why not?

chapter 24: when?

chapter 24: when?

Damn these meetings. They're so dreadfully dull. While Michael explains, I doze off in my head. I think about the phone call Lila and I had a few weeks ago, the last time we spoke to each other. Honestly, dirty talk like that will kill me.

Diane, our manager for the meetings, has been acting fond towards me. It's befuddling. The hell and I supposed to do? Women are so difficult. I can feel her watching me from the stance at the corner of the room.

As soon as the meetings over, she rushes towards me.

"I've done all the paperwork for your next flight to France" she breathes, holding out a folder. She holds nothing in comparison to Lila. Her blond hair is a turn off, as well is her excessive make-up and revealing tops. I feel my body pull away in repulsion. 

"Thank you Diane" I say stiffly, trying to move past to the exit. She follows like a duckling does her mother.

"Diane?" I prompt. 

"Yes?!" She sounds so eager.

"I have a girlfriend, and I love her a lot. It won't work between us, and I wouldn't want it to either"

Her face falls and she looks quite embarassed. I feel a bit sad about it, and then angry as I think of Lila in the same position. I don't want guys after her! They must be swarming now that I'm gone.

I look down at the ring she gave me. Love has no boundaries. Even distance related once. They say long distance never works, so I'll prove them wrong.

Lila

The sleepover lifted my spirits, but that was ages ago. Everyone has to study now. Final semester of senior year and all. We can barely have time to hang now.

I still miss him as if he's left yesterday. The phone lies rejected at my bed stand and every day I'm scared to call him. What if he's busy? What if he's found another woman, and I'm out of the picture? What if he doesn't want to talk to me? It's been three weeks, nearly a month (3 left to go then!)

I ring him.

"Lila?!" He answers immediately.

"Tristain, I miss you so much!" I answer, relieved, "I'm sorry I didn't call, honestly. I was so worried you would be busy or you didn't want to talk to me--"

"--Lila it's fine!"

"Or that you had found another woman" I finish. Theres a silence and I dread what my love has to say.

"Lila, never doubt that I don't love you. There's the manager for the tours we've been taking, Diane. I've just told her off today because she's been bothering me the whole three weeks. I told her about you"

"Oh...." He trusts me, he's so honest and...I feel elated. So lucky to have him.

"And you? Any pursuers?"

"Alex has given up, thank goodness, and I think Lance is learning" I laugh, "The ring on my finger has everyone thinking I'm engaged, so it's warded off the men a lot"

"The same with my ring. People ask my how long I've been married to you"

"I hope you've said seventeen years?"

"I married her when she was born" He muses, "I like the idea. When we get married, I'll always add seventeen, eh? People will think we're unnaturally young"

"I'd love that. I'm guessing you can't fit in a visit?"

"I'll ask Diane"

"YES!" I cheer, "Brilliant! You need to come while I'm at school and do a terretorial man thing. I don't like people staring at me. It's been like this ever since I've got breasts, I never really minded until now. It's like I'm a piece of meat at the market"

"A terretorial man thing?" He laughs, "God, I love you Lila"

"I love you Tristain" I say, loving the mix of those particular words, "I hope your buying me lots in all those countries"

"I am I am."

"What?!" I ask like an excited child, "What did you bring me?"

"You'll just have to wait and see for our next encounter"

I groan.

"When will that be, then?"

"Soon"

"Specifically?"

"A week or so?"

"REALLY!!!"

"Hopefully"

"I'm sensing the conversation is drawing to a close because of our lack of longer dialouge. You have to go?"

"Clever girl. Tyler's making faces at me, gestures telling me to hang up"

"Right then, I'll talk to you later?"

"Of course, my love" I tingle when he calls me that. I love it!

"Bye, love" I try it out. It doesn't sound as great when I do it.

"Until next time"

And thus ends my conversation. We've got e-mails. He tells me about how he's in different cities, about the food, and about how he wants to take me there. I really want to as well.

School carries on too slow. Final exams for all my AP classes make me study like hell as broken loose. I don't check e-mails and I stay holed up in my room, cramming.

Without even knowing it, two and a half months have passed. Just two more weeks!

All the while, Ryan, Alex, Mandy and Jessica ask me about him. Jessica keeps hinting a break-up, and Ryan keeps offering me snogging lessons, and Alex and Mandy are just good friends.

With two weeks left, I feel nervous. Will he like me? I mean, after not seeing me for three months, it might be too....shocking? Will we break up?

Alex keeps convincing me that Tristain has ruined the thrill and romantic adventure of senior year by keeping my pining for him. He paints an image of me being a damsel in distress and him being the hero with Tristain as the tragic villain. Annoying it is.

Tristain

I literally have an entire suitcase of stuff for Lila.

F*cking hell. 

She's the type that loves small simple things. We both believe in love through actions, not things or material items. The value of our love will be diminished with all this merchandise.

At first, I thought, "She'll like this. Just this one thing"

And then it fell from there.

Now I'm screwed. It cost me a lot, but I don't care. I just don't it to go to waste. It's all very nice things, like shirts and trinkets...but...ahh! I'll just pick one.

I pick a charm bracelet with various charms I picked up for her in as many places as I could. I hope she'll like it.

Then comes the worry of change. What if she doesn't like me anymore? What if one of the pursuers she's got has finally gotten to her? What if she's just fallen out of love with me?!

I pray that she'll be the Penelope to my Odysseus.