In The Rain

The air around had changed from when I arrived Sunday. It was Saturday and I was ready to get in my aunts car and head to the airport. My things were packed and I had said goodbye to almost everyone.

I knew she'd be waiting for me on the beach. I walked out of the house and down the boardwalk. I let the morning chill wake me up as I scanned the tables by her favorite café. I looked towards the clear sky and smiled slightly as I thought of the five full days I was able to spend here. Today was the first day the sky was clear. Go figure, I spend a week here and of the five days I can be out and about, it rains.

I couldn't complain, though. Those five days were probably the best days I'd see in a long time. "Lou!" I turned quickly as I heard her call my name. "Listen, Dork. My friends and I are going to the cabin for the day, are you in?" My smile faded as she closed in on me. "Don't punk out on me now, Tommo." She smiled at me, the right side of her mouth causing it to be slightly crooked. It was the smile that would forever be burned into my brain; it was a smile that held secrets. "Tomlinson?" She laughed and poked my nose.

Shaking my head and taking in a breath of fresh air, I concentrated on the question. "I'm leaving, Talli."

"Oh...." Tallulah closed her golden green eyes, "Right, sorry. I forgot you don't live here." She looked back at me, matching my gaze. "Well, I'll leave you to it then." She turned then froze. Her hand reached into the shoulder bag hugging her petite body. "I want you to have these." Talli faced me again, her hand slowly coming out of her bag as they clenched a small stack of black and white pictures. "I have copies of them all, but I figured you'd want these for, I dunno, memories?" She rolled her eyes and let go of the pictures as I looked at them.

The one on top was of me; I was in my wet suit looking on the ground after learning to surf. I smiled, remembering how frustrating it was. "I didn't know you had this picture. We didn't even meet until that night." It was the day I had flown in. I was too excited to feel the jet lag. My aunt's boyfriend took me out right away to teach me.

"I live on that beach and you were a new face. Come on, I take picture of almost anything." She scratched her head, causing more hair to fall from her messy bun. "There are only 7, seems we were a bit distracted this week. I expected to have more."

I flipped to the next photo. It was of her. The first day, day one, Monday. I'd taken it when she tried to teach me how to work her camera. Her hands were in front of her face as she told me where to focus it. I snapped the picture just before she moved away to laugh at me.

"Look, they are waiting on me, I should go. Have a safe trip." I looked up to her moving in and kissing me on the cheek.

"Wait, can I have your number or address?" She pursed her lips together and turned to jog away. "Goodbye, Tallulah." I whispered as I stood there, alone, for a few minutes, wondering why she would just leave. A simple goodbye, a few pictures. There was hardly a chance I'd see her again if she just left. I wanted to chase her. To follower her and demand a number, demand one last kiss. One last taste of her lips. But I couldn't.

I just stood there, stunned, pictures in my hands and cracks slowly trailing through my heart. I felt almost nothing, like every switch in my entire body leading to emotion and pain, shut off. I felt nothing, but I didn't feel empty. There was no proper way to explain what it was; there were no words to describe how I felt. Nothing, just...nothing.

The walk back to my aunts was short. The moment I got in, I was rushed to the car and put on the plane. The world sped up. I felt like a car in the express lane. Going 80 MPH as everyone sat patiently in a traffic jam. Before I knew it, I was sitting in my seat, flying through the clouds. 10 hours...10 hours until I was home.