Where the Wind Takes Us

We’re sitting on the roof and it’s windy and I’m warm, though I wish I didn’t choose to wear black this morning. Though I’m an idiot, someone who’s more idiotic than me is sitting by my side, clad in only a pair of board shorts (yes, even his feet are bare).

“I’m going to miss you, y’know,” Mick says, his eyes staring intently at the sunset in front of us. I know he’s trying not to show it but I can tell he’s kinda sad about the prospect of me leaving him, and I can’t deny that I’m sad to leave as well.

I’m leaving tomorrow to leave for Melbourne. Orientation starts the day after tomorrow and I’ve given myself a day to move in and find out everything I need to know before uni. Colton and Georgia already left for Brisbane, where they’ll be attending university together. They’re studying Music Technology and Nursing, respectively. It’s common for us Northern Territorier’s to go to university in Brisbane, since they’re our neighbouring state with more opportunities. James left for the army a week ago, and already I’m missing him like crazy. Mick’s staying in Northern Territory, surprisingly, to go to uni in Darwin. He’s going to be studying engineering, though I already know he’s going to be the smartest one there.

I reach over and squeeze his hand. “I know. I’ll miss you too. There’s no one that can annoy me quite like you do.”

Mick grins. “Maybe Carey can take up that position.”

Josh was supposed to be going to school in Sydney, but he’s going to go to school in Melbourne instead. With me. Believe it or not, Mick’s the one who set it up.

When he met with Josh to apologise for the whole burning down his uncle’s place thing and handed over the 10k that he saved up, Josh forgave him and the two shook hands. I know that they’re not going to be best friends any time soon, but civility is better than hatred, right? After that, Mick asked Josh whether it’d be possible if he could look at going to universities in Melbourne because as he put it, “I need someone to be there for my girl.” The fact that he asked this before Josh and I even got together was super sweet of him, and though I know Mick can be an ass, I know his intentions tend to be for pure reasons. So Josh applied to RMIT in Melbourne, and he got in to study journalism, while I’m going to be studying at VCAA. I pretty much aced the interview back in December and it didn’t take long to receive an acceptance letter after that.

I pretend to think about it. “Don’t think so. No one can be as irritating as you. Except James.”

Mick laughs. He’s interrupted by my phone buzzing in my pocket. I open the message I’ve received from Josh to see that he’s taken a photo of his bed in his dorm room (with my painting of him hanging above it) with him lying across it. A message is attached, saying ‘can’t wait to use this bed with you xx’. I blush and successfully hide that from Mick. He doesn’t need to see that.

“Hey.” Mick grabs my attention after I slide my phone back into my pocket. “Promise me something?”

“Sure,” I say, and turn my body slightly to look at him properly. “What’s up?”

“Promise me we won’t stop being friends,” he asks. “That no matter how annoying I get, we’ll still Skype and text and call every once in a while.”

I lean my head on his shoulder. “Of course, you dork. You’re my best friend and that’s never going to change.”

“It better not,” he replies, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “I’ll come down to Melbs and kick your ass if I find out you’ve replaced me.”

I laugh. “Love you, Ryans.”

“Love you too, Fader.”

We’re sitting on the rooftop and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than right here.