A Blanket Unwoven
Move
“What?” I'm staring at my parents.
“I'm sorry, Megan. It's the way life is, besides, it's your father's work. He can't refuse the offer...”
I tune my mother's voice out. A strong feeling is bubbling in me. I don't want to — move? I frown, something happened here, in this town. I don't want to leave it. Too many memories; if only I could remember them.
“Where?” I ask.
“To a nice, little village, about three hundred and ten miles from here.”
Yeah, a nice, little, isolated village.
**
“You're what?” Sara exclaims at lunch.
“We're going to miss you,” Danielle says.
Johnny comes to our table, “So, is it true? You're moving?”
“Yeah. Something to do with my dad's job,” I say sadly. Then I say to all of them, “I'll miss you guys, too.”
**
In English Violet seems happier. I ignored her. So what if Violet doesn't like me? I sit down next to Jenny.
She starts talking straightaway. The teacher hasn't even begun the lesson and Jenny's already gossiping.
I gasp at the right moments and nod when the teacher's looking at us and Jenny writes on a piece of paper. But my mind isn't in the classroom.
It's flitting about, high above the school.
Why don't I want to leave?
Because I'll miss my friends.
No, there's something else. What?
The bell rings and I jump a little. My mind comes slamming down into my head. I close my notebook; it's empty. I haven't taken a single note. A shame, really — I love English.
**
The last bell of the day rings and all I want is to go to the park. Maybe I'll remember something. My friends have other plans.
“Megan, wait,” they say.
“How about we go see a movie?” Kate suggests.
“Yeah, and pizza afterwards,” Sara adds.
It's Friday. What excuse can I come up with? None, I'm trapped. I get pulled along to see some comedy and then eat pizza.
**
The five of us are walking home. All of us — with the exception of me — are chattering.
“It's going to be boring without you,” Danielle says.
“Yeah! Who's gonna keep us up all night at sleep-overs?” Sara chimes in.
“And finish leftover food?” Kate adds.
“I'm sure you'll find someone with a big appetite and no need for sleep to fill in for me,” I say. It's the longest sentence I say all day.
“Gotta go,” Kate says, when we reach her street. “Bye.” She blows a kiss to me, an attempt to cheer me up.
It works a bit. I half-heartedly blow one back. Soon it's Jenny's turn leave, then Sara's. This leaves Danielle and me alone. We don't talk much and when Danielle has to go, she hugs me.
It takes me by surprise. So do her words.
“I'll really miss you, Megs,” she says into my hair.
“Me too,” I whisper back. And I mean it.
Afterwards it's my feet's turn to amaze me. They take a direction well-known to me: I'm going to the park.
I sit on a bench, it's pretty close to the gates and feels very familiar. Of course! I sat here two weeks ago.
But there's something else.
I get a book out of my bag and read for half-an-hour. Then, thinking of my parents, I decide to go home. As I cross the gate I get a déjà-vu. I can remember looking for someone. Running.
The memory is almost palpable, my mind's hand tries to grasp it.
It slips away from me.
“I'm sorry, Megan. It's the way life is, besides, it's your father's work. He can't refuse the offer...”
I tune my mother's voice out. A strong feeling is bubbling in me. I don't want to — move? I frown, something happened here, in this town. I don't want to leave it. Too many memories; if only I could remember them.
“Where?” I ask.
“To a nice, little village, about three hundred and ten miles from here.”
Yeah, a nice, little, isolated village.
**
“You're what?” Sara exclaims at lunch.
“We're going to miss you,” Danielle says.
Johnny comes to our table, “So, is it true? You're moving?”
“Yeah. Something to do with my dad's job,” I say sadly. Then I say to all of them, “I'll miss you guys, too.”
**
In English Violet seems happier. I ignored her. So what if Violet doesn't like me? I sit down next to Jenny.
She starts talking straightaway. The teacher hasn't even begun the lesson and Jenny's already gossiping.
I gasp at the right moments and nod when the teacher's looking at us and Jenny writes on a piece of paper. But my mind isn't in the classroom.
It's flitting about, high above the school.
Why don't I want to leave?
Because I'll miss my friends.
No, there's something else. What?
The bell rings and I jump a little. My mind comes slamming down into my head. I close my notebook; it's empty. I haven't taken a single note. A shame, really — I love English.
**
The last bell of the day rings and all I want is to go to the park. Maybe I'll remember something. My friends have other plans.
“Megan, wait,” they say.
“How about we go see a movie?” Kate suggests.
“Yeah, and pizza afterwards,” Sara adds.
It's Friday. What excuse can I come up with? None, I'm trapped. I get pulled along to see some comedy and then eat pizza.
**
The five of us are walking home. All of us — with the exception of me — are chattering.
“It's going to be boring without you,” Danielle says.
“Yeah! Who's gonna keep us up all night at sleep-overs?” Sara chimes in.
“And finish leftover food?” Kate adds.
“I'm sure you'll find someone with a big appetite and no need for sleep to fill in for me,” I say. It's the longest sentence I say all day.
“Gotta go,” Kate says, when we reach her street. “Bye.” She blows a kiss to me, an attempt to cheer me up.
It works a bit. I half-heartedly blow one back. Soon it's Jenny's turn leave, then Sara's. This leaves Danielle and me alone. We don't talk much and when Danielle has to go, she hugs me.
It takes me by surprise. So do her words.
“I'll really miss you, Megs,” she says into my hair.
“Me too,” I whisper back. And I mean it.
Afterwards it's my feet's turn to amaze me. They take a direction well-known to me: I'm going to the park.
I sit on a bench, it's pretty close to the gates and feels very familiar. Of course! I sat here two weeks ago.
But there's something else.
I get a book out of my bag and read for half-an-hour. Then, thinking of my parents, I decide to go home. As I cross the gate I get a déjà-vu. I can remember looking for someone. Running.
The memory is almost palpable, my mind's hand tries to grasp it.
It slips away from me.