A Moment with Her

Date?

"Hey, I have something to tell you!" 

When Ripley turned around an angry Lily was walking towards her.

"Me?" she asked, confused. 

Then Lily raised her hand as if she was going to slap her but before she could do anything Ripley grabbed her wrist in mid-air and said in a critical tone;

"Escúchame pendeja (Listen to me asshole) I won't repeat myself. Stay away from me. It is not my fault you have yet to learn the meaning of No". Ripley let go of her hand and walked away, leaving a silent Lily in her wake. 

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            Elias didn't come back to school. His mother had found a school three states away that will take him in after the ending of the term. However, his mother refused to let him go back to school, so instead, he finished up the rest of the term online. The only people he spoke to these days were Dany, Steven and Brandon he couldn't bring himself to talk to Ripley yet. His emotions were too raw and despite having tried to reach him, he just shut her out. The only time he had contacted her was to let her know that he finished his part of the project and then blocked her. Elia reassured himself that this would be the best for both of them. Just a clean break before anything started.

            Ripley ended up distancing herself from Sarah and Elias groups instead she emerged herself within the art and Jazz club. With that Ripley began discovering more of who she was and felt comfortable in letting go.

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A few months later: Graduation 

            The room erupted in cheers as graduation caps fell from the sky. Ripley caught her cap just before falling. She smiled and laughed as each row one by one made their way to the back before dispersing to find their families. 

            Ripley tried to look for her brother and father through the crowd of bodies but only got jostled around. Until she felt a pair of sturdy hands caught her from behind. Ripley jumped and turned around only to see a smiling Elias looking down at her.

"Hey," he said, shuffling a few steps back.

"Hey yourself" Ripley replied. It's been almost a year since she spoke to him last.

"How have you been Ripley?" He said smiling however if she wouldn't have known better she would have noticed the tinge of sadness in his eyes.

"Good, you?" Ripley felt stunned and didn't know how else she was supposed to interact with him.

"Fine, I've been fine," he said.

Ripley looked down to see he wasn't wearing a graduation gown.

"I heard you move to a boarding school?"

"Yeah, I did. I just came back to see the guys graduate,".

Ripley nodded and forced a smile.

"Well, I hope everything's good,".

"It is. I-"

"Ripley!" When she turned around, her dad stood next to her brother waving her over.

"Um, I got to go. It was nice seeing you again... Take care Elias" she said softly and then turned around but before walking off to her family she stopped to look back at him "I mean it".

Elias felt a tightening in his chest which he clutched with one hand.

"Goodbye, Ripley" He whispered. 

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Three Years Later:

Elias POV:

I took out my laptop and began to log into the school's server as waited for my lecture to start. All I needed was another class to complete my science requirements and then I never have to take Biology again. This year was going to be good, I can already feel it. 

I leaned back as I waited for the rest of the class to start coming in... I guess I got here a bit early because there were only five people here instead of the 30 plus that this room could hold... As I scrolled through my laptop.

I heard the heavy metal door open and close but didn't bother to look up as I scrolled through my emails As I heard a soft voice call out to me.

"Elia?"

'No,' I paused 'no f*****g way' I looked up and there she was.

            Her long dark hair was now short and fell just around her shoulders. Her once bright sundresses now opted towards a more urban look as she dawned a pair of black leggings and a navy green bomber jacket finished with small gold earrings.

"It is you. Do you remember me?" Ripley asks.

'Do I remember her she asks'.

"Ripley," I say pausing as I looked up at her "Of course I do" Then I get up and offer her the seat next to me that I awkwardly pulled out with one hand.

"Would you, um... want to sit here?" 

She nodded slowly and placed her bag beside her as she shuffled between the pulled-out chair and the table.

Once they were seated, she turns towards me and says;

"How have you been? I mean it's been, what? like three years?"

I nervously scratch the back of my neck.

"Yeah, it's been a while and I've been good. I mean, I had my back straightened out. So, things have changed quite a bit".

she widens her eyes and proceeded to look me up and down.

"Wow, you must feel so much better, huh? I know that the pain was a big problem back then "she said.

'Well, she wasn't wrong although there was more pain than just my back during that time,'

"Yeah, although I've had to ditch my old friend the cane".

"No, not the cane," she said sadly. 

"I'm afraid so".

She laughed as she tucked her hair behind her ear. 

'Funny,'

'I guess some things never change. She always did that when she was nervous'.

"So, is this a major or requirement for you?" she asked.

"Requirement, you?"

"Minor".

"Oh, okay what for?"

"Well, I'm studying to be a Zoologist"

Her answer took me by surprise.

"Really, I would have thought graphic novelist".

"Well I still do that on the side but my passion lies with Zoology at the moment so I'm making due. What about you?"

"Psychologist".

"That's amazing! Although not surprising you were always a good listener after all".

            'I can't believe it. I never thought that I would see her again. After high school, I cut contact with everyone and was adamant about starting new but in the back of my mind, I always wondered what became of her. Now here she stands... in front of me. She's no longer a girl and I am no longer a boy. I remember her telling me to straighten out my business before involving her further in the mess that I created. Is this a second chance? If it is I'm not going to waste it... If she'll still have me that is'.

After the class was over I asked her if she had any other classes next and she shook her head.

"Not until 12:05"

"So, what are you going to do for the next two hours? “I asked casually.

"I don't know probably go to my dorm, you?"

"I was going to go catch breakfast want to join me?"

She nodded and said, "Sure".

End of Elias POV

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So, they walked over to the dining hall and picked up two breakfast sandwiches.

Once seated they began to catch up; They spoke about life, work, careers, and families.

            Elia had noticed how much she has changed he had learned that after high school Ripley had taken two years off and joined the Peace Corps where she was stationed in Samoa. During that time, she worked as a community health volunteer. Elia noticed how much that once shy girl who rambled endlessly about comic books and Anime had grown into a confident young woman and felt honored to meet her.

            Ripley had discovered during their conversation that after Elia left the first quarter he had gone to a boarding school where he was able to confront his trauma and after he graduated he went to a treatment center for depression while going to school part-time. It was hard for Ripley to miss how his smile reached his eyes and she was happy for him and all that he's accomplished. After breakfast, Elia walked Ripley to her next class and they exchanged numbers as well as social media info.

            Week after week they followed the same routine after class they would catch breakfast and talk to each other for a few hours until Elia walked her to her next class. They would create study sessions during midterms and write their essays together in a rented room in the library.            Ripley wasn't expecting their friendship to flow as well as it did. After all those years they've fallen into a comfortable routine where they felt even closer than they did back in high school.

            As the first term rolled around the school's theatre productions had revealed their posters for their fall production of "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas". Having loved the film Ripley send a picture to Elia asking him if he wanted to go. Then she put her phone back into her back pocket and left to go grab a coffee with her friends. 

            Elias was at work when he heard a buzz on his desk when towards his phone he had already seen the name glowing across the screen. He smiled as he read her invitation he then wrote back; "Sure" before closing his phone. Elia felt excited because despite him and Ripley spending a lot of time together it was always surrounded by school but now she was making the first move and he wondered if she valued their friendship as much as he did.