returning {to the past} -crystal

[~echo~]

After so long, she was finally returning to Queens. Anita drove through the city in her small, beat up Volkswagen Beetle, remembering everything that had happened to her when she lived here during high school. Many of those memories had to do with a certain someone who she hadn't seen in several years. After she had followed Alex to Chicago, her family had found out that they were moving due to her mother's job, and she hadn't seen him again. But now she had graduated from college with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science, and she was returning to Queens to intern.

Anita couldn't let herself remember how she had felt for Alex. It had never brought her anything more than confusion and pain, and she knew she didn't need that in her life just as she was getting started. She was even talking to a guy she had met in her last year of college, Derek. It wasn't a serious relationship, but it was stable, and Derek was a nice guy.

As she pulled up to the dumpy little law firm, she observed the cracked, drying paint on the sign. "Johnson and Johnson, Attorneys at Law." Anita drew in a nervous breath and collected her things in her scratched-up leather briefcase before stepping out of the car and into the law firm.

After the first half of her day was spent, Anita decided to go out for lunch. She couldn't move into her apartment until the next day, so she would be staying either in her car or at a crappy hotel. But she drove a few blocks to a small restaurant and sat down. She ordered a water and a sandwich, then pulled out a book, donned a new pair of reading glasses that her eye doctor had made her get (she was still two hundred dollars in debt because of it), and began reading. Who knew? Perhaps Queens was a good place to get started in the workforce. And goodness knew that the people of the town needed lawyers.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Two young men entered the diner, the younger one chattering incessantly, while the older wore a faintly amused smile. The young one, just into his twenties, had short cropped hair and an animated expression. The other man, however, was clearly much more serious. Despite his smile, there was a tension in him that was hard to miss. His hair was shorter than he'd worn it in high school, but still long enough for it's loose waves to be evident. He wore nice jeans, clean and rip-free, and a dark blue button-up shirt.

After a quick word with the hostess, the two took a seat at a corner booth. The older man laughed at something his companion said and then gave his head a small shake. "Goodness, Luis," he said, his voice just loud enough to carry across the restaurant. "You've been busy."

"So have you, I hear," Luis said.

[~echo~]

Anita looked up as she heard the two enter the restaurant, barely paying them any mind until she heard the name. "Luis," she whispered to herself, quieting down so she could listen closer. She wasn't usually an eavesdropper, but she had to be sure this was who she thought it was. She put her book down as her sandwich arrived, but she only poked at the fries, nibbling on one as she listened.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

The two fell silent for a bit as they looked at their menus. Eventually, the elder put his done and pushed it toward the edge of the table. "So," he said casually. "What's Carlos up to these days?"

Luis went stiff behind his menu and then peeked over the top of it. "Carlos? I dunno. Haven't talked to him in a while."

"Come on, Mom called me. I know he's gotten into some trouble. You're telling me you don't know anything about it?"

"I don't!" Luis exclaimed. He lowered his voice again, though his frustration was still evident. "Look, Alex, I've been staying away from him. He got... scary after you left."

[~echo~]

Anita's suspicions were confirmed when she heard his name. No, no... she thought to herself. You can't go down that road again. He might have changed, but so have you. You aren't the little girl you used to be. Anita was conflicted, though. Would it really hurt to see him one last time, for old time's sake? She finished her fry and picked up another one. Perhaps it wouldn't. She couldn't see into the future. So, instead of leaving like her gut told her was best, she stayed and strained to hear some more of their conversation.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Alex sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Alright, fine. I guess I'll have to track him down myself."

"I wish I could help," his brother said. "I really wish I could. But I don't know anything."

[~echo~]

Anita tapped her fingers thoughtfully before flagging down her waitress and asking for a box. She boxed up her uneaten sandwich and listened for a second longer before standing to pay at the register. She really didn't look like she had in high school; she had lost some weight living on ramen during college, and, of course, she now wore glasses. But these she put away and she instantly looked like she had back then, except for her clothes. She wore a knee-length black pencil skirt with a white blouse tucked in. She quickly gathered her things and paid for her meal. Before she left, though, she flashed a look of wondering at their booth before walking fairly quickly out of the diner.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Alex glanced randomly in that direction just as she was opening the door. He paused, his brow furrowing, but the girl was out of sight a moment later and he dismissed what he thought he'd seen as wishful thinking. He probably wasn't ever going to see her again. He turned his attention back to Luis. "Thanks for coming here with me," he said. "I should probably get going, though. I'm in this area for more than just Carlos."

Luis gave him a small nod. "You don't even want something to eat?" he asked.

Alex shook his head. "I'll just get some coffee to go."

His brother shrugged and, a few minutes later Alex exited the diner with a coffee cup in hand. Luis stayed behind to actually eat lunch. As he walked down the street, his mind wandered to Anita. That couldn't possibly been her he'd seen, right? She'd probably left Queens a long time ago, and was now doing something important with her life. Maybe she was still in the city, but New York was huge. The odds were astronomical.

[~echo~]

Anita was actually still outside, and her boxed food was on top of her car. The hood was open and she was staring down at it. Finally, she admitted defeat and slammed the hood down. She gave the car a hateful glare. "Stupid contraption," she muttered. It would seem something was wrong with it, which was lucky because she had wanted a chance to see Alex again... just a chance. But she shook her head sadly and took out her phone. "Hello, roadside assistance? My car has broken down."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Alex heard the voice and went still, a single step from the door. That voice... he knew that voice. It was more mature and more confident, but it was her. He turned slowly, his eyes falling on the woman standing next to the car. Her phone was to her ear and she looked frustrated, but he'd never seen a more beautiful sight.

It took him way too long to work up the courage to approach her. It might have only been a few seconds, but it felt like forever to him. His fingers tightened around his coffee, threatening to crush the cardboard cup. Realizing this, he forced his hand to relax and stepped forward. "Anita?"

[~echo~]

Anita was chewing on her thumbnail when he heard her name. His voice. Deeper, somewhat, she noted. She looked up at him and her eyes met his. Electricity seemed to jolt through her. "Alex. Is it... really you?"

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

He forced out a smile, though his heart was pounding and his muscles were tense. It was hard seeing her again, after all these years, knowing he'd left her behind and broken her heart. He'd done it to protect her, and he still stood by that, but part of him would always wish he could have stayed with her. Where would they be now, if he hadn't left? Would they still be together, happy? Maybe he would have even proposed by now. The thought was almost laughable. He had dated a few times, but his romantic life was sparse and short-lived. None of his relationships had lasted more than a month.

"It's good to see you," he said. A wistful longing burned in his dark eyes, but he kept his distance, unsure of how she'd react. She could hate him for all he knew. "You look great."

[~echo~]

She gave him a hesitant smile. She remembered the pain of her heartbreak, still felt it on occasion. She thought of him almost everyday, even while she was dating Derek. "Thank you. You do too. I hardly recognized you... I see you lost the leather jacket?" Anita teased him gently.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Alex gave a quiet laugh. "Man, I loved that jacket. Sadly, it got damaged a few years back. I guess it had just seen too much action." It was a joke, but it was partly true. His jacket had gotten destroyed two years ago, and he'd never bought a new one. Maybe because he couldn't find the heart to replace the jacket he'd had all through high school, or maybe he thought it was time for a change. "Maybe I should get a new one someday. I looked pretty badass."

[~echo~]

"Very badass," she agreed with a grin. "So, what are you up to these days? Your clothes... I mean, don't get me wrong, they look great but... You look so clean cut. Not exactly the Alejandro I remember."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Alex shrugged, a faint smile on his face. "Turns out people don't like it when their employees where t-shirts and ripped jeans," he said. Really, at this point he could probably wear whatever he wanted to work, minus the ripped jeans, but his wardrobe had changed over the years. He even owned dress pants, something he never would have touched in high school. "Got to look the part if you want respect, right?" That much was true no matter what part of society you lived in. When he was in the gang, he didn't dress like a badass and get tattoos for the fun of it. At least, not completely.

[~echo~]

"Where do you work?" she asked, suddenly very curious.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"Oh, here and there," Alex said vaguely. It was hard to tell if he was avoiding the question or if he simply didn't think a specific answer was important. "How about you? You're looking very professional."

[~echo~]

Her eyebrows suggested a faint frown as he said this, but she masked her face again and grinned, looking down at herself. "Yeah. I just graduated from college. I'm interning in the city."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"Interning as what?" Alex asked curiously. "Don't tell me you're a lawyer." He meant that as a joke; little did he know it would be true."