All Around the World

“Oh my goodness! I’m really gonna miss it here.” Lori says surrounded by her three closest friends.

“Same!” Lexi says from the chair across from her, “this is where we grew up! It feels so weird to be leaving.”

“Mmm,” Sherry agrees. She’s tucked into a corner of the couch hugging a pillow. “I can’t help but think of all the things that are here that won’t be in Massachusetts, New York, Maryland, or Miami.”

“I know!” Lexi says, “Like the walking bridge-”

“Oh that’s really fun at night, with the colorful lights,” Tammy interrupts. She’s curled up in a chair beside Lexi.

“-and the playground on the other side.”

“We only went there like once, but it was still fun. Took us back to our childhood.”

“And Six Flags. We spent many summers there,” Lori says.

“Oh, yeah! Sherry was always terrified to get on the rollercoasters,” Lexi says.

“They’re scary. It really makes no sense why people would want to subject themselves to all the shaking, jerking, ups, downs, and arounds those things do. They really are a danger-” Sherry says.

“Yeah, yeah. We’ve heard it all before. At least you weren’t afraid of water or swimming and we could still have fun together in the water,” Tammy says.

“Oh! Ya’ll remember the wave pool? Everyone always got so excited when the horn sounded for the waves,” Lexi says.

“Where else do we remember?” Lori asks them.

“Derby,” Sherry says.

“Oh yes!” Lexi exclaims. “We went to Thunder and the Parade like every year.”

“Almost every year,” Tammy says with a smirk, loving that it would rile Lexi.

“I said like– it’s the same thing, Tammy.”

“I still think it’s funny,” Lori cuts in, smiling at their antics, “that I thought kids all over the country got out of school for Derby like we did,” Lori says. They all giggle.

“Yeah,” Sherry says. “It was a while before I realized it was basically only a holiday for Louisville schools.”

They reminisce for a while longer, talking about the museums, parks, restaurants and events that were a part of the many memories they had growing up in Louisville, KY.

~

Two years later, Tammy is sitting in her apartment in Massachusetts dutifully studying. It was basically the only thing she did these days.

“Hey, Tam! Let’s go out tonight.” Her roommate, Maddie comes and sits on her desk where she’s working.

“Get off.”

“Come on,” Maddie says, sliding off the desk to stand over Tammy. “You never want to go out anymore.”

“I’m busy.”

“You don’t have to be. We both know good and well you’re way ahead. You can take one night off, Tam.”

“Why won’t you come?” Maddie continues after Tammy’s silence. “You’ve been such a downer lately.”

“Because I don’t like you.”

“Really?” Maddie takes a step back almost in tears.

“No, not really. You’re too sensitive.” Lexi would have a good come-back, Tammy thinks with a sigh. “I just don’t feel like going out, Maddie. Will you leave it be?”

“Nope. When was the last time you went home? Maybe you’re just homesick.”

“I was in Louisville two weeks ago.”

“And you’re already homesick? You’re not that much of a homebody… Are you?” Maddie asks, suddenly not sure.

“No, I’m not, but home didn’t really feel like home. So maybe I’m still homesick for whatever would feel like home.”

“Hmm… I can’t help you with that one,” Maddie says. “What’s home if home isn’t home? That doesn’t even make sense. Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?”

“I’m sure.”

“Well, okay then,” Maddie says, leaving Tammy to throw herself into her work.

~

In a dim dance club in Barcelona, Lexi downs her third shot of alcohol and starts on her fourth.

“And then he told me that if I didn’t he wouldn’t have me in the movie and I really needed this role. Not only for the money- though I did need it for that, but I probably could’ve found another role if it was just for the money. I mean I’m not a bad actress. Really I’m not, but it doesn’t seem like there’s very many people noticing. What was I saying? Oh yeah- I needed this job because it was supposed to get me seen. It wasn’t a leading role, but it still had some important parts where I could let my acting shine through.” She starts crying, making her already slurred words even harder to understand. “So I did it and he had me in the movie, but then his boss found out and fired both of us and now I can’t-.” The rest of her words are drowned out by her crying and the bartender, who only half-understood what she said, handed her a napkin.

“It is okay. Okay,” he tells her then moves to help another customer. After her tears have dried she sits and watches the people around her- the dancers moving their bodies against each other and to the music, people sitting and talking to each other, and others dinking at the bar. Though surrounded by people she feels very alone. I want to go home, she thinks.

~

After a full day of classes, studying, and social events, Lori is glad to be able to lose herself in dance, her body moving gracefully to the music around her. This is basically every evening for her, dancing her troubles away- forgetting the isolation she feels during the day, even amidst her like-minded classmates, letting go of the stress of classes and the lost feeling that comes with living in a new place and not thinking about the friends she used to spend these times with.

After a while on the dance floor, Lori squeezes her way through the crowd to the bar for a drink to cool down a bit before heading back out there. She sits at the bar and sips her drink until she hears someone calling her.

“Lori?” She turns to the person three seats down to see Lexi staring slack-jawed back at her. “Am I hallucinating?” Lexi asks. “I’ve had enough to drink, it’s probably possible that I’m seeing things.”

“Lexi! What are you doing here?” Lori can’t believe she’s run into one of her girls in a completely different country.

“Chasing the dream,” Lexi says, on the verge of tears again.

“Oh my goodness. What’s wrong?” Lori moves to the seat next to Lexi and puts her arm around her. Lexi can’t help but fall into the familiar comfort of one of her best and closest friends. She spills the events of her recent life to Lori, barely getting the words out through her tears.

After Lexi was all cried out, they danced together for a while and then left to eat in a quieter place. They went to a restaurant nearby, then Lori’s dorm room, catching up with each other’s lives.

“Goodness, it’s been so long since I had a good talk with someone and just let it all out,” Lexi says.

“Me, too,” Lori sighs. “We’ve been apart for too long.”

“And let our calls to each other get too infrequent. When was the last time you talked to Tammy or Sherry?”

“Too long.”

“Same.” They think about that for a moment.

“You think they’re as lost and lonely as we were?” Lexi asks.

“Maybe… We could call them.”

“Good idea,” Lexi says getting out her phone.

~

Sherry is curled up in her bed trying to convince herself that it’s worth it to get out of bed this morning. Realizing she only has an hour to get herself dressed and her things together before she needs to leave. She rolls out of bed and heads to the bathroom. After her shower she looks at herself in the mirror.

“A frown, sad eyes… I guess my face isn’t all that ugly today.” She sighs at her reflection then purposefully fixes a believable smile on her face. She adds makeup and jewelry then nods at the mask she’s built. As she goes to get dressed her phone rings.

“Lexi?” she says looking at the caller ID. She answers.

“Hello? Is this Lexi?”

“Yes! Hey Sherry! How have you been? Oh my gosh I’ve missed you so much!” Lexi says.

“Hey! Oh man, it’s been so long! I’m good. How have you been?”

“It has been a long time. I’m better now. I wasn’t doing so good but I’m good now. I unexpectedly met up with Lori- she’s here by the way- and now- ah- I feel so much better just being with her. But I miss you and Tammy so much! Are you really good or are you just saying that?” Sherry laughs.

“Still a talker, huh?”

“Yes she is,” Lori says laughing.

“Hey, Lori,” Sherry says.

“Hey, girl.”

“Actually no,” Sherry sighs. “I’m not really all that good. I’m really just making it- barely.”

“We know the feeling,” Lori says.

“Where are you right now?” Lexi asks.

“My apartment here in South Korea.”

“Korea?” Lexi and Lori say.

“Yeah. I got an internship here. It’s a six-month thing. I’ve got three more months to go.”

“Do you like it?” Lexi asks.

“Yeah. It’s great. Really I love it. I’m not sure what’s wrong with me- I’ve just felt so down lately.”

“How about we come see you?” Lexi says.

“Here? Where are ya’ll?

“We’re in Spain.”

“I mean you can, but I don’t want ya’ll to put your lives on hold for me.”

“It’s fine- this is what friends are for, Sherry.”

“Yes,” Lori agrees. “We’ll let you go. I’m pretty sure it’s morning there, right?”

“Yeah it is. I was getting ready to head out when you called.”

“Okay. You have a good day. We’re going to call Tammy. We’ll call you when we know what time we’ll land.”

“Um, okay.”

“Bye! Love you!” They say.

“Bye. Love you both, too.” Sherry hangs up. Then looks at her phone. Her lips slowly turn up in a smile- a genuine smile. Her friends were coming- her girls. She couldn’t wait. With a pep in her step, she hurriedly gets ready and heads out the door.

~

Tammy was still working away when she got their call. For a moment she just looks at the phone, half thinking she’s just imagining Lexi’s call. After a moment she picks it up.

“Hello?”

“Tammy! Hey, girl!”

“Hey. Why are you calling me- don’t you know I don’t like you?”

“Of course I know, but I love you so it doesn’t even matter.”

“Really though, why are calling?” Tammy asks with a smile.

“Goodness I’ve missed you,” Lexi says.

“I’ve missed you too, but you know I’ll deny it if anyone asks,” Tammy says. Lexi and Lori laugh.

“Well, Lori is here and she heard you say it, so you can’t deny it. Anyway, I ran into Lori while we’re both in Spain and we realized that we badly need some girl time. So we called Sherry and she’s in South Korea and can’t get away so we’re all going to her. Pack a bag and meet us there.”

“You expect me to just stop what I’m doing- my studies and everything- to get to South Korea?” Tammy asks incredulously, already on her laptop searching for a flight.

“Yes, I do,” Lexi says. “When can you get a flight?”

“Oh wow. Perfect- there’s one leaving in three hours.”

“Good. We’ll see you there.”

“’Kay.”

“Oh and Tammy?” Lori says.

“Yeah?”

“You don’t have to say it- we know you love us and missed us just as much as we missed you. Bye. We’ll see you soon.” They hang up and Tammy looks at her phone. I can’t believe them, she thinks, but really I guess I can. They’ve never had any issues ordering me around. Honestly, she didn’t mind. They were actually perfect together. They liked to tell her what to do and she liked that they knew when to do it- when she wouldn’t mind doing things with them and when she truly wanted to be left alone. She smiled at the thought of seeing her girls soon, booked her flight, packed her bag, and texted Maddie before heading out the door.

~

Eighteen hours later the four of them are sitting cuddled together on the couch in Sherry’s apartment in Seoul. They’ve been talking for hours now, letting each other back into their lives.

“I really needed this,” Lexi says. “I couldn’t even explain to you why I was feeling how I was feeling, but as soon as I saw you guys I felt better. It wasn’t even that all of my worries went away but like despite them, with you girls here, I feel… good.” The others nod.

“Yeah. You girls know I’m not much of a social person-”

“That’s kind of an understatement,” Lexi says and Tammy ignores her.

“-but when we’re together, the four of us, I’m happy. I guess I really was homesick, it just wasn’t the place that mattered, apparently what mattered was being with you girls.”