The Hardest Part of This Is Leaving You

Sophie’s POV

“Flight two-four-six-eight to Phoenix has been delayed for two hours. I repeat; flight two-four-six-eight to Phoenix has been delayed for two hours. Thank you.”

Great. Just great. Now I’ve got even more time to think about Frankie. Oh, how I miss him already. I saw him a day ago but just knowing I won’t see or kiss him for a long time makes me miss him more and more.

We promised to call each other every day. And to e-mail all the time. We’ll keep in touch no matter what. We need each other. It’s already hard enough not seeing him, or touching him.

I need to focus on something else so I won’t start crying again. I take my iPod out of my bag and close my eyes. Just as a My Chemical Romance song starts to play, a single tear escapes from my eye.

***

“Hurry up, sweetie, the taxi’s waiting for us!” my dad says in a rushed voice. We have just arrived in Phoenix and are walking towards our taxi that’s going to bring us to the new house. My mom’s even more excited now, if that’s even possible. I don’t understand her. What’s so great about leaving everything and everyone behind? Only she knows.
“We want to get to our new home as soon as we can, don’t we, Mary honey?” Oh, and my dad, too.

“Of course! I’m so excited! I feel like a four-year-old who’s getting a new toy to play with!”

“You act like one, too,” I mutter, but they don’t seem to hear me. “Mom, dad, just relax, okay? The house won’t run away, will it?”

“Oh, I already feel like I’m at home! This is going to be so great!” mom goes on, not hearing a word I said.

“Calm down. It’s just a house, it’s not home,” I whisper quietly to myself.

“Don’t be ridiculous! It’ll feel like home soon enough. You’ll go to school, make new friends, maybe even get a job, … You’ll be glad we moved here! You’ll thank us one day, I know it!” Another thing, school. How am I going to live through that? Everyone probably has their own friends. They wouldn’t want someone like me, an outsider. Not that I need friends anyway. I’m going back to New Jersey as soon as I can. When I’m 18, that is.

Oh, that reminds me! I promised to call Frank as soon as I got here. Now, how do I get rid of my parents, so I can call him, without them knowing?
“Hey, I need to use the restroom. Be right back!” Before they have a chance to answer, I run away. The moment they’re out of sight, I take my phone and dial Franks number.

“Hello?” the familiar voice replies.

“Frankie! It’s Sophie, you know, that girl you dated?”

“Hey! Of course I know, I won’t forget it that quickly, will I? Anyway, I was getting worried. Why are you calling so late?”

“My plane got delayed! We’re still at the airport but I hate this place already!”

“Baby, I’m sure you’ll like it. You’ll make new friends and start a new life!” Where have I heard that one before?

“But I don’t want to have a new life. My life was perfectly fine before my parents had to ruin it!”

“It’ll be okay. Try to make the best out of it, okay? Do it for me.”

“Okay. I’ve got to go now or they will come to look for me.”

“Bye. I love you baby, no matter what. Call me soon, ‘kay?”

“Of course. Love you, too,” I say and close my phone. I turn around, ready to go back and suddenly see my mom walking towards me. I gasp a little too loud and hope she hasn’t heard a thing I said.

“Who was that?” she asks, suspiciously.

“Oh, uhm… Marissa. Yeah, it was her. She was just asking if I was okay,” I lie.

“Then why did you say ‘Love you, too’?” Oh, shit. Come on, Sophie, think!

“W… we say that to each other. We’re best friends, you know. They’re supposed to say it… kinda. I think.” That seems to be fine. And it isn’t a lie!

“You need to learn to let them go. We’re starting a new life here, in Phoenix. That means new friends.”

“But mom! She’s my best friend since we were in kindergarten! I can’t just forget about her, can I?”

“Well, eventually you’ll have to,” she answers. I sigh loudly and run past her. I’m so mad at her! She doesn’t understand a thing! “Sweetie…”

“Just leave me alone!” I yell, trying to ignore the other people staring at me. I quickly run off to where my dad is. He notices me immediately and looks confused. “Come on dad, let’s get out of here.”

“Wait… what’s wrong?” he says, a bit concerned.

“Oh, nothing special,” I reply, a bit too quickly. “My mother is just being a bitch…,” I whisper so my dad can’t hear it. He opens his mouth to say something but then closes it again, changing his mind.

“O…kay then, I guess. Where’s your mother?”

“Oh, she’s coming in a minute, I think,” I say just as the bitch arrives. Okay, I know it’s a little mean, but that’s the way she’s acting right now. She deserves it!

“Okay, I’m back. Let’s leave!” she says, ignoring me completely. Good.

***

I step out the car, searching for something I can hold on to. “I’ve got you,” dad says, holding his hands before my eyes. “No peeking.”

“I wouldn’t dare!” I giggle, trying to peek through his hands.

“I can feel you trying…” he laughs. Yes, to be honest, even I was a bit nervous now we arrived at the house. “Okay, take two steps forward.” I do as he said, being careful not to fall over my own feet.

“Can I look now?”

“Almost. Could you go over there honey?” he asks, obviously towards my mom. He takes one hand of my eyes, but instantly covers them both with his other hand. I didn’t have the chance to peek. “Okay, I think we’re ready. Three… two… one and a three quarters… one and a half…”

“Oh come on, dad, let me see already,” I beg. He laughs but pulls his hand away. I look at the huge house in front of me. I even find it… pretty. I like the house.

But I can’t. No. I may not like the house. Look at how ugly it is. I want my old house back.

But… I just can’t deny its beauty. How much has it cost? It must’ve been a lot. How could dad pay it?

“Come on, let’s go inside.” I nod and follow my parents, looking around the street. It seems to be a nice neighbourhood. It are all expensive houses! It’s a mystery how dad was able to afford it. “Are you coming Sophie?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m on my way,” I say and run to the door.

“One… two… three,” mum counts and then dad opens the door, for the first time. Opening the door to a new life. Opening the door to the unwanted life that may become pretty fine.

We step inside and I look around, amazed by the space we got.
“Wow… this is just… I don’t have words for it,” I manage to get out.

“I knew you would eventually like it. I was right!” mom replies.