Do We Let Go?

1| The Parting

I wonder if we ever think about each other at the same time.

"Are you sure, babes? Please tell me you've thought this through."

Irritation prickled at my scalp. Andrea Collins was an amazingly supportive friend, but she has been acting so unsure and reluctant about my decision to leave England. My irritation comes out when I harshly rip out some tape from its roll and stick it on the cardboard box labeled 'clothes', sealing it close.

I sighed, brushing some sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand. "Yes, I'm damn sure, Andy.", I replied the same thing for the umpteenth time, except, this is the first time I am using any word close to being called indecent in a civil conversation.

I really don't feel the need to swear much, so I don't. It seems quite ill-mannered to me. Travis had definitely influenced me a lot about speaking manners. You would never hear him curse, he's such a perfect gentleman.

Andrea raised her hands in surrender. "Okay, miss. I believe you."

I grabbed my tablet from where it's kept on the nightstand. With it in my hand, I lay down on the sofa in an almost empty living room. Andrea had her blonde hair in rollers at the top of her head, her face covered in a black mask which made her look really scary. I tried not to grimace.

The reason why she dropped the subject is that I called her 'Andy', something that really annoys her. It's sort of becoming like an indication over the years that when I call her Andy, it means that she's irritating me, so I return the favor and then we move on from that subject.

"Sometimes I get the feeling that you don't want me to come there and be near you. Two-timing me, are you? Found another girlfriend?", I mused, obviously lying because I know that that's just ridiculous. She'll never find someone like me.

Andrea rolled her eyes at me. "Yeah, right, like I could another one of you." Ha! "I miss you so, so much! It's been over a year, bitch."

I laughed when she sobbed tearlessly, brushing some fake tears away from her eyes, which caused some of the mask to stick on her fingers too. I laughed harder as she tried to remove it from her nail, complaining, "I had them manicured just yesterday!"

"Okay. You sort yourself out. More work needs to be done here. I'll see you tomorrow."

She nodded, waving at me through the screen. I blew her a kiss. "Bye!"

"See you soon."

I ended the Skype call and got back to work. I only needed to pack one more box which consisted of my footwear, accessories, makeup, and such.

About half an hour later, I was almost done when my eyes rested on the living room side table. I walked towards it slowly, picking up the photo frame that I and Travis had placed there almost a year ago. It reminded me so vividly of the day on which it was taken.

"Oh my god! You guys look so cute together. I need to take a picture!", Andrea squealed happily as she fished out her phone.

I laughed at her enthusiasm, my cheeks red. It was graduation day. Andrea, me and Travis, we were all standing outside the campus, wearing our black graduation gowns and hats. Before going in, Travis and I had decided to show Andrea what we wore underneath. We both had similar black pants and red shirts. On my shirt, it said, 'I Heart Him', and on his, it said, 'I Heart Her'.

This whole thing had already made me flush, and now she wanted to take our pictures in public which made me blush so much I was sure it could be visible despite my dark skin.