Six Feet Under The Stars

Weekends were something I always waited for on the weekdays. I did count days from Monday until Friday and patiently waited for Friday night when my parents let me to do everything I wanted. Alex, Jack and I always spent weekends together. Sometimes Claire—my best girlfriend—joined us but she had to take care of her sick grandmother so we couldn't always ask her to come.

But that night was different. I counted days from Monday to weekend but there was a sad expression on my face. I supposed to not be sad though, because school was over in a week and summer holiday would come as I would celebrate my graduation from middle school. But that was the problem.

My mom is a kind who gets bored easily. She could say she loved a thing but after that, she could hate it very much. This attitude came right on a night before graduation. Me, my brother, my mom and dad sat on the dining table, talking that she wanted us to move to Arizona or California because she's getting bored with Maryland.

`What the hell, Mom?` I shouted. `You can't just tell us to move and we will do that. What about my school and my friends here?!`

`You're graduated, Honey. We will find a good high school for you in Arizona or California. And you're on summer holiday now, you may find new friends along the summer.` She said calmly trying to make me sure her idea was great.

`You don't even really sure where we're going to move,` I crossed my hands in front of my chest and showed an annoying face.

`I've bought a house in each California and Arizona. I just need to decide which one I prefer and we'll go.` My brother and I obviously shocked to hear what she said. I knew our family was kind of rich but she couldn't just throw away her money for fun.

`I'm going to UCLA, remember? Now you're following me to live in the same state with me?` My brother asked. I also knew he had waited this moment to go out from this house and live freely at the college's dorm. Not that free, but at least no parents around him.

`Nah, if you don't want me to move to California, then we'll go to Arizona!` My mom exclaimed and grinned to my dad. He just nodded and smiled. My dad loved my mom too much so he let her do everything she wanted.

`I'm not moving anywhere, Mom. I still want to live in Maryland, in this town called Baltimore.`

`No, honey. You're moving with us. You can come back here sometimes if you want, though. I will still have this house's keys.` That meant my mom was not going to sell this house. She was just going to move because she's bored, and she'd move back here if she missed her house in Baltimore.

`Dad?` I looked at Dad begging for a support. My dad just looked at me with a 'no, sweetheart, we have to respect your mom's decision so we're moving' expression. I rolled my eyes and said whatever slowly.

`We're moving next week so you better prepare everything.` Dad said before I went back to my room cursing alone in my bed until I fell asleep.



`Congratulation, Carly!`

`Congratulation to you too!` I hugged him so tight as he hugged me tighter.

`Congratulation for us!` Jack suddenly crushed and hugged us. We looked like too-old teletubbies at that moment.

Today was a graduation day when I got my little toga and heard the principal telling us that he was really glad of us and wishing us a good luck on high school next term. At the night, we went to a little party my friend held where that would be the last time for some of us to meet each other. Some kids were going to the same high school—like Jack and Alex, some other were going to different school in Baltimore and the rest, just like me, would move to other states and start a new life.

I had not tell anyone about my moving to Arizona. I didn't even tell Jack and Alex. I only told Carly once but it was only me telling her that I was so fucked up by my mom's decision. I just didn't want anyone to feel sad, I was sad enough to know I was going to leave my best friends. So right before I went to graduation party, I decided to keep my mouth shut about the moving stuffs.

Three days before moving to Arizona, everything in my house already packed. Only my and my parents' bags left and some mattress for us to sleep. My brother would move to L.A as we leave to Tempe, AZ. He knew I was really upset about this thing so he decided to stay until we move and take me everywhere to make me feel better.

That afternoon, I didn't go anywhere because I already spent a whole night at a Green Day concert. Yes, my brother bought me a Green Day ticket concert for me, Jack and Alex so we really had so much fun that night. I met Billie Joe Armstrong at the backstage and we took some pictures together. Later when we went home, I showed the pictures to Jack which made him freaked out. He couldn't stop yelling at me and asked my brother to come back to the venue even though everyone knew the band already left to somewhere else. That night was a tiring one so I slept until noon to recharge my energy.

`Caroline Barone, where the hell are you?!` I heard someone yelling my name at downstairs. I was at my room balcony looking at my backyard, the place where we buried our time capsule.

`Carly?!` That voice yelled again. I rolled my eyes and walked inside. Right when I was going to open my door, someone banged it so hard. Now I was sure who the hell was that.

I opened the door with an annoyed face as I saw Jack and Alex stood behind Jack. `What?`

`Where have you been, girl? Are you that tired until you forget to swim at my house?` Jack yelled in front of my face. I remembered that before I dropped Jack home, he invited us to swim at his house today.

I stayed silent because I felt sorry yet I was annoyed that Jack couldn't stop yelling at me since last night. I didn't know what to say so I just showed a blank-yet-annoying face.

`I've told you that she'd get mad, Silly,` said Alex from behind Jack's back.

`But it's a promise! You both have said yes!` He yelled again but not as loud as before, knowing me was annoyed of him.

`But she was really tired, look!!` Alex exclaimed. I stared at him blankly. Jack looked at me and suddenly he hugged me.

`I'm sorry Carly, I'm sorry I didn't mean to, really!` He apologized. That made me realized that I would really miss both of them, I wouldn't hear Jack yelled at me anymore, I wouldn't see Alex's stupid jokes, I wouldn't see them ever again. I cried.

Jack released his hug as he heard me crying. `Carly? Why are you crying? Did I hug you to tight?` I shook my head. `Do you hate me so you're crying? Oh my God, I'm really sorry Carly! Don't cry! Alex, help me, dumb ass!` Jack sounded really panicked that time as my cries grew louder.

`What happened, Carly? Did Jack hurt you? Come here, Baby, sshh don't cry,` Alex came and hugged me. He tried to calm me down by stroking my back and my head.

He released me as I shook my head again and tried to stop crying. `I think...` I started to talk, `I think I'm gonna miss you guys so bad..` I cried again. Now both Jack and Alex looked confused.

`Why? We're here for you, no need to miss us.`

`No, I'm leaving to Arizona in three days`