Rosaleigh, NY

Well, fuck.

"Levi, we need you."

"No, mother," I shake my head for the thousandth time, "you don't need me. We're perfectly fine with the Skype chats and the Facetiming and even the Photostreams."

I hear her sigh. She's frustrated with me. In fact, she has been frustrated with me since I moved to the city four years ago. I will never understand why because my brother went to fucking Harvard. I'm at least in the same state as them for college. But no, it's okay because it's Jonathan.

"Levi, it's more than just the fact that I want you home and your father wants you home. You know this, honey. Rosaleigh is in trouble."

"Mom," I pinch the bridge of my nose. This isn't the first time she's been calling me about coming home. It's more like the seventh this entire week. "I don't care that the entire town is going to be demolished. In fact, if they can demolish all my memories from it, that'd be great."

"How can you say that, Levi? You and Jonathan were born and raised in Rosaleigh! You've grown up with all your friends! You're really okay with leaving it all behind like so? What about Ryan? What about Samara? She's coming home, you know."

I roll my eyes. "Ryan is too...preoccupied to care," I reply, bitterly. My mom can probably sense it in my voice, so I immediately add, "And I didn't even know Samara left, Mom. She probably has to come home because of Uncle James. She doesn't count. Mom, listen, I really have to go. I'll call you later."

"Levi, please think about this. I don't know if you fully understand the extent of what is happening, but I hope you make the right decision."

Fuck me sideways.

I haven't visited Rosaleigh in years. Well, since I left, actually. The last time I was there...I'd rather not talk about it. And let's not forget how, right before I left, three of my mom's friends said to me, "I hear you're leaving Rosaleigh! Following in Jonathan's footsteps are you?" and "Don't worry, honey, maybe you can go to Harvard for graduate school!" and even, "But I thought you and Ryan were practically attached at the hip! How can you leave so suddenly?"

That last one was from Ryan's mom, but still.

I groan out loud. I've live alone in my apartment in the city for the past four years and honestly, I love it. I've lived my entire life with my brother and Ryan and everyone else back home. Coming here and having some damn peace and quiet was a good change.

I don't think I'm ready to go back to how it used to be.

The phone rings again and I feel like punching the wall. I think it's my mother and answer it with, "Mom! I told you I'd think about it!"

"Levi?"

I freeze.

"Hello? Levi?"

"J–Jess?" I stutter, completely shocked. I can almost see her smile from a hundred miles away.

"Hi." Her voice still sounds like butter. Sweet, smooth, and angelic. She chuckles into the receiver and slump into my seat, closing my eyes.

I'm pathetic.

"So, uh, it's been awhile," she says, "I ran into your mom the other day. It's funny, actually, because it's been so long since we've last spoken."

"Four years ago," I say. Everything has been four years ago, lately.

"Yeah. I told you to call me, Levi." She sounds a little mad. Good. She should be. "I know that what happened to that Vivienne girl was traumatic on the whole town, but you didn't have to run away from us. Levi, I–I miss you."

I close my eyes and shake my head, vigorously, despite knowing that she can't even see me.

"No, Jessica," I say, my eyes still closed. I can see her in my mind. Her dark red hair blowing slightly from the breeze, her twinkling blue eyes, her small (almost nonexistent) lips, and her perfectly aligned teeth (except for the one on the bottom that was slightly crooked)...

Jesus Christ.

"Jess, I'm sorry, but Rosaleigh doesn't have anything for me. I know that you and I became close, but if I really meant so much to you, you could've called me."

"You didn't give me your number, Levi," she retorts. "In fact, you left with a curt goodbye."

"Sorry, Jessica," I shrug, feeling slightly proud of myself. "It's just the way things happen."

"Levi, everything is getting destroyed. Physically. How could you let it all go as fast as you did?"

I sigh. "I knew there was a reason for this call," I mutter.

"Don't do that, Levi. You know there's more to it than that. It's us Levi," she says. I close my eyes and try my hardest not to picture her saying this in front of me right now.

The lake," she says, suddenly. "The lake where you caught me almost drowning that one time, do you remember?" I couldn't forget it even if I did that Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind thing where they erased their memories. "That lake will be one of the first things to go if we don't do something about it."

"I don't care," I say, curtly.

"Don't do that. Levi, you know that I want you to come home. Please, Levi. For me. For your mom. For that stupid lake that made Levi Armstrong my hero. For Rosaleigh."

"You're not the first person to call me about this, and to be honest, I don't know what you want from me, because I could care less about that fucking lake and that fucking town–"

"Do you really, though?"

"I–" I sigh.

"Levi, please. Don't think you're that unimportant to everyone. Your vote or your actions could really get you somewhere." I can see her smiling again. Fuck, she has that power. She's always had that power on me.

Looks like I'm going to Rosaleigh.

Home sweet fucking home.