"Is there a curse or something going on?" Dan questioned as he munched on a bowl of cereal. "I mean really, think about it. . .Jodi cheating on Jon, Tori leaving, Melissa not coming back. . .what's with the bad luck?"
Stever nodded at his friend's thoughts. "I'm sorry man, I really wish I could sympathize. . .well maybe I can, you know, from Nicci and all. But then again, that was a really long time ago, and it's not like I really want her back or anything. . ."
"Don't worry about it, I know what you're trying to say," Dan said. "I'm sorry if we haven't really been there for you lately. I tried to help for a while there with those two chicks from school."
"No, you don't worry about it. You guys are still my friends, girls or no girls. And to tell you the truth. . .that Maureen chick you talked to. . .you know, she really is kinda cute."
"You met her?"
"I ran into her at school. . .she said something or other about her friend wanting to go out with me. Jessica I think her name was, but I couldn't get that girls eyes out of my head."
"So you think that something might work there?"
"I'm hoping so. She's different, I can tell."
"She seemed nice, definitely a big change from Nicci."
"Please don't bring her up," Stever groaned. "I'm just glad to have finally moved on from her, I'd rather not revisit the thought that I actually dated. . .that."
"I understand. Maybe not completely, but I understand," he replied. "Listen dude, I gotta finish eating, and I'm sure you want to call Maureen. . ."
"Gotcha. I'll talk to you later," he said. Just as he was about to hang up the phone he remembered something he had meant to ask him. "Dan hold up a second, did you ever find out what Debbie booked us? You know our surprise last date?"
"Oh yeah. . .I still don't have a clue. I don't think Ryan knows either, and that's his mother. My guess is that she won't tell us until a week before or something. Who knows."
"I wish I did."
"Me too. But we'll find out soon enough."
Not much was said between Ryan and Tori over the weeks that followed. They avoided the issue as much as possible, and it began taking it's ugly toll on the young couple. While Ryan and the band rehearsed and played concerts, Tori was at home packing for the move. Fate that had brought them together was ready to drive them apart.
Tori stood in the middle of her now empty bedroom, reliving in her head all the good times she had living in Newmarket over the past year. She sighed heavily, and picked up her backpack. This was it. Goodbye Canada, goodbye house. . .and saddest of all, goodbye Ryan.
The airport was particularly crowded that day, which was somewhat strange since it was not yet tourist season. Tori and her parents sat at the gate for half an hour before their flight was announced to begin boarding. She kept pinching her arm, hoping that this was all a bad dream and that she'd wake up any minute. The small pain on her arm was only a nagging reminder of the great pain in her heart.
"Victoria, let's go," said her father. "We're boarding now. Grab your stuff or we'll end up sitting in the back." She hated it when her parents called her Victoria. She thought it sounded too much like royalty. Just as Tori was about to pass through the boarding line, she heard a voice.
"Tori!" she heard someone call. Tori looked around, but she didn't see anyone she knew.
"Victoria, come on!" said her father again, anger evident in his voice.
"Daddy wait! I heard someone calling my name, I know I did," she urged. Tori dropped her bag and ran to stand on a chair. She quickly scanned the mass before her for a familiar face, but to no avail.
"Tori!" the voice called again. She searched frantically, and then she saw something. A spikey bleach-blonde head was bobbing within the crowd somewhere as the person it belonged to ran towards her.
"Ryan?" she said in disbelief. "What are you doing here?" she asked when he finally reached her. He helped her step off of the chair and then pulled her into his warm embrace.
"I couldn't let you go without saying goodbye," he replied. "Hell, I just couldn't let you go." He buried his face into the familiar scent of her hair. It was his last moment with her, he wished it could last forever.
"I have no choice Ry. I have to go."
"I know," he said as he produced a gold chain with a ring on it from his pocket. "I love you. And I promise to love you forever, no matter what happens." Tori accepted the chain from him, and squeezed his hand tight.
"I love you too," she said.
"Victoria, I'm not going to tell you again," her father called. Ryan and Tori stared into each others eyes, as if they were reading each others thoughts, or staring into their souls. It was an unspoken promise that they would keep in touch by any means possible, although it would never seem like enough.
Slowly they parted, and Tori boarded the plane. Ryan watched the plane take off, and Tori watched the land move further and further away from her. Both knew that someday, when the wind was right, they would fly into each other's lives once more. They knew deep down that what they shared wasn't just teenage puppy love. It was meant to be, Ryan and Tori. Someday. . .someday.