Julia’s flight to New York was suppose to leave at 1 but they quickly changed the time to Noon.

DC ran into the airport and checked the screen that was showing departures and arrivals. He didn’t know what the hell he was looking at, but he knew he was looking for New York departures. He strained his eyes as the words flashed. Finally it popped up. The flight to New York was now boarding. DC put his legs to work and ran up the escalator and he pushed his way through the security line. “Young man where is your ticket.” The guard asked.

“I don’t have one but I really need---”

“Sorry. You can’t get through here unless you have a ticket.”

“Look! My girl is about to board the flight to New York and I need to tell her something very important!” He fussed trying to get through.

“Should have told her before she left. How about you call her?… next!”

DC stopped fighting and let the people go. He could see the gate number he just needed to get past the big bear looking dude…… He was ready to give it up. No matter what he came up with it wasn’t a good idea. “Damn.” he sighed as he walked back toward the escalators. He shuffled his feet before he turned around and sighed. “Fuck this!” he growled making sure his shoes were tied tight and walking back toward the security check point. He watched the guard closely before he made the choice… DC took a few steps back before he made a run for it… … …

“Ticket ma’am.” The lady at the gate asked looking at Julia. Julia was too busy looking out the window to even hear her. “Ma’am…. Ma’am….” she pressed again.

Larry snapped his daughter back to earth and she jumped. “Sorry… What happened?” she asked.

“She wants your ticket.” he reminded.

“Julia!…” DC called pumping his legs like crazy. “Julia!” He called again pushing through the line. “Julia!” he called once again.

Julia, Angela and Larry turned around and saw DC running towards them. Larry groaned but soon chuckled when he saw the guards running after him. Julia and Angela both hit him and turned back to the young man when he stopped in front of her. “Ok… Ok I get it.” DC spat out of breathe. “I get it… Ok… I shouldn’t have given you an ultimatum. I shouldn’t have let you walked away. Ok! I’m sorry. I’m sorry for acting like an ass…” he huffed pulling her to the side. He touched her shoulders. “You can stop this. Stop this silliness.”

At first Julia was smiling but when he called it silliness she frowned and pulled back. “Silliness?” she questioned. Angela whispered something in her ear and she nodded before turning back to DC “DC, what I’m doing is not silly.”

“It’s a test! Alright! I passed it. I came for you. You can call of the whole thing.” he stated looking at the line of folks looking at them. “Games over! I’m here and this doesn’t… It doesn’t end.” he pressured.

“This is no test DC… I’m really leaving.”

“No. No. No you can’t… Tiffany and Monica said you were still mad at me for giving you an ultimatum. They said I was the reason you were leaving early. It’s a test. A test to see if I really care… I do. I do care.”

Julia continued to shake her head. “God!” she yelled. “You aren’t the reason I’m leaving. Yes I’m still mad at you but that isn’t why I’m leaving.”

“Sure it is…”

“No it’s not.” she sighed still shaking her head. “My classes are starting soon.”

“Ballet… Ok. Tell them something came up. Something is… Julia don’t go.”

“I signed up for summer classes and they start in 3weeks. Even if I wasn’t starting ballet lessons, I was still leaving early. You had nothing to do with me leaving now… Had you not fussed at me you would have known! You would have known I was---”

“Now I know and now I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to keep you. I’ll go to New York with you. I’ll… Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it, just please don’t leave me.” DC begged taking her hands. “Don’t leave me… Give me one more chance.”

Julia began to cry as she looked at him. “Your not ready. Your not ready to be in long term relationship…”

“What?” he asked nervously. “Julia I’m ready to do whatever as long as it involves you!”

“No your not DC… You thinking that this is a game doesn’t show me your ready. DC, you should know I’m not about games.”

“Julia this has to be a game. You can’t leave. You just can’t!”

“Stop that!” She yelled. “That’s another sign. You keep telling me what I can and can’t do. Your not ready to be with me. Your not ready to be with a woman who has her mind made up. Your not…”

“I came here to tell you I loved you and I’m willing to do whatever I have to do to keep you.” DC’s mouth was going a mile a minute.

She gulped and licked her lips. “Really?”

“Yes.”

“Are you willing to give up your dreams of playing ball to chase after me? Are you willing to give up all of your friends to be with just me in New York? Are you ready to be committed to me and only me!?”

DC looked down. “Yes.” he said.

He didn’t convince Julia at all. His voice was low, his eyes were low. His grip on her hands loosened. He wasn’t ready to give up his dreams and she wasn’t ready to give up her dreams. Feeling choked up she raised his head and looked into his eyes. “You love me? I mean really love me?”

“I love you.” he said almost hesitant.

Julia was now convinced. He loved her but he wasn’t ready to be with her and only her. “If you love me as much as you say you do. You will let me go. Let me spread my wings.”

“I can’t do that.”

Another ultimatum. “We can’t be together. We can’t be lovers… We can only be friends.” she said softly. “That’s all. Until you are ready. Until I’m ready… We can only be friends.”

“I don’t want to be friends Julia! I don’t!”

“Last Call For Flight Number 1675 To New York. Last Call For Flight Number 1675 To New York!” The person announced.

Julia looked back at the terminal and saw the line was winding down. She turned back to DC and caressed his face. “Since we can’t be friends… I guess this is goodbye.” she cried as she then reached back and unhooked her necklace. She tried to give it back but he shook his head.

“No I don’t want it.”

“Take it.” she insisted.

“You promised me you would wear it until your dying day… Keep it!” he barked. “Please.” DC was trying to keep from crying. His eyes were already glazing over and small drops fell to his cheek.

“I love you.” Julia confessed. When he didn’t reply she knew that was it, she turned on her heels, gave the lady her ticket and began to walk down the terminal. She was alone as she walked down the long tunnel. Tears cascaded down her face.

DC couldn’t stay strong as he tried to get in the terminal. Game was over. He didn’t want to play anymore. “Julia! I’m sorry! Please baby! I’m sorry!” He yelled as the guards pulled him back. “I love you!” he yelled.

Julia heard all of this but she didn’t look back. His calls broke her heart and she was sure the sight of them pulling him away would break her down. “I love you too.” she whispered as she got on the plane and made it to the seats her parents were holding. She moved in and sat by the window, all the while wiping her.

Larry and Angela looked at each other before looking back at her. Larry then touched his daughter’s arms. “Are you ok?” he asked. Julia continued to look out the window as she nodded and continued to wipe her eyes that kept falling. Larry looked back at Angela who shook her head and gestured for him to let her sit next to Julia. They made the switch right before the light to buckle their belts came on.

“Julia… Baby.” Angela coaxed touching her shoulder.

Julia turned slightly. Her curly Q’s doing very little to hide her. puffy, blood shot eyes that broke her mother’s heart. “Momma.” she wailed as she threw herself into her arms.

“I know… I know.” She soothed rubbing her head. “I know baby.” Julia poured it all out in her mother’s chest. The flight attendant came to tell them to buckle up but when she seen the young girl crying she held off for awhile.

DC made out the airport just in time to see them hooking his car up to tow it away. He begged them not to and they let him off the hook only because he lied and said his sister was about to give birth. They didn’t know him so hell it didn’t matter. Once he pulled out he drove to the only place he knew. The only place he would find a little comfort. He and Julia’s spot at the park. When he arrived her walked the small distance to the bench and took a seat that is where he poured out his heart and soul… … She said it wasn’t a game and he was solely convinced it was. Convinced up until he took a minute to just think about. This was no game. She was gone!

They were about an hour into the flight when Julia’s tears subsided and she curled up in the seat. Letting her MP3 sing her to sleep.

When you love someone so deeply
They become your life
It's easy to succumb
To overwhelming fears inside
Blindly I imagined
I could keep you under glass
Now I understand to hold you
I must open up my hands
And watch you rise

Spread your wings and prepare to fly
For you have become a butterfly
Oh, fly abandoned-ly into the sun
If you should return to me
We truly were meant to be
So spread your wings and fly
Butterfly


“DC will you always love me.” Julia asked as she and DC laid in her bed one night. Many nights he would sneak into her room and they would just hold each other and talk.

DC kissed her ear. “I will love you forever…” he promised. “Will you love me forever?”

Julia turned around and looked into his eyes. “I will love you until my dying day and even in heaven, my heart will belong to you.” she promised tracing his lips. “This is the real thing. We were meant to be together.” she spoke softly.

DC nodded in agreement and grazed her lips with his own. “Yes we were.” he whispered before they kissed.


I have learned that beauty
Has to flourish in the light
Wild horses run unbridled
Or their spirit dies
You have given me the courage
To be all that I can
And I truly feel your heart
Will lead you back to me
When you're ready to land

“I never thought I would say this Julia but… You’ve given me a reason to appreciate a lot of things.” DC said one day while they were sitting at lunch.

“What do you mean?” she asked taking a sip of her water.

“Before we hooked up… I always took things for granted. Said I love you and didn’t mean it. Now… Now I will never do that. When I say I love you. I will mean it because I will only say to you… The person I love. The person that truly has my heart.”

Spread your wings and prepare to fly
For you have become a butterfly
Oh, fly abandoned-ly into the sun
If you should return to me
We truly were meant to be
So spread your wings and fly
Butterfly

I can't pretend these tears
Aren't overflowing steadily
I can't prevent this hurt
From almost overtaking me
But I will stand and say goodbye
For you'll never be mine
Until you know the way it feels to fly

“You can’t have me and New York… It won’t work that way.” DC nonchalantly replied. “It’s either me or NYU.”

Spread your wings and prepare to fly
For you have become a butterfly
Oh, fly abandoned-ly into the sun
(Fly to the sun)
If you should return to me
(I will know you were mine)
We truly were meant to be
So spread your wings and fly
(Spread your wings and fly)
Butterfly

Spread your wings and prepare to fly
For you have become a butterfly
Oh, fly abandoned-ly into the sun
If you should return to me
We truly were meant to be
So spread your wings and fly
Butterfly
So flutter through the sky
Butterfly
Fly
Spread your wings and fly
Butterfly

“Will you come back to me? Please tell me you will.” DC cried looking down at the grass, his own tears giving them some shine. It was as if Julia was sitting next to him, holding his hands. Like they were just talking.

“I will return… If we were meant to be… We will be.” Julia cried as she opened her eyes and saw the birds flying past her window. “We will be.” she cried again take a deep and trying breath.

~THE END~