Brightest Star to the Right

1.1 Not Goodbye

"Nick!" Mira giggled nervously as he edged her towards the entrance of the mountainous water slide. 

"You can do this Mimi!" Nick chanted behind her as he nudged her hips towards the slippery slide. Nick observed Mira as she squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her hands tightly on the metal railings. "Here, how about we go together then? I'll hold your hand and I won't let go." Mira hesitated for a moment before nodding ever so slightly.

"You promise you won't let go?" 

"Promise."

Mira positioned herself next to Nick and wrapped her arms tightly around his arm instead. "In 3, 2, 1. Go!" The two best friends flew down the twenty metre water slide, their bodies followed the path of a corrugated roof, travelling up and down, up and down.

The two laughed hilariously at the base of the slide. Pride swept Mira's face as they walked along the grass towards their towels and sandals that were simply flung over the side of a white fence. 

Mira and Nick had known each other since the first grade. They had met in the school courtyard during recess whilst playing tiggy and from then on they became the bestest of friends. During their years in primary school, they would sit beside each other in every single class, almost always shared lunch and snacks with each other even though Mrs Adams, their home room teacher, strictly forbid it, and would hang out behind an old fig tree across the school oval which they nicknamed "little figgy", though the name "old figgy" would have been a more appropriate title. 

Over the years, the two grew fond of each other. They had always told themselves that in another universe, they would've been siblings, but, truthfully Mira would've replaced the word 'siblings' with 'lovers'. Having known Nick for more than half of her life, she grew to adore his little quirks and though they shared a friendly relationship, Mira yearned for more. She liked Nick. Period.

Now both at age 15, the two quickly dried off and hurried towards lecture hall 4 just before Mira's father's 2pm 101 Motion lecture. Mira's father, Dr. Astride Kai, worked as a lecturer at The University of Cape Town and that day the college had an open day fun fair which Nick and Mira gladly attended.

"Come on Nick!" Mira uttered whist jogging through the science halls with a Cheshire-cat grin plastered to her face, hand in hand with the tall brunette boy behind her. Her damp brown hair swept across her face as she gazed back at him. The sound of her sandals hitting the floor echoed through the hall until it came to a halt. They stopped outside the wooden door with a sign that read "Lecture Room 4".

Slowly Mira opened the door to the lecture room and peered at the dozens of university students seated in an amphitheatre arrangement. Her father who was at the front demonstrating the basic concepts of circular and projectile motion, smiled as the two crept discretely into the second row seats.

They attended the lecture for 45 minutes until Nick, looking at his watch, ushered Mira out to the hall. Deciding that the motions lecture was fill with a bunch of bizarre words such as 'net force', 'vertical motion' and 'tangential velocity' which they took no deep interest in, the two 9th graders walked back to Mira's house which was situated nearby a lake.

"Mum we're home!"

"Hello lovlies. Hopefully you kids had a great time at the open day fun fair."

"We sure did Mrs Kai. Mimi here slid down a twenty metre water slide!" Nick exclaimed gleefully, patting her on the back.

"Oh, why I do declare that it very impressive Mira."

"Well," Mira blushed," if it wasn't for Nick I wouldn't have slide down that monstrous contraption. What horrible man created that hideous thing!"

"Well, well done both of you. Why don't you two get something to eat whilst I go pick up Justin from his soccer game. Also, Nick, I do believe that you have a flight sometime tonight at 10pm. Your mom dropped your baggage off this morning. It should be in the living room next to the coffee table."

"Thanks Mrs Kai."

"No worries darling. Now you two behave whilst I go fetch your brother." Mrs Kai said as she shut the front door.

"... You didn't tell me that you were going somewhere. Where abouts are you going for a holiday? Ooo is it Rome? How about Japan? Or better Australia?" Mira said turning to Nick as she laid down on her bed and stared above at the ceiling.

"Mira. I was meaning to tell you this earlier but I didn't have the gut to disclose this to you... at least not yet." Nick said. His eyes were aimed towards the floor as he hovered towards Mira's bed.

"Wait what is happening? I'm confused. You know that you can tell me Nick."

"I'm leaving to New York. And Mira, not for a holiday." Nick paused looking into Mira's sparkling hazel eyes. "You see my uncle is searching for the next CEO of his company, Renaud Enterprise, and it was agreed six years ago that I was to be resuming his position... So, I guess ... I'm going to the 'Big Apple' to train for the position."

Mira gulped, not knowing what to say. Nick was her only best friend and he was about to abandon her, leave her, separated for more than 12.6km apart. She hadn't even confessed her love for him and she wasn't ready to do so either.

"Say something Mimi." Nick cooed placing his hands gently on the sides of her shoulders.

"I don't know what to say Nick. I mean, I guess... how long are you staying in New York for?"

"I don't know. The logistics and everything are yet to be sorted out. It depends on how fast I accustom myself to the business world and all that."

"Do you want to do this? Can't you stay here with me? Or I go with you over there?" Mira questioned insistently.

"Yes, of course. I've always wanted to do business, you know that. I never envisioned this to happen so early during my teenage years but it is what it is and it may be a sign that I should seize the opportunity to step foot into the business sector immediately. I've been conflicted about this for the past few weeks but this is my conclusion. Please know that I don't want to leave but, hey, this is not goodbye nor it is the end. We'll still keep in contact, don't worry about anything, okay?"

"Y-yes." Mira whispered as she dug her head into Nick's chest, silently whimpering at the notion of her best friend leaving her.

For the next fleeting hours the two teenagers cuddled with limbs closely intertwined and embraced each other silently, appreciating the last few moments before Nick's flight to a destination 12,695km away from Cape Town. They whispered sweet nothings in the other ear every ten or so minutes, making the most of the immediate present time.

It was 8:50pm and the darkness of the night crept upon the naked blue sky of South Africa. Nick carefully shifted off the bed, careful not to wake Mira up. Placing a duvet over her body and giving her a tight squeeze, before making his way out to the living room.

The car engine started as Mr and Mrs Kai and Justin waited for Nick outside the front door. 

"Isn't Mira coming?" Mrs Kai inquired.

"Oh, she's sleeping, I don't want to bother her."

The four left the house and approached the vehicle that awaited them on the driveway. Nick looked up into Mira's window from the backseat of the car and softly whispered, "This is not goodbye." before driving off into the darkness.

©️COPYRIGHT 2018 JANICE19HORAN

N.B: I will upload the next chapter within the next 7 days, following a regular schedule (: