The cold night breeze smacked me right in the pace as I exited the airport, scanning outside for my sister's Navy Blue car as I passed one after another after another. Astrid's car was no where to be seen. I narrated inside my head. Her navy blue car is nowhere to be fou- Oh, there it is!
My eyes ran past the license plate, not paying attention much, only scanning for an 'A' as the first letter. And there it was. As my hand reached for the door's handle, the car continued as it was in park before. I laughed to myself. The year I was studying abroad and she still made me run for the handle. Hell, even with luggage lagging behind me.
The navy blue car came to a halt and I opened the car's door. Astrid wasn't driving. It was someone unknown to me. "Oh, geez! Sorry, sorry, sorry!" I cringed at opening the door to another automobile. How stupid of me to assume it was Astrid without checking the license plates "I- I got, uh confused. Um, wrong car..." The bloke driving looked familiar. "Louis?" I raised an eyebrow. Why had he come to the airport?
He mouthed my name in disbelief, as if I came back from the dead. Which might I say : I didn't.
Louis took his sunglasses off, then leaned over to get a closer look at me. I felt uncomfortable, as if I were a science experiment. Which might I say : I was.( Which is a completely different tale I'd be glad to tell later.) He then took off my sunglasses and examined my features.
"Jesus Christ! It is you! Come on, get in" He then moved out of the passenger seat area for me to get in. I tossed my luggage in the back seat, " You look like you came from another world! I remember when you left. You were as pale as a vampire, now look at you! You're as tan as those American beach surfers."
I nodded at his misleading information, "So Astrid sold you her car...or..?" You could miss a lot in a year of absence.
" Oh, no, she didn't. I offered to pick you up while she was off doing... I don't remember what it was that she was doing, but she seemed very busy when I saw her at Uni."
" I've sure missed you!" I pointed out and Louis' face lit up.
" You have?!"
"Of course I have! In the year I was there, I didn't meet anyone from Europe. At. All."
" You miss my accent?" He asked a bit less enthusiastic.
" And your perkinesss!" I hugged him from the side as he drove, but he couldn't hug me back, only taking a glance at me before back at the road.
" So how did you live without me for a year?" I asked, truly interested as I felt my heart swell up in glee. I finally got to hold him again. After an entire year. The fact that I had liked him more than friends didn't help, at all, but I- I was fine now.
He gave an uneasy laugh as I pulled away from his warm chest. " I um, eh. Went to Uni" He bit his bottom lip. That was all her could manage, the best he could say.
" Well, what did you accomplish this year?"
"I um, Astrid set me up with someone to get... Over a girl"
"Oh..." I stated glumly.
Damn her. I've never met her, but damn her for stealing Louis' heart. Why couldn't I steal his the way he stole mine?
" Why did you need to get over her? "
"B- Because she left me"
She got his poor fragile heart and ripped it into shreds. I'd better hope she doesn't come crawling back.
The atmosphere was thick and uneasy to be in now. " So what about you? You were the one in America. How- How was it? "
"Well, when we get home, I'll show you all the picture and videos I took. Well if you want. Or I can just tell you of how it was practically illegal for me to get drunk so we had to sneak it and wake up the days during exams with a bloody hangover"
He took a lingering look as he observed me. "I like the second one better. Did you meet any new fellas in the states?" Louis attempted to start another conversation.
"Yeah, some. They were kind. Some just assumed I was arrogant because of my accent" I dipped my head down at the memory. The memory of spending a portion of it alone. Leave it to stereotypes to define a person.
"Oh. I'm sorry" was his response.
"No, no. It's okay" I shook my head in dismay, "So, what was her name?"
"Whose?"
"The birdy you were getting over"
"Oh..."
"Come on. You could tell me"
"Er... That's not important."
"Please. Please. Please. Plea-"
"You know her."
I gasped, "What?! Who? Who? Who?"
"Um. Guess."
"Her name is Guess? You know, there was a brand named Guess back there in my uni trip," I stated informative.
Louis chuckled and shook his head.
"Aw, very well then. Let's see? Emily? Barbara? Denise?"
None of them were.
"Clue 2?"
"I- Uh. We- Er. Um. This would make it obvious. So."
"So you won't tell me?"
He took an observant look at me with an expressionless visage, " She helped me out with my science project back in 6th form."
I took a look back at my life.
That was me.
Me.
Me. Me me me me.
He was talking about me.
"Get over a girl"
Is he over me?
Did he try to get over me?
I looked straight ahead the road, my thoughts wandering around the globe.
Is he over me?
My seat belt was unclicked.
Louis had unclicked it.
"We're home," he said monotone.
I gawked.
"That's why I didn't tell you about my feelings. Because I just knew they wouldn't be reciprocated," he said, looking straight forward to the front porch. The light was on. Everyone was asleep.
Louis had driven 2 hours to pick me up.
If he's over me, why would he do that?
"Louis."
His head turned to face mine.
A small glimmer of hope showed in his eyes, but his lips remained in a thin line.
"Guess whom I had a crush on," I requested.
He scoffed, "You're f*cking heartless," he unlatched his seat belt, "You were crushing on that football player playing first line. Did you know you are so confusing? When he asked you out to the dance, you told him no. He walked away disappointed and you smiled at me. You gave me a full on grin and then a wink!"
He paused before continuing and I neared him when I should have been getting further away since he was obviously frustrated.
" You could get any boy you wanted. But you didn't. And you were so ignorant to their drooling smiles. I mean, who doesn't notice that? And I wanted them so badly to stop staring at you, because I wanted to be the one to take you out on dates and hold your hand and kiss-"
So I kissed him.
The butterflies in my stomach fluttered and I couldn't get rid of them.
I backed away first.
Then looked at him with an "Oops smile".
His lips were multiple shades of pink.
I licked my chapped lips.
In a swift move, Louis grabbed the back of my neck and brought me closer to him with more confidence.
It was important for us to express our feelings forwards each other that day then any other. If we had before, I would have never left to a distant Uni.
Oh, and this kids is how a fight turns into a confession of long term love.