Chapter Text
Katelyn hated pickup lines. No, hated was an understatement. She despised them.
Especially when it was Travis doing the line-picking.
“Aw, c’mon! That was a pretty good one!” Travis exclaimed, trying to wrap his arm around Katelyn’s shoulders as she inched away.
“Puh-lease. Your whole feather act easily beat that,” she teased, pushing him away playfully.
He went back to his waytooclose position towards her, a wide grin spread across his face. “So you admit the feather act pulled you in?!” he asked, his fingers toying with her wavy blue strands of hair.
Katelyn felt warmth reach her cheeks as she noticed his gentle touch, yet she scoffed. “As if! I’m just saying it gave me less second-hand embarrassment than that stupid line. You obviously stole it from Tumblr.”
An offended gasp came from Travis. “I wouldn’t dare use such low-class language for you, princess! All my words come from my heart, not some website that’s 90% cat pictures.”
Katelyn rolled her eyes, looking at the clock on her right in an effort to hide her flustered expression. It was 7:42 PM. It suddenly hit her that they’d started watching Cute Cute High School Life with Amazing Friends and Kawaii Love more than six hours ago. Time flies with him…
“Katelyn?”
She spun her head around, only to jump back as she saw how his face was in front of her own.
Too close. Too close. Back away, Katelyn.
Travis stared at her expectantly, as if expecting a reaction or answer from her.
“Sorry, what?”
Travis sighed, picking up his Adidas bag off the floor and standing up and away from the couch. “Never mind, it’s late anyways. I’m going to get going, not going to want to miss tomorrow!”
Tomorrow? Katelyn searched her brain for any mention of tomorrow. What about tomorrow?
“Well cya!”
Katelyn jumped off the couch, grabbing his wrist before he could walk too far. “Wait, what?”
Had she zoned out too much that she completely forgot something that was apparently tomorrow? Was it his birthday? Or was he going to get a haircut? What was it?
“Katelyn…” Travis sighed, his eyes softening and sadly smiling. “I’m leaving tomorrow.”
Every ounce of air, every hope and laughter and everything she had contained within herself left her within the second. He’s leaving?
“What..?”
Travis dropped his bag and took Katelyn in a hug, surprising her. She didn’t back away, the reality of things settling in. She had wanted to forget, and she had forgotten.
Travis was leaving for New York. Tomorrow. And he wouldn’t be back for a while. “While” meaning several years.
“Oh, right.”
They stared at each other for several seconds, yet Katelyn felt as if time had slowed down. She had never noticed how green his eyes were. An emerald glow emitted through them and spread into the Cheshire grin he always had on his face. His snow-white hair that she used to tease was “old men's hair”, messily pushed to his right. The way his dimples appeared as he pushed a strand of her own hair behind her ear.
Wait, what?
“You didn’t forget, right?” he asked, a crack in his voice as if he was dreading the answer to come.
“No, of course I didn't!” Katelyn exclaimed, guilt sinking in. “I just… didn’t want to accept it.”
A bittersweet grin formed on his face, quickly undone by the smirk he loved to put on for her.
“So you care about me?”
She lied, “No, I’m just going to miss you is all.”
Missing him was an understatement. Cared was an understatement. Attracted was an understatement.
She was unmistakably, irrevocably, in love with him. And she didn’t know what to do about it.
They finally stepped away from each other, the warmth of each other's bodies also retreating with them. It made Katelyn want to cry, but she faked her smile anyway.
“Alright then. Let’s take a picture though,” she suggested, an idea forming in her mind.
Stop it, Katelyn. It’s so dumb. You’re going to regret this.
“Oh! Sure,” Travis said, settling next to Katelyn as she lifted her phone into selfie mode. They smiled, and Katelyn saw in their reflections the tears that they were both trying desperately to hold in.
“Done, I’ll send it to you too,” Katelyn spoke, tapping on share, GojoCopycat, send, and looking back at the love of her life.
Don’t do it.
“Thanks,” Travis smiled, a hint of confusion showing in his expression. “Why the picture though? As far as I remember, you’re more into videos, no?”
This is it. Go big or go home.
“Uh,” Katelyn began, thinking about how Kawaii Chan would later squeal at the idea forming in her mind, “I wanted a picture…so on Christmas, I can show Santa what I want.”
It was dumb. Cringe. Absolutely terrible.
And yet Travis gaped. He smiled. A toothy smile. The type he never showed unless he was joyful.
Irene save me.
“Alright then. Bye, Katelyn.”
He walked out the door, pausing and turning around to look at her.
“Bye, Travis.”