Yesterday's Happiness ( Growing Up )

Leaving

Kayla woke up with a jolt.She'd had that dream again.But before the feeling could overcome her,she shook it off by blinking several times and rolling her shoulders.She wasn't going to allow it to ruin her day; today was very important to her ;

She was leaving!.

As she slid into the hot tub and closed her eyes,memories from last night came rushing back.

A lone tear slid down her face as she remembered.

It had been very emotional.

But then again .....

The ghost of a smile tugged at her lips as she realized what was going to happen in just a few hours.She was finally going back there after so many years.Would everything still feel the same?,or had it changed completely?.

Or had she?.

She exhaled slowly,trying to calm herself and assuring herself that everything was going to be okay.This is what she'd been waiting for ever since that day.She needed to do this.

As she looked into the mirror,she smiled at her reflection.She hadn't changed that much.And to think it'd been so many years since............

A short cough outside the bathroom brought her back to the present.How long had she been staring at herself in the mirror.She took a quick look at her watch and smiled at her luck.

She still had forty seconds to go.

"Honey,are you ready?,we have to leave",came the familiar voice.

"Coming Dad,just a second",she called back,taking one last look at herself.Satisfied,she turned around and walked out of the bathroom.

Her father looked completely taken aback by his daughter's appearance.She looked stunning.But more importantly she looked just like ......

"C'mon Dad,we're not doing this right now",she cried out.

"Doing what?",Mr.Davis asked innocently,battling his eyelashes.

Kayla just shook her head.

"I'm ready",she stated,simply.

They drove to the airport in silence,each with their own thoughts.Kayla pushed away the feeling of guilt that was eating at her.

When she'd told her dad about her decision to leave,he'd hear nothing of it: at first that is.But with a lot of persuasion and pleading,he'd finally given in to her request.Looking at him right now,she knew he was having second thoughts.But she wasn't going to back down from this,and he knew her enough to know that.

In about an hour,they arrived at the airport with just about twenty minutes to spare before her departure.Her dad tried to make small talk,but started to become emotional and settled for just holding her hand and fighting back the tears.

Kayla just sat there thinking about the new step she was about to take in her life from this place she'd become so used to,but could never really call home.She just didn't fit in,all except for  ......

"Were you really leaving without as much as a goodbye?",a familiar voice demanded.

Kayla let out a breath,she didn't even know she was holding and jerked her head towards the direction from which the sound had come from.

"Dude,you know I would never do that", she said slowly as her face broke into a huge smile.

"Uh_huh?",he asked,crossing his arms and staring intensely at her with those electrifying green eyes she'd come to know so well.

"Hey sport",her father called out,forcing a smile onto his face.

"Hello Mr.Davis",he replied with a short nod with which he silently communicated to the man that everything was going to be okay and that his daughter would be alright.

The sad looking man seemed to have received the message because he gave the boy a short smile,a real smile this time around and then turned away from the two youngsters.

Kayla who had seen the whole thing,rolled her eyes at the boy who just raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

"He needed that",he mouthed.

"I know",she mouthed back not wanting her dad to realize what was going on. "Thank you",she added.

He just shrugged.He knew this was difficult for father and daughter.Last night had proved that.

"I got you something",he said grinning widely.

"Ooh,ooh,lemne see",she said with mock enthusiasm because if nothing at all,she knew how terrible he was at picking out gifts.He'd given his  parents a box of cookies for their anniversary last month with the excuse that they loved cookies.Who does that for crying out loud

She rushed over to take a peek in the small gift bag he held,but he playfully smacked her hands away.

"Please",she begged,pouting her lips and giving him her best puppy eyes look,knowing even as she did it that he wasn't buying it.

Handing over the bag,he said,"Don't open it now".

She raised an eyebrow questioningly

"No,its not a box of cookies",he groaned,answering her unasked question.

A short laugh escaped from her father who had been silent,but he covered it up quickly by pretending to clear his throat of non existing mucus. Kayla couldn't help but break into a heart felt laughter.

"I didn't tell him about the cookies",she supplied trying to control herself.

"I know",he groaned in frustration,knowing very well his cookie loving parents had done him the honors of telling the entire community.A look of embarrassment crossed his face for a split second making  Kayla think she'd imagined it.

"So",she said letting the word hang.

"So",he said,not going to let her have the satisfaction of hearing him say it first.

Some minutes went by and still none said nothing.

Realizing he wasn't going to say it,she gave in and blurted out,

"I'll miss you".

"Tell me something I don't know",he replied smirking.

The jerk!.She thought to herself trying to hide a smile.She just wished she could wipe that smirk from his face,and he knew that because his smirk only grew bigger.

"Why do I even keep you around again?",she asked.Rolling her eyes,she added,"Remind me again,i forget".

*"Do I really have to?,he asked in a  bored voice,giving her his best "u already know" look.

But before she could think of another come back,she heard the final call for her flight.She'd been so occupied she hadn't even heard it the first or second time.She sighed sadly.

She turned to see her dad already standing and nodding.They really needed to go.She turned her attention back to the boy she'd grown so attached to.He gave her a short nod and with his eyes,pleaded with her not to say that word.They'd agreed not to say goodbye because this,wasn't goodbye.

With a forced smile,she nodded and turned around breaking the connection and walked towards her dad.Just as they increased the distance between them,a familiar voice came floating on the wind.A whisper so soft she might have missed it if not for the fact that she'd been expecting it.Hoping for it.And she'd heard it loud and clear.

"I'll miss you too Kay",Jay whispered.