“You’ve been treating this all like a movie, with all of us just the side characters to your happy ending. You even had shot lists for it! But this isn’t Hollywood, Sean. These are people’s lives! My life, Ross’s life, and just because they’re magical, just because they’re from a world you only thought was fantasy, doesn’t mean the consequences aren’t real. Have you ever thought about what would happen if they did stay? What would happen next? You get together, but what if it doesn’t work out? How long until this spell of perfection is broken? What if you realize they aren’t for you, then what? They can’t just hop back into the ocean like none of this ever happened. Ross has to go back. My mom didn’t and look where she’s at now. Sure, Mummy’s stayed with her this entire time, but even still, Mom is totally depressed. Some days she doesn’t even eat. She just goes somewhere in her head, and I know she’s thinking about everything she left behind.”

“Kavya, I’m so sorry.” I hate that that’s all I can think to say.

Kavya wipes at her eyes. “I don’t want your apologies. I want you to listen. I’m telling you loud and clear what the consequences are if Ross stays. You can’t do that to them. I don’t care if you had the best sex of your life with Ross. You getting your dick wet is not worth their happiness.”

“No, of course it’s not,” I say.

Kavya gets up, leaving her smoothie sweating on the counter. “Let me just say this one last time so there’s no mistake. Have these last days together, have all the hook-ups you want. But if you ask them to stay, we’re through. Maybe you’ll have a new partner, but you won’t have a best friend anymore.”

And with that, Kavya storms out of the club taking any daydream of asking Ross to stay on land with her. My fantasies of a life with Ross are replaced with dread that maybe my short isn’t some ode to the adventure they’ve had here and the mysteries that await them if they stick around. Instead, it’s a manipulative eight minutes trying to get an innocent person to leave all they’ve known behind.

I’ve got to get my short pulled, and I’ve only got two days to do it. Kavya’s right; this isn’t a movie. This is Ross’s life.

And I’m pretty sure I’m messing it up.

     Ross