Meridian (Ariana/You)

Chapter 25

"You don't just put tops with accessories. If people started putting squares into circle shaped holes, what kind of world would it be?" Ariana protested as she saw me put one of her very eccentric purple puffy tops into the luggage, which was apparently 'reserved' for accessories.

"Stop being so dramatic, you'll live if only one top goes into this luggage." I teased as I zipped up her accessory luggage with the now crumpled up top, as Ariana's face projected absolute horror at my action.

"How the hell did you even manage not to fit all these tops in 4 bags?" She asked, incredulously, not impressed at all with my packing skills. Or lack, according to her.

"Ariana...have you SEEN, the amount of tops you have, do you even know how many tops you have? You barely have anything in your pants luggage. As a matter of fact, do you even wear any trousers? What the hell was in there?" I laughed at her question as I pointed at all of the opened cupboard around her which were now holding empty hangers.

"I do!" I looked at her, knowing full well that was a lie. "...Just not all the time." She quickly interjected "Besides, most of these bottoms are for my performances." she paused "If you're shocked at how many tops I have, wait until you see my walk in closet at my place."
She shook her head at me, smiling, while she zipped up her last bag. I stood there wondering how many tops anyone ever really needed in their life.

To double check, I did one last round of the room in case she would have forgotten something. For once, I was seeing the room clean and uncluttered. It suddenly hit me that this was happening and that in a few hours she would not even be in the same city as I was in.
My thoughts got interrupted when I found a hoodie sat folded on the end of the bed.

"Ari, you forgot this." I said taking the very expensive looking hoodie and walking back to her with it.

"I want you to keep it. Then I have one of yours and you have one of mine." She said and I had absolutely forgotten that she had kept my favorite hoodie.

"This probably costs more than my rent in a month." I said examining the hoodie she had left for me. I couldn't help bu smile at her cuteness as she blushed having just offered me her hoodie, being shy all of a sudden.

"Don't be ridiculous. No hoodie is ever worth more than a day's worth of rent." She replied, not fully having understood my sarcasm.

"So I get to keep this?" I asked, she smiled and nodded slowly. "Like shared custody of hoodies?" I asked, pushing a strand of hair away from her face. She laughed at that remark.

"Share custody?" She laughed loudly at my remark. "Keep it until I see you again, it'll give us something to look forward to." She said with confidence, closing her eyes at my touch. I had grown to love seeing this. Her confident remark also reassured me that she had plans on seeing me again and that this was not an official goodbye.

The next couple of hours before their departure, we had sat all together; Joan, Frankie, Ariana and I over some room service that they had ordered.
Joan had ordered it to her room and with the help of the costume I wore getting into the hotel, we moved me to Joan's room.

We had all agreed that I would follow them out, pretending to be the deaf and blind cousin. They then would drive me back to mine and finally leave for the airport.

It's always when you want time to go by slowly that it goes by too quick. In what felt like only minutes, we were done eating, talking, watching funny and random videos on youtube.

When Joan walked over to me, handing me back the costume, I knew that moment I had dreaded had finally arrived. Looking over to Ariana, I saw that she was just as upset as I was.