Sequel to Learning to Act Part 1

"I can't believe it's been five years," I said straightening out my
bright pink suit. " It's been four years since I've seen Aaron."

"You miss him don't you?" Jennifer asked when she saw the wistful look
on my face.

I looked at myself in the mirror, my hair was longer now than it was,
and darker too. I had lost a few pounds, still couldn't classify me as
slender, but I at least had curves. I looked at my left hand at the
ring and it seemed to wink at me. I fiddled with the band debating
whether or not to take it off.

"After all these years you're still wearing that?" Jen asked me taking
my hand to look at the ring.

It was a simple ring, a silver Claddagh; an Irish wedding ring. It had
two hands holding a heart with a crown on it. Each symbol had a
meaning, the two hands, were friendship, the heart, love, and the crown
loyalty. Aaron gave it to me when he left to go to New York. He told me
that no matter what; he would be there for me. So every time I look at
the ring I'm reminded of Aaron's love. After all these years, I still
wear it.

We were together a year before we just drifted apart, both physically
and emotionally. After I graduated I moved to Florida and got a
teaching job at a school only five miles from Disney World. During
breaks, and weekends I worked in the park going from one job to the
next and loving each one. Aaron has been to many places from New York
to California, he was in Florida for a while, but he wasn't there long
enough for me to see him. We stay in touch through e-mail still, he's
asked me on occasion if I would join him on his jobs. I would consider
it, but then when I got to school in the morning I had 25 reasons why I
should stay. Did I regret ever not going with him? Sometimes I did, but
most of the time no I did not.

"There you go again. Always away someplace, next time Aaron asks you to
go off to some exotic locale I'm making you go." Jen said seeming to
read my thoughts as usual.

"You really have to stop doing that."

"It's what I'm here for. So why did you come all the way up to snowy
Pennsylvania for?"

"A few friends from college are getting together for some sort of
reunion, and they asked me to come."

"What friends? I mean I graduated the same year you did, and I wasn't
invited."

"Acting one friends."

"You're kidding me. You mean to tell me you came all the way from
Florida to rehash it with people you had one class with."

"I know it's odd, but it was the best time I had."

"Isn't that where you met Aaron?" Jen asked pointedly.

I merely smiled and shrugged my shoulders.

"I'm right. Aren't I?"

I looked at our reflection in the mirror; Jen and I were compliments of
each other. She was tall and slender, with short blond hair, and I was
shorter by an inch, curvier in build and had long dark brown hair. I
smiled at her through the mirror and reapplied my lipstick.

"Well, I have to get going my public awaits." I said putting on my
coat.

"Can I just go with you?"

"Nope."

"Please."

"No way. Just Acting one people, no dates, no husbands, and no annoying
ex-roommates allowed."

"Ok, but I want details when you get back."

"You got it. I better go I don't want to be late."

"The only thing you aren't late for is work. Even then it's cutting it
close."

"I know. I can't help it. I think I'll even be late to my own
funeral."

"Go on, get lost already."

I got into my rental car, a candy red Aztek, I missed my mom's Aztek.
She now has her Prowler though so she certainly isn't complaining. I
drove to the school. It was now Seton Hill University, and there was a
new sports complex behind where the Child Development center stood.
Most of the buildings were the same. St. Mary's had a new neighbor
though, a dormitory it turns out, especially built for the theater
majors. I pulled into a spot in front of St. Mary's in the brand new
parking lot, which held about 50 cars instead of 10 as it did five
years earlier.
I stood in front of the building and saw a sign. "Welcome back Acting
1, 2001" I smiled. Jeff, you are an odd one. I opened the door and went
up the stairs; so many memories came back to me. When I reached the
classroom door I opened it and went in. I saw five people already
standing there. I picked out Jeff and Rose right away. Jeff was the
head of the entertainment division at the parks at Disney world, so I
still saw him every once in a while. Rose also worked for the Disney
Company; she was in charge of the college-recruiting program. Jeff also
was the one who concocted this idea of this reunion.
There were three other people in the room, and it took me a few minutes
to place the names to the faces. The first one was a tall blond with
long curly hair, who had to have been Missy. The second was a red head;
it took me a little longer to figure out that it was Kelly. She wasn't
wearing her tattered jeans. She was somehow softer in her looks. She
wore black silk pants, and a pale blue oxford dress shirt. To say I was
shocked at this transformation would be an understatement.
The last person took me a little while to figure out until he was
hugging me.

"Allison, you came!" He proclaimed. It was Ed.
He lost some weight, but he was still recognizable, especially when he
spontaneously starts hugging you. Same old Ed gotta love him.

"Of course I came, why wouldn't I?" I asked him, looking him
over.

"Well, Jeff was just telling me that you have just published a fifth
book, and it's on the best seller's list and the talk of the
town."

"Oh has he now? Jeff has been exaggerating again. Although he's not
entirely false, I have just published a fifth book. As for its
popularity, it's selling and holding its own."

"Don't listen to her Ed, she's just being humble. Being on the best
seller's list is something to be proud of, especially if this is the
fifth time she's been on it."

"Jeff, I'm number 101, people don't really pay much attention to any
book past 20 or 25. Now if you want someone to gush over, Aaron's your
best bet."

"Why is that?"

"He just opened up his own art gallery in So Ho, he runs it with his
friend Steven; that is when he's not busy gallivanting around the
world. I swear every week he's in a new locale taking fantastic
photographs for different magazines and newspapers. So Jeff, have you
heard from him?"

"Nope. Not that I would tell you anyway." He said winking.

"Oh you are such a pain."

"Takes one, to know one."

"So where is everyone else?" I asked changing the subject.

"Well, Shawn is working on sets at the Palace, so he'll be here in an
hour or so. Both of the Matt's should be here any minute now. The other
Allison was busy, and Dan is downstairs making punch, and other
goodies."

"And Aaron?" Rose asked.

"Not going to tell any of you."

"Well, I'm going to go help Dan with the Punch. You want to come with
me Allison, before you and Jeff start to butt heads?" Rose asked.

"So things between you and Aaron didn't work out?" Rose asked as we
were walking down
the stairs.

"Relationship did not, the friendship did."

"You guys were practically inseparable when you graduated, what
happened?"

"Space, time and different careers. I wanted to have a steady job
teaching, and writing. Aaron wanted to see the world."

"You turned down a chance to see the world with the guy you love, what
is wrong with this picture."

"I still needed to find myself. I wanted to be on my own for
awhile."

"So did you find yourself?"

"Yes."

"If Aaron came tonight what do you think will happen?"

"I don't know. My friend Jen told me if he asked me to go with him, and
I say no she's going to hunt me down."

"Nice friend."

"She means well, she knows that what I really want is to be able to
just go up to Aaron and say yes."

"Say yes to what Allison?" A familiar voice asked.

I turned around and saw Aaron standing behind me, with a bouquet of
pink tulips; my absolute favorite flower in his hand. I ran up to him
and gave him a hug, not caring about the flowers in his hand.

"I thought you weren't coming, I thought you were in New York taking
care of the gallery."

"Would I miss a chance to see all of my theater pals? I told Steven to
man the gallery until I get back, which is tomorrow night."

"How like you, here one day gone before the dream fades away."

"And how like you to put it into words. These are yours by the way." He
said handing me the bouquet of tulips.

"Thank you, they're beautiful, I can't believe you remembered that my
favorite flower was pink tulips."

"Umm, I'm just going to go see if Dan needs any help." Rose said
backing away from Aaron and me.

"So, I bought your newest book. Why are your characters always falling
for those artsy types?"

"Character like author I guess. Did you like it though?"

"Loved it, every book of yours gets better and better. I think this one
is going to make it to the top of the list and win a Pulitzer."

"Look who's talking, Mr. Critically acclaimed freelance
photographer."

"Stop it, you're making me blush. How's life?"

"Other than work and work? Boring as usual. Thankfully I live in a
place that's always changing or I might go nuts."

"That's my girl."

"Not yours anymore."

"You're still wearing the ring, that's got to count for
something."

"Aaron, don't start ok. Let's just enjoy this day, who knows when we'll
be in the same state or even in the same country together again."

"Allison, what were you going to say yes to?"

"That's for me to know, and for you to find out." I said winking at
him.

"You haven't changed," he said grabbing my left hand, and brushing his
thumb over the ring. "Why do you wear this ring?"

"Because it was a gift from some great guy, who told me to wear it and
he'll always be there for me. Or maybe it's because I'm a poor schmuck
who believed that one day, her prince would come, and take her to many
far off lands."

"You know, we can still do that, just say the word."

"Aaron, you know I can't."

"Your students, you don't want to leave your kids, I know you've made
the speech at least a dozen times. You know the real reason you don't
want to go with me is? You're scared."