"Hey, what's up?"
"Oh wow, pretty original question to ask even though you would know I am having countless mental breakdowns at the thought of a ring on my finger but sure, I am perfectly fine thanks for asking"
"Ok I apologize for being such a stupid idiot, now spill, what happened"
"Well, if you must know. Yesterday must have been most likely the worst day of my life so far" She wailed
"No fucking way! Even worse than the day you fell in horse shit?!" She shuddered at the memory
She was a rough young girl and wasn't looking where she was stepping, or well, tripping
"Even worse than the day I went to school with an acne outbreak and braces" She wailed even more
"NO FUCKING WAY!"
"Tesoro this man made out with the back of my hand" she shuddered at the thought
"Oh you poor thing"
"It was pure torture"
"Well, at this point, what are you going to do now?"
"What do you mean"
"Well it's not like you plan on getting married do you? Or is he your type?" She giggled from the other end of the line
"Amelia I would smack you from this phone do not test my patience"
"Sheesh, I was just making a suggestion. You don't have to get all feisty with me" She sighed
"Anyways I do agree with you. I do not see myself getting married anytime soon, I would have to think about a way to stop this charade of a marriage"
"Well it's not like you could just run away right?" she giggled, after not hearing a response from her usually interactive friend, she paled at the thought.
"May....May?" Nothing. No response from her feisty friend
"Maeve.....please do not tell my you're actually considering such an idiotic plan?!"
"I do not think it is such a ridiculous plan. It seems quite anticlimactic if you ask me"
"No! It doesn't. It seems more like a plan that would blow up in your face. Horribly. "
" Or... a plan that would teach my parents not to mess with my life"
"Look. I know this isn't what you'd like to hear right now, but someone's gotta tell you. May, darling. That ship is going to crash, and when it does there's going to be less chance to escape, less chance to refuse and even less time to concoct a new crazy plan to refuse this marriage. I suggest acceptance, it wouldn't be that bad right?"
"Amelia, you of all people know it is useless talking about marriage with me. I would never trust another man again not to talk of depending solely on said man for everything I desire in life"
"Then don't"
"I do not understand"
"No one said you have to depend solely on the man you marry."
"But that is the life I live in"
"Is it the life you choose to?"
"cazzo, tutte queste stronzate sentimentali mi fanno piangere"
"What was that?"
"Oh, it is nothing to be bothered about. Learn Italian if u want to know"
"May, come on" She whined
"No. Now back to the plan, I need to run away. I need to oppose this"
"May, please let it go"
"Amelia, you have to understand. The world I live in is different from yours. Way different. This could be my only chance at freedom" After a long pause, she heard a dramatic sigh from the other line
"Ok, I'll help, but only to tell you what to do. Nothing else"
"Thank you mi amore"
"Now, I think it's obvious that you can't just run away and then hope for the best. It doesn't work that way"
"I agree. Father would be persistent on finding me."
"Ok, ok. Location is key, some place they'll never think of searching for you"
"Africa?"
"Darling nooo, Africa is great but it's not where we want to look."
" What is wrong with Africa?"
"Love, it's too much, obvious in a way"
" How? If there is anything I can assure you is that my parents view me as a fool. A fickle minded woman obsessed with materialistic things"
"And are you?"
"No, I am not" she deadpanned.
"Location, a place they would never think of searching, I feel it would be best to remain in Europe"
"Greece?"
"Why Greece though?"
"Well, I have hated Greece for the longest time. Traumatic experiences from childhood visits"
"Ok then, Greece it is."
"But I need a solid plan. I cannot just run off to Greece with nothing to my name"
"Anything in mind?"
"I would need funds, also untraceable accounts and numbers"
"What are you thinking up in your head?"
"An offshore account. I would transfer money from my father's account to a fake account, then I would secretly use that card in Greece"
"Isn't it gonna be traceable, y'know, immediately after money was transferred to an account, transactions started going off in Greece"
"That is where you come in. If I transfer money to my personal bank account and you use that one all the way in America, it would be sure to set them off track"
"What of transportation? It's quite easy to trace that isn't it?"
"I would be travelling economy of course"
"Are you sure about that?"
"Yes, remember, they believe I am materialistic. At the same time with my main card I would be buying a ticket from Italy to America, first class, to blow them off my track"
"How certain are you they'll fall for your trap?"
"Not certain at all. But it is easier to try is it not?"
"Remember, act normal, have a couple of tantrums, just act completely normal about this"
"I know. This has to work"
"For your sake and mine at this point" She chuckled
"Goodbye Amelia."
"Bye Mae"
"I would keep in touch as much as possible"
"Love you doll"
As the line went flat. She regulated her breathing, staring straight ahead.
She was doing this, she was running away. Looking around the guest bathroom, the only place with no cameras in it. She hurried out and to her bedroom.
Why did doing something so bad feel so exhilarating?
'Greece here I come'
In the next two to six days, the plan would be fully set in motion.
And she could not wait.