey responded.

"Audrey, I know what happened that night."

Audrey froze.

"What night?" she asked, pretending not to know.

"The night of our congratulatory party. Wait, I thought you were fairly sober, are you pretending not to know?"

Audrey glanced at her then back at the road.

"You know then. Ha."

"I do know, I didn't know you did too. You did a good job acting like nothing happened though, was it that meaningless? I decided not to tell you because of your lack of a reaction. You could have said something if you were against it."

Melissa didn't respond and looked out the window for a few minutes.

"Is everything alright?" Audrey asked her.

"No, it's not. I've been constantly thinking about it. I had drunk quite a lot, but I was still rational. I intentionally kissed you. I can't explain it, I just wanted to."

"Alright... well, do you remember the rest of that night too?"

"Well, did you expect me to not question things after waking up naked in your bed, with my clothes thrown around the room? Even without you around."

Audrey tried to get out of it. "Maybe you slept with some guy, how are you so sure it was me?"

"Come on" she laughed. "I could feel your perfume on me. Sweet Jesus, I did it with a girl!"

They both laughed.

"Sorry I didn't tell you, it would have probably been all sorts of illegal if you had been actually drunk. Wow... I thought it was essentially your drunk persona, but it was all you. You willingly slept with me!"

Melissa grinned. "It was really good too. I can't believe myself, I've always thought of myself as straight."

"Oh my God. You're engaged!" Audrey suddenly remembered. "Have you told him yet?"