As the light shines through our kitchen window, I stare at the clock. The time reads 8:50am, I was supposed to be at school five minutes ago so I wouldn’t miss my class. I suppose that doesn’t matter at the moment since my mom decided to keep me home today. I’m thinking about what my best friend is thinking right now, he’s probably realized I’m not there. We’re both too young to own a phone, but if I had one, I’d let him know I’m being held hostage. He’d swarm in and save me, just like he always does. Mom sips anxiously on her iced coffee and my three year old sister, Emily, throws food on the ground.
It doesn’t seem like mom cares very much, she’s too busy staring at her phone, hoping for a sign that things are okay. I’m about to ask her if it’s okay when my dad bursts through the front door. “I did it! I got the promotion!” He shrieked in excitement as he pulled my mom into his arms, both of them almost crying as they held each other close. I knew what it meant, I just never knew it would happen. I want to cry, I want to cry because I am proud of how hard he has worked for this promotion. This promotion means that he’d get paid more and that he gets to further his research. It just means that we have to move, we have to move far away from the little town we call home.
“We’re moving..?” I asked, I knew we were but I had to confirm because it didn’t feel real. Mom wiped her tears and faced me.
“Yes honey, isn’t that wonderful?” It was, but it felt like I was throwing my life away and everyone in it.
“But..but what about Derek..? He’ll be alone.”
“Honey-”
“No! He needs me! We can’t leave!” I shouted, pulling away from her in a way I regret after seeing her reaction. She stares at me for a second pondering what to say, instead, dad answers for her.
“He’ll be fine, Will. He’s a tough little guy.” He says to reassure me, but I know Derek would be fuming if he heard that my dad called him that. “Plus, you get to move somewhere cool! You can brag about it tomorrow if you want, we’ve already notified your teachers of the news.”
“I don’t want to brag. I don’t want to move. Can’t we..Can’t I stay? With Gramps and Gram?” I’m practically pleading at this point. I don’t care where we’re going, I’m not leaving everyone I care about here. I won’t keep in touch, I don’t even own a phone.
“Come on, William, it’s not like he’s your girlfriend and I’m sure you’ll get lots of girlfriends when we move”. He’s right, he’s not my girlfriend, he’s my best friend and I’m abandoning him. I feel sick, I might be sick. I’m afraid to leave the table as I know my dad will scold me, but I actually feel the vomit raise in my throat as he continues to speak words I wish to not hear. I rush to the bathroom and throw up my breakfast into the toilet. Mom rubs my back gently as I feel tears stream down my face. “I’m sorry. I know he means a lot to you. It’s only for a few years, I promise.” She reaches her pinky to where I can see it and I finally give in.
There was no stopping it, I was moving to Greece.
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