2: Raelynn
2009 Words
Chapter two: News for you.
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Ten years later.
I looked at the journal that my dad gave me when I was seven. I was sad that I hadn't talked to Elias for a while. The last time we spoke was on my birthday, and he wished me a happy birthday.
Little did I know that was the last day he'd talk to me on the phone. So, my dad gave me a journal where I could write everything I wanted to tell Elias.
Because as my dad believed, two people don't have to be together right now or tomorrow. We could be thousand of miles away, but we would always find a way back to each other.
He told me that maybe I might see him again one day, and I would give him the journal. So, ever since the day he gave me the journal, I hadn't stopped writing on it.
I opened one of the pages in the middle, and I felt a few tears slip down my face.
Elias,
Today was so funny, remember Grace and Audrey, the two girls I told you about. If you forgot, Audrey was the long blonde-haired girl with blue eyes, and Grace had short black hair.
Ironic, because she is so short!
Anyways, Grace spilled milk all over Audrey (thank God not me!), and my crush was there! He was laughing at Audrey so hard that I went to talk to him about it.
I shook my head as a smile formed on my face. I was such a lousy friend. Instead of helping out my friend, I chose to talk to my crush.
Speaking of my crush, he was my boyfriend now. His name was Theodore, and he was a great boyfriend.
I sighed as I hid the journal under my bed and got out of my bedroom. I shoved my phone into my pocket as I headed downstairs to meet my two brothers and my parents sitting on the old red couch.
My mom found out that she was pregnant when we first moved here. It was why she was crying that night. I talked to Elias, and she did not want him. However, my dad did.
"So you want to play?" Aiden asked once he saw me.
"I am going out with the girls," I apologized.
"Rae, before you go, I need to tell you something," Eddie told me as he patted an empty seat next to him.
"What's up?" I sat next to him. "You better not tell me that I am going to be an aunt."
Eddie laughed. "No, but worse."
Worse, but what could be worse than that?
"No, mom is pregnant?!" I exclaimed.
"I am old," mom spoke. "I can't get pregnant."
"You're forty," I said. "It's possible."
"Anyway, back to me," Eddie snapped his fingers in my face. "I am moving to California."
My heart raced quickly, and I stared blankly at him.
I didn't know if I was more worried that he was leaving or that a particular person was living in California. A person I left, a person that never left my mind since.
I knew I was only six, but Elias meant almost everything to me. He was the first kid who was nice to me in kindergarten, and he was my first best friend.
I wanted to see him one more time, and now that I knew Eddie was moving back to California. I might be jealous of him because he had a chance to see him again.
"Why?" I asked.
Eddie was eighteen, although he graduated high school early. He chose to take a one-year break, and then he would study in college.
"I want to study there," he replied.
If only I were eighteen too, I would have moved there to be closer to Elias. I wanted to see how he looked like, was he hot? How did he turn out to be?
Was he a good man like how I always expected him to be?
"Will you see him again?" I asked. I knew he expected me to ask this question because he didn't look surprised at all.
"I don't want to see him again," he shook his head. "Unless you want me to."
Did I want him to see him again? I wanted him to see him again because I wanted him to describe Elias for me. I wanted to know more about him, but I wanted to see him first.
"I don't want you to," I answered. "When are you leaving?"
"In two months," he replied. "Still have time."
I nodded. "Grace is out, and I am leaving."
"Don't be late," my dad finally spoke.
Over the years, my dad found it hard to balance his work and his family. He wished to spend more time with me, knowing that my mother didn't give me as much attention as my brothers.
There was research on mothers who favor sons over their daughters, so I was not shocked.
I kissed my dad's cheek, hoping to see him when I came back.
I rushed out of the tiny house and ran to Grace's car. We were still poor. Even though we grew out of it, we still lived in a small place, but we didn't have enough money to afford a bigger home.
I hopped into the car, and I smiled at Grace. "Hey, Gee."
"Rae," Grace smiled at me. "Are we meeting the boys in the mall?"
"Yeah," I nodded. "I think the boys are waiting for us."
She started driving to the mall, and I was zoned out.
I didn't tell them about Elias, and I didn't think I would ever do. He was in the past, and I wanted to keep him there.
I saw no point in bringing him into our conversations, mainly if he was meant to stay in the past. Even if he belonged in the past, I couldn't help but think about him. He was my past, and I didn't want to share it with anyone else.
"Are you okay?" Grace asked.
The only reason why I was thinking a lot about him was that today was his birthday. Every time on his birthday, I would think about him. On the regular days, I would get on with the days.
"My brother is moving," I sighed. "To California."
"That's why your mood is not like usual," she chuckled.
"Probably," I shrugged.
It didn't wash over me that Eddie would leave until I told Grace that he was going. I felt tears build up in my eyes, and everything was blurry.
It felt a little too early to cry about it, but now that I realized that I wouldn't see Eddie anymore.
I looked out of the window, hoping that Grace wouldn't see me cry. I would miss Eddie so much because we were so close.
Eddie had to tell me right before I went out with my friends.
"It's okay," Grace said. "My brother moved to Italy, and I am used to not seeing him at all."
I remembered when Grace told me that she and her brother weren't close at all. He'd ignore her all the time and rarely spend time with her. She told me how jealous she was of me because of my relationship with Eddie. We were so close, and it hurt me that it only dawned on me now that he was going to leave.
She knew the meaning of a brother, but did she see the definition of a brother who is your best friend?
When Eddie told me that he was moving to California, the first thought that came to my mind was the person who lived there.
"Let's forget about this," I sighed. "Is Audrey coming?"
Mississippi was small, and it wasn't big like any other state. I lived in Laurel, which was a nice place to live in.
"Yeah," she nodded. "She is coming with her boyfriend."
We expected to have a boyfriend at this age, mainly because we are prevalent in our school.
Grace was famous for her voice because of her angelic voice, and she sounded great.
Audrey was famous for her charming personality and beautiful looks. Plus, her boyfriend was handsome, and he was popular too.
I was famous because of my brain and my looks. I was pretty, but according to the letters that I received, I was the most beautiful girl in the world. I can't entirely agree with that because I saw my two best friends as the prettiest girls in the whole wide world.
We finally arrived at the mall, and I called Theo to see where he was.
"Hey, babe," he responded. "I am near Pizza Hut with the boys."
"Okay, we will be there," I told him, hanging up.
"They are waiting for us near the Pizza Hut," I told her before we entered the mall.
It was a small mall, and it wasn't a mall that you had many stores to choose from. Here, the stores were limited and did not provide things that people asked for.
We linked our hands together, and we made our way to the second floor, where Pizza Hut was in the food court in front of us.
We caught them standing in front of the fast-food, and once they saw us too, they made their way to us.
With a smile on my face, Theo kissed my lips once he reached to me. "I miss you."
"I miss you more," I smiled shyly.
Elliot kissed Grace, and they started chatting.
Poor Finn was alone, but it wasn't our fault that his ex cheated on him. So far, we had no idea who she cheated with, but I knew that he loved Audrey more than anything.
Too bad because Audrey already had a boyfriend who she adored.
For some odd reason - but not really - Finn hated Audrey's boyfriend. We all thought it was because he was in love with her, and she knew it too.
Anyways, Theo intertwined our fingers together, and we started walking towards the stores.
"Do you want to buy something?" Theo asked me.
Theo wasn't rich, but he wasn't poor either. However, I didn't particularly appreciate it when he spent a dollar on me.
I always tried to eat before I left so that I wouldn't order anything. Besides, I finally found a job next to the school. It was a cafe, and it paid good money for a high schooler like me.
I shook my head. "Let's walk around. I want to tell you something."
"Sure," he nodded. We began to walk around the mall, and he sensed that something might be wrong. "Are you okay, Rae?"
"Eddie is moving to California in two months," I told him.
He sighed in relief. "He always scared me."
"Theo, he's my brother!" I exclaimed. "I am going to miss him."
"I know, I am just joking," he kissed my cheek. "You have two months, you can spend more time with him, and there's always Facetime."
"Yeah, but it's not the same," I shook my head. "This will be the first time I'd be away from him."
"You don't have to worry about it now," he looked at me. "It's in two months. you still have time."
I nodded. "I hope Eddie changes his mind."
It made me selfish, I know—however, the thought of being here without Eddie. How would I tolerate my mother without him?
Who would cook for me when I am not in the mood? Who would buy ice cream for me when I fight with Theo? Who would curse and swear that he'd kill Theo if he ever hurt me?
"No, I hope all the best for him," I changed my mind. "He always wished nothing but the best for me, and he was always there for me, so I am going to make sure that I will always be there for him."
They made trains, planes, and cars for a reason.
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- Writer
