Small world
"I love you, Jen. Kind of cliche to say it when you are about to leave, but I do."
"You do?" Jen looked at her boyfriend, Ben, in shock. She wasn't too used to heartfelt love confessions. Ted hadn't been a very tender guy.
"Yeah. Duh!" Ben laughed as he grabbed the hold of her hand and pulled her closer. The two closed the distance between them and got fully lost in the moment, forgetting all about the busy airport surrounding them, which got very apparent in a few moments, when Jen opened her eyes to see a familiar brunette standing right next to them. Well, at a comfortable distance. Far away enough, that it wasn't creepy, but it could not go unnoticed. Jen was so focused on the woman's face but she couldn't quite place her in her memory. Ben however, seemed to place her just fine.
"Judy!" He gasped out. Jen brought her gaze back to him and could see that he was overjoyed. Judy seemed to match his excitement.
"Ben! God, it has been so long hasn't it?" Ben wrapped his arms tightly around the tiny brunette, and Jen took a step back, hoping to not have to become part of this.
She could vaguely remember this woman, but she didn't know where from. Based on her appearance it could only be high school. Jen couldn't really see herself spending time with someone so... unique outside of school or work. She seemed to be working some crystals and her clothes looked almost home-made. Thrifted at least. She was very pretty, but had a certain aura that didn´t sit well with Jen.
Ben woke her up from her haze by bringing his hand to her waist and calling out her name.
"Earth to Jen." Ben smiled goofily at her as she started to look around to see the brunette gone.
"Who was that?" Jen asked immediately, hoping Ben could help her jog her memory.
"That was Judy Hale. She's actually dating my brother." Ben said as he started to gather Jen's luggage. Jen didn't know Ben's twin brother at all, since they disagreed on pretty much everything and never talked. She barely knew of his existence. "I don´t think they are a good match, but she did seem happy just now."
"Oh. I see." Jen was still working her brain trying to think of a reason why she would know Judy hale. Then it clicked. "Oh shit!"
"What?"
"I was just thinking how she felt so fucking familiar and I could not remember why. But she was the woman I had that road trip with." Ben squinted his eyes, trying to remember if he had heard this take before. "Have I not told you that story?" Ben shook his head. "She was the one who told me about Ted and his secretary."
"Ah yes. I remember now. Your guardian angel." Ben started nodding as he gestured Jen to follow him to her gate. "Must have been one hell of a road trip."
"It was. It really was." Jen agreed, not thinking too much of it. " Small world, huh."
"Indeed."
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Once Jen finally got on the plane and cozied up in her seat (as cozy as she could be anyways, considering she was sporting the middle seat of a packed flight) she pulled out a book, despite knowing very well that all she would be accomplishing on this flight was getting in as much alcohol as possible and taking a long nap. But for appearances sake, she wanted to seem sophisticated.
After the plane had finally gotten off the ground, Jen was looking around to see where the food chart was located. She patiently waited for the woman pushing it to get to her row, and eagerly spoke over her row mates to get her needs met.
"Could I have a glass of red wine?"
As the flight attendant looked for the red wine, Jen heard shuffling from behind her. Someone seemed to be struggling with their luggage very loudly.
"Jen?" Oh fuck.
Jen acted like she didn't hear the woman behind her calling out her name. To be fair it did take her a second to realize it was Judy, and she was not any more or less disappointed by that realization, she just didn't need company at the moment.
"Jen. Hey, Jen!" Judy repeated from behind the seat, and Jen, fearing that the brunette might start climbing over her seat to get to the older woman, felt it better to respond quickly and get this future catch up done and over with.
"Judy!" Jen yelled out, in a way that lacked the surprise and joy that she had been trying to portray in her response. Judy shifted in her place to be facing Jen from in between the seats.
She looked well. Her hair was shorter now, but she still had her bangs. The brown of her locks looked lighter and more golden than in her hazy memory, but it could have just been that Jen hadn't paid much attention. Or Judy had dyed it before, which made just as much sense. An alternative phase seemed like something she would do. She looked very pretty. That's something Jen remembered. Judy was very pretty and very kind and extremely annoying.
The same smile from the day they met, was dancing across her face, at least until Judy's face started to turn into concern territory, instead of overwhelming joy and happiness.
"You alright?" Judy waved her hand slowly to snap Jen out of her daydream, to bring her back to the very awkward reality that her mind journey had not gone unnoticed.
"Fine." Jen said, a bit more coldly than necessary. It was a pattern, truly, to not be able to control her bitchiness, and it definitely was not a good match with Judy's fragile nature. Jen clumsily received her long-awaited glass of wine and took a much-needed sip.
"So nice to see you." Judy said, bringing Jen's attention back to the brunette.
"Do you guys want to sit together? It seems that..." The man next to Jen offered, and the blonde was quick to chime in, but so was the brunette.
"No, its fine..." Jen said, looking at Judy as her words got tangled in the brunette's preppy "Yes, thank you." and a soft but confused "That would be lovely." following their responses. Jen felt a tug at her heart after her quick rejection, so she quickly resolved the tension.
"If you don't mind." Jen smiled uncomfortably at the man, and saw Judy get up and gather her things, that were spread out all over the place. Jen already hated the idea of sitting next to the brunette. But Judy was very happy about it, and it was a short flight. Jen doubted that Judy's powers were strong enough to break up her and Ben too. And if so, she would just have to pray that this was their last meeting.
"It's been a while." Jen said, as soon as Judy was sitting still next to her. Because that was really all that she had on her mind. She wasn't too interested in chatting about their lives. They weren't friends.
"5 years." Judy said. And it rolled of the tip of her tongue with so much ease, like an automatic response, that either Judy had an incredible memory or she had recognized Jen earlier and had a time to go back and think about it. "A lot has happened, huh?" Judy chuckled. It really was kind of funny how their lives seemed to connect in the weirdest way after such a long time.
"Yeah." Jen nodded, not elaborating on her side of the story.
"Ben is such a great guy." Judy gave Jen a warm smile, and her hand shifted a bit, perhaps to reach out to Jen, to catch her attention, ground her to the conversation. Which Jen couldn't blame her for because she really was, everywhere but here.
"He is." Jen agreed, nodding. He was the best guy she had ever dated, but felt more like an experiment. Like Jen wanted to see what it was like to be in a relationship built on love and mutual respect. But Jen couldn't really say she was much happier than she was with Ted. Which felt wrong to say out loud.
"I've met him only a few times, but he seems like he would be a great match for you. I'm really happy for you." Judy was carefully dancing around the fact that Ted was no longer in the picture, so Jen just broke the ice. Screw not conversing.
"Ted and I broke up only a year ago." Jen admitted, feeling slightly ashamed with Judy's eyes focusing on her. "I don't really know why I stayed with him that long. It was familiar I guess."
"That's totally understandable." Judy seemed always to be so quick to support, never blame or accuse. "I get it." Judy looked at her hands, leaving something unsaid.
"How's the arts?" Jen asked, not that she cared.
"Good! I'm painting all the time." Judy just nodded, and Jen could tell she was lying. Judy was a shit liar. "I'm just really happy." Judy lifted her hand to show a pretty expensive looking ring decorating her finger. It didn't really look like something Judy would wear. But then again, surely Steve knew Judy better than Jen.
"Oh! You're..." Jen felt shocked. She didn't really know why it was such a surprise to her that someone would marry Judy. She was very pretty after all, and if you were into the whole bohemian look, she was totally a catch.
"Engaged. Yeah, me and Steve are really getting serious." Judy did seem genuinely excited.
"Awesome." Jen gave Judy a not so genuine thumbs up. That did go without saying, responding to engagement news with a thumbs up was never genuine. "How is he?" Jen inquired after a moment. She was actually really interested in hearing Judy describe Steve after hearing only shit about him from Ben. Judy didn't seem like a great fit for Steve. "Steve I mean? He an artsy guy?" Jen knew he wasn't.
"You haven't met him?" Judy seemed almost relieved. Jen just shook her head. "He's really..." Judy clearly struggled to describe him. "Ambitious." Judy nodded, smiling to herself. "Very passionate. Everyone adores him, I'm just so lucky to get be with him. Doesn't hurt that he's like super handsome." Judy giggled and Jen wanted to vomit.
The awkward fact that Jen was dating his literal twin felt better to left unsaid. Though she didn't really know whether they still looked alike.
"Sounds like such a babe." Jen said her voice dripping with sarcasm that went right by Judy's head.
"Right?" Judy seemed to enthusiastically agree.
"Well, glad you're doing good." Jen nodded, in a way that she hoped said "This is the end of this conversation." She turned away from Judy.
After a while of silence, Jen felt a weight on her shoulder and knew without looking, that Judy had decided on using her as a pillow. She was breathing softly right by Jen's ear, and if it was almost anyone else, Jen would have shook them violently awake, but there was still guilt over how Jen tended to unleash all her anger whenever Judy spoke. All mostly because of Ted. Didn't really have anything to do with Judy. Jen would definitely still dislike Judy if they had met under any other circumstances, but right now she had to endure an unreasonable number of snarky comments and fiery looks, so even Jen felt a little bad. So, Jen let her sleep.
Jen was barely awake, when Judy lifted her head up a bit to talk again, startling the blonde.
"Don't you think we should go on a double date?" Jen opened her eyes slowly to Judy's face way closer to hers than she'd like, waiting for the older woman's response. "Me and Steve and you and Ben?"
"No."Jen just said. Nothing could drag her on that date.
"Come on! Why not?" Judy didn't seem too convinced.
"I don't like double dates."
"This one could be fun."
"No. " Jen repeated.
" Do you like anything at all? Because I'm trying to be your friend here and you aren't even acting like you care about the conversation. You're barely present and so negative towards any opinions that aren't yours." Judy closed her mouth as quickly as she had opened it, which Jen didn't really understand because she could think of 100 worse things than what Judy just said and she was going to say at least one of them.
"I didn't ask for you to be my friend."
Judy sat in silence awaiting for a storm.
"I'm fucking trying to drop hints that I'd like to be left alone yet you keep bothering me. You kept bothering me when we drove to New York and you keep bothering me now." Jen wasn't even angry, just annoyed, frustrated, tired. "Look, I don't hate you okay? I'm just not a people person. Nothing personal. I don't need friends. I don't want friends. I'm good."
"Everybody needs someone." Judy pointed out softly, somehow disagreeing with Jen without sounding like she was disagreeing with her.
"I don't." Jen realized in an instant that the right answer would have been "I have Ben." but she missed that opportunity.
"Okay." Judy just accepted the facts. Finally let Jen be Jen.
"Okay."
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Judy and Jen ended up walking out of the plane side by side. They did sit next to each other, but neither was making the effort to take a step ahead or stay behind.
"That was one landing, huh?" Jen chuckled awkwardly.
"Yeah. Pretty crazy." Judy nodded, her smile shy and nervous, unlike before. "I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have said all those things. I really-"
"It's fine." Jen nodded, just accepting the apology. They would be going their separate ways in no time, so none of this stupid bickering really weighed much.
"You always say everything is fine." Judy said pointedly, not letting her eyes meet Jens.
"Got a problem with that too?" Jen joked.
"No." Judy for once, seemed to get the joke and not take her too seriously.
"It is fine, though."
"It is?"
"It is." Jen confirmed, standing still. Judy seemed to be heading right and Jen would be going left. It was the time.
"Would you like to have dinner with me?"
That was definitely not what Jen had expected. Jen didn't need additional drama in her life. She actually found Judy charming and sweet in her own way, but she had a feeling that Judy was quite needy as a friend, and Jen liked the dynamic of meeting her one friend once every six months.
"I don't think so." Jen said it carefully, not wanting to make Judy feel worse.
"That's fine too." Judy assured her.
"Judy."
"Yeah?"
"Goodbye." Jen offered her hand for Judy to shake it.
"It was nice to see you again. It actually was." Judy took the hand into her hands and just held it. Held it there like a priced possession. Jen didn't know what to think of it, so she pulled away in discomfort. Judy let the hand slide away from her grasp and stood there smiling. Not sadly or happily really, just smiling in an understanding way. She understood that this was a goodbye but then again, they had known each other for barely a day all together. It didn't feel like the end of an era. Just another moment between two people coming to an end.
"Sure." Jen turned to walk away, without saying another word, but she could almost feel the way Judy's eyes bore into her back. She could still feel them that night, sitting in her hotel room alone.