proper family intervention."
"Yeah… As
much fun as that sounds, I'd really rather handle this myself."
"Okay."
"What
else is new with you?"
Jin pulled up
as if on cue, his face so full of worry he looked like he’d been listening
in.
"I can't
talk now, Mom. I just wanted to fill you in."
"When can
you talk?"
"I don't
know. Soon. I'll call you."
"You always
say that and then you nev-"
"I
promise," I said.
"Okay,”
she said. “Thanks for calling.”
I hung up and
approached Jin's bike, shaking my head the whole time.
"You
okay?" he asked. "You look like someone just died."
"It's
Audrey," I said. "I let her get away."
Chapter
12: Audrey
I knew I had
no right to pout.
I just went on
a glorious holiday to a gorgeous part of the world where I'd seen and done some
amazing things. My muscles felt relaxed, my skin had a refreshing tightness
brought on by my days in the sun, and I even managed to lose a few pounds despite
drinking every day and stuffing my face every night.
And yet, as
the air hostess passed me an uninspiring packet of "baked snack
crackers" in a bag so small I don't know why they even bothered packaging
up the contents, I couldn't help but feel like the trip could've been
more.
Or more
accurately, that more could've happened between me and Jack.
Not that I
could complain about it. I was the one that hadn't let him in, thereby ensuring
that the whole ordeal- whatever it was- lacked any closure it might've had.
And I didn’t
regret it. I just wished he'd shown up the night before like he said he
would.
Perhaps that
was why I had a sour taste in my mouth. Because the whole trip had been pleasantly
surprising up to that point. And then, suddenly, I was let down, humiliated,
and severely underwhelmed. It seemed like such a pathetic climax to an
otherwise happy story, and the only way to describe how I felt on the plane was
“blah.”
And to make
matters worse, I was flying back home to a place where my job and dating
prospects were as grim as the weather.
Still, I was
doing my best to put on a brave face. After all, in many ways, it was the
holiday of a lifetime and one I would never forget. So who did I think I was
feeling sorry for myself?
Plus, I didn't
want Megan to feel bad. Then again, how could she? She was too busy watching
Frozen on her personal TV monitor and was the biggest Elsa fan over age
twelve.
Meanwhile
there I was, not letting it go.
I opened my
baked snack crackers and ate half the package- or more specifically- three of
them. Then I scrolled through the movies on offer.
Rom Com's were
out. I was in no mood to watch something that was guaranteed to have a happy
ending when I was sulking over the absence of my own. And I hated horror films.
My life had been scary enough lately without going out of my way to feel disturbed.
I didn't want
to watch anything with Matthew McConaughey either, which ruled out half the
films on offer. I don't know why. Normally I liked him, but something about his
shade of tan and his blue eyes made me feel… sick.
Megan reached
up and paused her screen, pushing her headphones back on her head as she turned
to me. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah,"
I lied. "Fine. Why?"
"Is it
Jack?"
"No. What
are you talking about?"
"You
haven't picked a movie yet."
"So.
There are a lot of choices. Maybe too many."
"I
know," she said. "That's exactly my point."
"What
is?"
"You're
always indecisive when you're depressed."
"What? No
I'm not."
"Yes you
are," she said. "It's why you overbuy ice cream when you're sad.
Cause you never know what flavor you want when you don't feel like
anything."
"I'm not
indecisive."
"Whatever,"
she said. "I know better than to try and talk you out of your allowable sulking
time, but before you pout for the next fifteen
"Yeah… As
much fun as that sounds, I'd really rather handle this myself."
"Okay."
"What
else is new with you?"
Jin pulled up
as if on cue, his face so full of worry he looked like he’d been listening
in.
"I can't
talk now, Mom. I just wanted to fill you in."
"When can
you talk?"
"I don't
know. Soon. I'll call you."
"You always
say that and then you nev-"
"I
promise," I said.
"Okay,”
she said. “Thanks for calling.”
I hung up and
approached Jin's bike, shaking my head the whole time.
"You
okay?" he asked. "You look like someone just died."
"It's
Audrey," I said. "I let her get away."
Chapter
12: Audrey
I knew I had
no right to pout.
I just went on
a glorious holiday to a gorgeous part of the world where I'd seen and done some
amazing things. My muscles felt relaxed, my skin had a refreshing tightness
brought on by my days in the sun, and I even managed to lose a few pounds despite
drinking every day and stuffing my face every night.
And yet, as
the air hostess passed me an uninspiring packet of "baked snack
crackers" in a bag so small I don't know why they even bothered packaging
up the contents, I couldn't help but feel like the trip could've been
more.
Or more
accurately, that more could've happened between me and Jack.
Not that I
could complain about it. I was the one that hadn't let him in, thereby ensuring
that the whole ordeal- whatever it was- lacked any closure it might've had.
And I didn’t
regret it. I just wished he'd shown up the night before like he said he
would.
Perhaps that
was why I had a sour taste in my mouth. Because the whole trip had been pleasantly
surprising up to that point. And then, suddenly, I was let down, humiliated,
and severely underwhelmed. It seemed like such a pathetic climax to an
otherwise happy story, and the only way to describe how I felt on the plane was
“blah.”
And to make
matters worse, I was flying back home to a place where my job and dating
prospects were as grim as the weather.
Still, I was
doing my best to put on a brave face. After all, in many ways, it was the
holiday of a lifetime and one I would never forget. So who did I think I was
feeling sorry for myself?
Plus, I didn't
want Megan to feel bad. Then again, how could she? She was too busy watching
Frozen on her personal TV monitor and was the biggest Elsa fan over age
twelve.
Meanwhile
there I was, not letting it go.
I opened my
baked snack crackers and ate half the package- or more specifically- three of
them. Then I scrolled through the movies on offer.
Rom Com's were
out. I was in no mood to watch something that was guaranteed to have a happy
ending when I was sulking over the absence of my own. And I hated horror films.
My life had been scary enough lately without going out of my way to feel disturbed.
I didn't want
to watch anything with Matthew McConaughey either, which ruled out half the
films on offer. I don't know why. Normally I liked him, but something about his
shade of tan and his blue eyes made me feel… sick.
Megan reached
up and paused her screen, pushing her headphones back on her head as she turned
to me. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah,"
I lied. "Fine. Why?"
"Is it
Jack?"
"No. What
are you talking about?"
"You
haven't picked a movie yet."
"So.
There are a lot of choices. Maybe too many."
"I
know," she said. "That's exactly my point."
"What
is?"
"You're
always indecisive when you're depressed."
"What? No
I'm not."
"Yes you
are," she said. "It's why you overbuy ice cream when you're sad.
Cause you never know what flavor you want when you don't feel like
anything."
"I'm not
indecisive."
"Whatever,"
she said. "I know better than to try and talk you out of your allowable sulking
time, but before you pout for the next fifteen
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