This Is How We Live.
Is this goodbye?
Amy buried herself in Zach’s chest. He patted her back, “You’ll be okay in the big city.”
She pulled away from him, exposing black circles on his shirt. “I hope so.” She sniffled, “And I’m sorry about your shirt. I told you not to wear white!”
I pulled her in for a hug and began to sob. “Don’t cry!” She said, crying.
“I’m gonna miss you!” I wailed.
Katie and Emi joined in to form a group hug, and we all began crying like babies.
“Amy,” Her mom called, “It’s time to leave.”
“Mrs. Davis.” I sobbed. “Don’t leave!”
“We’ll be back soon enough.” She smiled at all of us.
“Mr. Davis?” Zach said, tapping him on the shoulder.
“Yes, Zach?”
“Please don’t let Amy get hurt while she’s in the big city.” Zach wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Amy’s lip curled up, and her eyes twinkled.
“I won’t.” He smiled.
I wiped my tears with my sweater sleeve. Michael kissed me on the cheek, “Everything’s gonna be okay, and you know it.”
As Amy was about to board the plane, Zach stopped her. “Amy. I love you. You better not find somebody else in New York or I’m gonna whoop their ass. Stay smart. Stay the same. Okay?” He kissed her.
Amy smiled, “I won’t. And I’ll stay the same. I love you too. I promise you, I’ll Skype with you every night.”
“AMYYYYY!” The rest of the boys went up to her and gave her hugs. They squished her. I could tell.
We stayed at the airport until the plane left. I watched the plane fly off and began to cry. I was losing my best friend to about a million miles. Michael squeezed my hand, which made me cry harder. Katie leaned on me, her makeup smearing down her face. Emi curled up next to Nathan and started crying on his chest. I saw Zach from the corner of my eye trying not to cry. Cameron got up, “You guys, this is obviously making us depressed. Let’s go eat?”
We all mumbled. “Sure.” I said.
—
I ended up not going out to eat with them. I locked myself in my room and sobbed. My phone kept ringing and I never picked it up. Whoever it was could’ve just left me a voicemail. I caved, though. I went and checked my phone. ‘8 New Messages’, ‘9 missed calls’.
I checked all of my messages.
“Hey, wanna hang?” 6:04. Brandon.
“Are you still crying?” 6:03. Michael.
“Feel better, love. I’ll drop some tiramisu off at your house later =)” 5:36. Katie.
“Don’t cry babygirl<3” 5:24. Michael.
“Your pretty self shouldn’t cry.<3” 5:20. Michael.
“Hey, we should get some fro yo tonight. :)” 5:16. Brandon.
“Katie and I are making food for you. :)” 5:13. Emi.
“I miss you already. Stopover in TX.” 4:59. Amy.
I collapsed onto my bed and my phone rang again. This time I actually picked up. “Hello?” I said dully.
“Finally you pick your phone up!” Michael was on the other line. “Are you done crying yet?”
“Kinda.” I said. “My eyes still feel puffy. But it’s whatever. Jaylene’s back from my aunt’s and we’re probably just gonna do whatever.”
“Oh, that’s cool. You’re gonna study for the English test with a three year old?”
I was thrown into panic mode, “What English test?! Michael!”
“Chill. I was just kidding.” He laughed.
“God,” I let out a deep breath, “You scared the shit out of me. Don’t ever do that again.”
“Janine!” My mom called from downstairs. “Katie left you some food!”
I covered the speaker on my phone with my hand, “Be right there!” I yelled.
Just when I was about to walk downstairs, Jaylene brought my tiramisu up. “Here you go!” She said happily.
“Is that Jaylene?” Michael asked.
“Yeah.” I said, taking the bowl of tiramisu from her. I put Michael on speaker, “Say hi!”
“Hi Jaylene!” He said.
“Hi kuya!” She smiled.
I smiled, “Michael, I’m gonna go shower. But I PROMISE you I’ll talk to you before I knock out. Okay?”
“Mmkay.” He said.
—
After I took a shower, my phone began to ring with a recording of ‘Girls of Summer’ I recorded on my phone. It was Amy. She was calling. I looked at the time on my phone and it was 8:53. It was 11, almost midnight, in New York. I pressed the ‘Accept’ button on my phone. “Hello?”
“Janine!” She said cheerily.
“Hi, love!”
“How are you?”
“Well, I just stopped crying. I miss you already!”
“I miss you too! And Zach. And Katie. And Emi. And Nathan. And Cammykins. And Mikey.”
“We all miss you too!”
“But I’m coming back.”
“You what?!” I hollered.
“I’M COMING BACK! On prom night! Don’t tell Zach. I wanna surprise him.” She said.
“Ugh, fine.” I said. “Are you calling Zach though?”
“I will soon. If he ever picks up.”
I went out on my balcony, “San Diego misses you, my dear.”
“And I miss San Diego.” She sighed.
“But you missed New York at the same time.”
“I think I left my heart in California…” Amy said in a small voice.
“Well—” I raised my head up to see Michael standing up at his balcony.
“Hi Amy!” He yelled.
“Is that Mikey?!” She said, “I miss that mother fucker!”
“She says she misses you, bubs!” I said to Michael.
He smiled. “Can I talk to you?”
I nodded, “Aims. I’ll call you tomorrow. You should call Zach now.”
“Wow, you’re psychic!” She said in awe. “I was just about to say that!”
I chuckled, “Only us.”
“Bye, Janine!”
—
“Yes?” I turned back to Michael.
(Michael’s POV)
I decided I was gonna tell her I love her. Today. Yuuup!
“Yes?” She said. The way her voice sounded made my stomach do flips, and it made my head spin. Not literally, though.
“So, um…” My palms began to feel sweaty, and I felt as if I was about to puke.
“What do you need to tell me?” She said with forced laughter.
“I kind of, um…” I pressed my hand on the balcony, to hide the fact that my hands were shaky.
“What?” She began to sound pissed.
I’m not gonna lie, she was kinda cute when she was mad. As cheesy as it sounded.
“Can you help me on the chem homework? I tried asking Katie but she didn’t get it either.” I blurted out.
“Umm, yeah.” She went back into her room to get her textbooks.
Damn. I’m such a dumbass.
She pulled away from him, exposing black circles on his shirt. “I hope so.” She sniffled, “And I’m sorry about your shirt. I told you not to wear white!”
I pulled her in for a hug and began to sob. “Don’t cry!” She said, crying.
“I’m gonna miss you!” I wailed.
Katie and Emi joined in to form a group hug, and we all began crying like babies.
“Amy,” Her mom called, “It’s time to leave.”
“Mrs. Davis.” I sobbed. “Don’t leave!”
“We’ll be back soon enough.” She smiled at all of us.
“Mr. Davis?” Zach said, tapping him on the shoulder.
“Yes, Zach?”
“Please don’t let Amy get hurt while she’s in the big city.” Zach wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Amy’s lip curled up, and her eyes twinkled.
“I won’t.” He smiled.
I wiped my tears with my sweater sleeve. Michael kissed me on the cheek, “Everything’s gonna be okay, and you know it.”
As Amy was about to board the plane, Zach stopped her. “Amy. I love you. You better not find somebody else in New York or I’m gonna whoop their ass. Stay smart. Stay the same. Okay?” He kissed her.
Amy smiled, “I won’t. And I’ll stay the same. I love you too. I promise you, I’ll Skype with you every night.”
“AMYYYYY!” The rest of the boys went up to her and gave her hugs. They squished her. I could tell.
We stayed at the airport until the plane left. I watched the plane fly off and began to cry. I was losing my best friend to about a million miles. Michael squeezed my hand, which made me cry harder. Katie leaned on me, her makeup smearing down her face. Emi curled up next to Nathan and started crying on his chest. I saw Zach from the corner of my eye trying not to cry. Cameron got up, “You guys, this is obviously making us depressed. Let’s go eat?”
We all mumbled. “Sure.” I said.
—
I ended up not going out to eat with them. I locked myself in my room and sobbed. My phone kept ringing and I never picked it up. Whoever it was could’ve just left me a voicemail. I caved, though. I went and checked my phone. ‘8 New Messages’, ‘9 missed calls’.
I checked all of my messages.
“Hey, wanna hang?” 6:04. Brandon.
“Are you still crying?” 6:03. Michael.
“Feel better, love. I’ll drop some tiramisu off at your house later =)” 5:36. Katie.
“Don’t cry babygirl<3” 5:24. Michael.
“Your pretty self shouldn’t cry.<3” 5:20. Michael.
“Hey, we should get some fro yo tonight. :)” 5:16. Brandon.
“Katie and I are making food for you. :)” 5:13. Emi.
“I miss you already. Stopover in TX.” 4:59. Amy.
I collapsed onto my bed and my phone rang again. This time I actually picked up. “Hello?” I said dully.
“Finally you pick your phone up!” Michael was on the other line. “Are you done crying yet?”
“Kinda.” I said. “My eyes still feel puffy. But it’s whatever. Jaylene’s back from my aunt’s and we’re probably just gonna do whatever.”
“Oh, that’s cool. You’re gonna study for the English test with a three year old?”
I was thrown into panic mode, “What English test?! Michael!”
“Chill. I was just kidding.” He laughed.
“God,” I let out a deep breath, “You scared the shit out of me. Don’t ever do that again.”
“Janine!” My mom called from downstairs. “Katie left you some food!”
I covered the speaker on my phone with my hand, “Be right there!” I yelled.
Just when I was about to walk downstairs, Jaylene brought my tiramisu up. “Here you go!” She said happily.
“Is that Jaylene?” Michael asked.
“Yeah.” I said, taking the bowl of tiramisu from her. I put Michael on speaker, “Say hi!”
“Hi Jaylene!” He said.
“Hi kuya!” She smiled.
I smiled, “Michael, I’m gonna go shower. But I PROMISE you I’ll talk to you before I knock out. Okay?”
“Mmkay.” He said.
—
After I took a shower, my phone began to ring with a recording of ‘Girls of Summer’ I recorded on my phone. It was Amy. She was calling. I looked at the time on my phone and it was 8:53. It was 11, almost midnight, in New York. I pressed the ‘Accept’ button on my phone. “Hello?”
“Janine!” She said cheerily.
“Hi, love!”
“How are you?”
“Well, I just stopped crying. I miss you already!”
“I miss you too! And Zach. And Katie. And Emi. And Nathan. And Cammykins. And Mikey.”
“We all miss you too!”
“But I’m coming back.”
“You what?!” I hollered.
“I’M COMING BACK! On prom night! Don’t tell Zach. I wanna surprise him.” She said.
“Ugh, fine.” I said. “Are you calling Zach though?”
“I will soon. If he ever picks up.”
I went out on my balcony, “San Diego misses you, my dear.”
“And I miss San Diego.” She sighed.
“But you missed New York at the same time.”
“I think I left my heart in California…” Amy said in a small voice.
“Well—” I raised my head up to see Michael standing up at his balcony.
“Hi Amy!” He yelled.
“Is that Mikey?!” She said, “I miss that mother fucker!”
“She says she misses you, bubs!” I said to Michael.
He smiled. “Can I talk to you?”
I nodded, “Aims. I’ll call you tomorrow. You should call Zach now.”
“Wow, you’re psychic!” She said in awe. “I was just about to say that!”
I chuckled, “Only us.”
“Bye, Janine!”
—
“Yes?” I turned back to Michael.
(Michael’s POV)
I decided I was gonna tell her I love her. Today. Yuuup!
“Yes?” She said. The way her voice sounded made my stomach do flips, and it made my head spin. Not literally, though.
“So, um…” My palms began to feel sweaty, and I felt as if I was about to puke.
“What do you need to tell me?” She said with forced laughter.
“I kind of, um…” I pressed my hand on the balcony, to hide the fact that my hands were shaky.
“What?” She began to sound pissed.
I’m not gonna lie, she was kinda cute when she was mad. As cheesy as it sounded.
“Can you help me on the chem homework? I tried asking Katie but she didn’t get it either.” I blurted out.
“Umm, yeah.” She went back into her room to get her textbooks.
Damn. I’m such a dumbass.