My phone buzzed, banging against the side table as it quickly awoke me, I was a light sleeper. I reached for the side lamp, taking minutes to find the switch, as I did my eyes were quickly dilated as the invisible darkness disappeared to a distance. I tried to shield my eyes as I reached for the phone to look at the message I had received. As I opened it all it had said was, “Deck, ten minutes, look nice.” First impression, someone wanted to meet me on the deck in ten minutes. My heart was jumping as I was excited to learn what this will be, forgetting the time was a mere two am as I raced to the vanity to look as decent as I could in a short span, reapplying my makeup and sorts. I raced through the halls, trying to put on the butterscotch coloured flats on my way, ignoring the present dangers in my path.
“Surprise!” Screamed the group of them.
The deck glowed as multicoloured light bulbs were strung across the sky, making illuminated patterns into the granite stone below as white paper lanterns were stung up high in the maple and ash trees fixed above our heads resembling clouds in a great sky of green. A great fire was set in the pit situated in the middle of the deck as my eyes transfixed upon the table settled with delightful sweets, cakes and alcohol. It was amazing, the amount of work they had put into a wonderful evening surprise, it was rewarding to my self esteem knowing only friends would do such a thing. I then took a quick look at them as they looked absolutely brill. Baileys hair swayed in the wind as her diamante studded plum and purple day dress caught the shimmers of the lights above her as she was centimeters taller then james thanks to her black metallic sandals. James had a heavy grey denim buttoned jacket with a striped black white and grey scarf, skinny fitted jeans mixed with a plaid bumblebee yellow and black belt. Calvin, well since he was apparently home from getting stitches, he looked like shit, I forgive him since he had glass through his leg. All their eyes glimmered in the rainbow lights, it was a sight to behold.
“Well we talked it out, as in the two of us, Calvin was at the hospital. We decided we want you to go, so we are throwing you a good luck party. Note the random shamrocks around the vicinity.” She pointed to various spots of the deck as if a show girl.
“They were NOT old St. Patty day decorations at all, just incase you wondered.” James noted.
“Mm sure.” I laughed, thus began a wonderful night. We had such great conversations about the craziest of things, laughing and loving. It seemed to go to fast, the moon quickly setting down back to the earth before I knew it, as I headed to bed for the last time in the grand brick house. I woke up incredibly early the next morning, and by early I mean around ten-thirty am. I woke up to see all my belongings packed up sat upon the birch desk next to the vanity as it held onto its bright red bow tied onto it. I walked over as I saw that there was a lined paper note attached to it.
“Hey Lex, We missed you this morning, Calvin had some kind of appointment at the hospital neither three of us knew about, it was a surprise, we really did not want to leave you hanging. We are really sorry, hope you can forgive us. Email us or something wherever you go. I put £700 in your bag, think of it as a gift from me, (Bailey). Don’t fall in love to easily with the french guys, you know how there smoking is attractive, don’t fall for it!
Love Bailey, James, Calvin. (See you soon, with a mum!)
I picked up the bag as it rest upon my shoulder, grasping the letter to my heart, I did not want to leave here. It was the one place I felt safe in, where I felt comfortable being me and loved, but my word is my word, and I keep on it as I flipped open my cell phone to see what undisclosed location I would be in soon enough. My eyes widened, heart raced, mind stressed, I was heading to Lisbon. Why had my mum picked the farthest place for me to go to, I was already nervous about the trip I was soon to make. I walked through the foyer, saying goodbye to the crystal chandelier that I had been entertained by several times as I exited the heavy wooden doors for the last time, in well, who knew yet. The grand fountains bubbling noises of its own waters relaxed me for the time being, I sat upon the edge of the rock scultpure, thinking about what the future hold for me as I diled the numbers for a taxi. I was very impreprared for the adventure I was getting myself. All I could hope is that it would not get much worse.
I was heartbroken leaving Calvin as well. He was my nail that held my crazy into place, which seemed to not be true, but I could get much worse. Gingers bring out the bad in you, its another one of my theories on life. I was going to miss him, terribly, I was trying to hold my tears in. I wanted that boy that stood up for me during the gym to be there in that plane with me, letting me sleep on his comforting shoulder while the cold plane flew across the seas and hills. To enjoy the warming coffee inside a inviting cafe as we could look out the small bay windows watching the unique cars and people mix on the streets. I knew I could do this myself physically but emotionally he was the one that didn’t let me get to out of control, that was a part I was rather afraid of.
The wait couldn’t have been more stretched out and prolonged, having a heaving burden on my stressed mind. It seemed like hours upon hours of my eyes staring around the blue watery bubbles uprising from the fountain and looking at the heavily decorated wrought iron gate as few cars passed along. I ignored incoming texts to my phone as I could not be bothered to reply to them. It began to get windier as gusts became frequent, my grey summer dress floated along the waves of wind as my black ribbon balanced on the air. Long enough, a black glossy painted minivan rolled up the bricked driveway as its taxi signs logo was brightly lit despite it being currently daylight as I grabbed the suitcase, the ribbon still intake. I grabbed the handle as the door smoothly opened as I sat on the strangely patterned seat, sinking right into the head cushion, watching the precious house roll on past the hills in the faded distance. A quick nap was vital to my health as i drifted off into the darkness, the same scenery was a sweet lullaby.
—-
I never had liked airplanes, just the thought of being kilometers above the sky tended to freak me out as the landing and lifting off scared me also. I just tried to shut off the rest of the world so I could ignore the present phobias in my mind, humming Dizzee Rascal songs to myself as to distract me. Luckily this time I had a window seat so I could enjoy it better, and the person I was sat next to just minded his own business though I might have judged him as I saw he was listening to Girls Aloud and he was at least thirty-five.
I had such a great pet peeve with people who tried to bother you with small talk. I wasn’t completely introverted, I just hated the awkwardness and the pointlessness of it. I would never meet that person ever again most likely so no Mrs. old-woman who-wants-to-know-how-many-puppies-I-have, I would not like to talk about how many cats you own at your chateau in France. When I entered a elevator I could only wish that the people next to me would just mind their own business and not intrude on my life. I had more respect for the people that just listened to their ipod while reading Elle magazine instead. If I wanted to meet you I will ask.
The scenery out the window was such a spectacular site as the Cumulus clouds below me played games of peek-a-boo with the earth below. I sat my arms against the window as my hands held my head to keep it from falling as I tried to make objects out of the clouds. I saw all kinds, a dragon with its tongue out, pumpkin pie, a toy box. Then as I was quickly becoming bored of this regularly played game I saw a doghouse. It instantly flicked on the memory switch in my brain as sparks flew like fireworks. The doghouse had reminded me of Calvin getting a Labrador Retriever around when he and I were ten.
I had gone to school, regular day, sitting in the freezing cold sterilized room of Ms. Swiechers home room as I was shivering trying to keep from looking at the inspirational posters strongly taped to the wall around me as I knew reading them would make me doze off. I had always gone to school a little early as my dad had to go to work earlier and would drop me off. Usually Calvin would always be in the room to entertain me but that day he was unusually late, my mind dreaded the rest of the day thinking he would be sick. I had hated the days he was sick because I had to sit in the gloriously cliched lunch room by myself sitting alone at the obvious faked wood table eating dry cereal from my dirt coloured bag quietly looking at the paled white clock on the far left corner next to the trash cans and the windows that showed nothing but trees and leaves.
When he had come through the dark grey metaled doorway his facial expression was indescribable, dressed up in whatever he threw on. I was automatically threw off by his appearance seeing he slopped on clothes, strange for him. I knew it was his birthday, but even this would not stop the ginger ten year old from slopping on a Pokemon T-shirt and some plain jeans.
“Lexi, Lexi, Lexi!” He was repeating as he stood over my desk, his freckles seemed more numerous that day.
“What!” I had screamed. partly because I was a brat of a ten year old, and because I truly wanted to know what had made him so excited this morning with the clothes and eyes as big as flying saucers.
As soon as I had said this Ms. Swiecher demanded attention, yelling for the numerous numbers of ten and eleven year olds to get back to their arctic chilled seats awaiting them. He was trying to lip what he was originally going to tell me but that was one skill some people acquired and I have not yet to be able to have. I could not tell one thing he had said so I dug through my cluttered pink backpack to find a notebook, signaling for him to write a note, we were cool kids. As she conducted the usual morning activities I kept looking over to the right of the room as Calvin could only find one empty seat, it was 3 desks across from mine. I always sat next to the window so if I wanted to dream about what I wanted to be when I grew up I could look out onto the brick fence around thirty meters away as full grown cherry trees were spontaneously planted around the area. I got a kick out of the rare sighting of sparrows flying around the trees, it provided much more entertainment from maths.
“Pssst, Lex.” A student had said as I saw him signaling the piece of paper in his hand as my small hand quickly grabbed the wide ruled white paper, unwinding the numerous folds as it increased in size. I had not figured out why had it took so long to get him to write something as simple as what I had just saw. In boldly decorated letters of a typical left handed fellows handwriting, it read out, I GOT A PUPPY!. And boy, did he ever. This was our topic of choice for the rest of the day, as he fully described his buttered colour labrador puppy and its personality and I continued to listen. As I walked up to my mums Saab in the bleak parking lot a few moments away from the schools glass doors I recited the lines Calvin and I had practiced that day.
“How was your day hun,” my then thirty-five year old mum asked with her hand on the steering wheel drinking another coffee.
“Mum, mum, mum, can I have a puppy! Like Calvin got a puppy and it is so cool and i really really want one and I would take care of it and everything and they are so cute and like he likes his so much I want a cute one please!” My past self had rambled, though she said no it was eventually a good thing as Calvin and my relationship grew as stronger because I frequently visited his house so we could play with the puppy. He loved his dog, still to this day like no other. The dog was his best bud.
Wow, sometimes I forgot how lost in my memories I could become, as I quickly got back to basics as I chose another Mark Ronson song from my ipod, I completely ignored my playlist, as my mind changed to frequently for playlists. I had originally left for the plane around two and the sun was slowly setting in the west as the clouds quickly turned shades of violet, auburn and mustard, reflecting upon the blue sea below. The water went on endlessly, as the horizon formed a straight line horizontally into the blanks of the dirtied window. I grabbed out of my phone as I decided to take a few low quality quick snaps of the view, for memories sake. I rested my brown hair upon the aged chair and wished for best as I looked out onto the rainbow sky. I wish the best for Calvin, for Bailey, for Mum, for James, and for Calvin’s dog, Sam.
The intercom woke me up as the flight attendants warned of the decline they were about to make as I braced myself, soon I would be in Portugal, the least expected place I would though of finding myself just a few days ago if not a few months. Soon enough the torturous waiting was over as I unbuckled the linen belt and grabbed my belongings, heading to the exit followed behind other strangers and their life’s. As I entered the terminal the warm setting sun shown through the glass as I watched the passerby’s on the ground level below me. I quickly rechecked my mobile as I was set on finding a place to stay for the night.
As I was going down Avenue Alm. Gago Coutinho toward my hotel I had found, I looked out onto the ever darkening streets as their red tiled roofs matched the sun on the far off distance. The trees along the Avenue waved at me as their leaves rustled when the quant compact cars passed them. The sky was completely cleared from all clouds as soon all you could see was a darkening blackness surround the Portuguese city. The robins egg blue and lemon yellow vibrantly shined on the facades of the buildings as hints of Parisian architecture shown through. Pubs lit through the georgian windows as neon branded advertisements caught your eye on the corner of the streets as some ever passing monuments would appear. The people dressed vibrantly as heels clacked upon the ground as couples were dressed on a night out on the town. which oddly puzzled me since it was a Tuesday.
Soon enough I could see the granite and glass facade of Hotel Mundial as the landscape lights lit up the building in a ritz way. The windows were exactly square as the building was around ten stories tall and had a dark grey and light beige tone to it. The sign was below the all glass half circle glass paved entrance way as the square windows stood a polar opposite to the modern semi-circular glass way. I stared out the shaded window as I did not notice the Taxi had been stopped for quite a while as I pated the fee and walked opened the yellowed door, grabbing my belongings.The grand hotel had a large and vacuous courtyard in the front of it as baby trees and thousand of tiles lined the floor as bubbling modern fountains were closing in on the main entryway as I closed in passing the flags shining in the front.
I booked a room for the night as I got into the room I payed the hundred few euros as I was glad I had more Euros seeing the exchange rate from the pound to euro gained me a few hundred more to spend. As I walked into the room I opened the shades to the square window I had previously seen as the lights of the city sparkled in the distance. They were like christmas lights, greens, yellows, oranges, running through the city creating a magnificent display for myself to see. I wondered what Calvin or James would think of this, as my mind suddenly connected how much I missed them. I thought about calling them but that would only make me miss them more so I put down the phone. I checked the time, seeing it was only around seven p.m..
