Nuclear Family {Green Day}

Chapter Five

Nuclear Family

Sorry for any spelling/grammar issues!

CHAPTER FIVE

 Morning seemed to roll around faster than I would've liked. I wasn't exactly thrilled about going back to my old house, but I wasn't exactly thrilled about going to a fostet home either- not that there's anything I can do about it. At least I can get my animals, and Mary said that she'd take me to say goodbye to my horse for a while later today as well. She still hasn't given me very much detail about this foster home that I'm supposed to be going to. 

I was checked out of the hotel and Mary and I put my box of things into the back of her car, beginning the short drive to my house. Upon our arrival, my aunt came running out of the house with my dogs on her heels. I jumped out of the car and threw myself onto the driveway, hugging the dogs, then standing up and hugging my aunt. Luckily Mary was good with dogs, since mine aren't exactly well behaved and two big golden retrievers jumping on you can be a little intimidating. I'm thrilled with how happy they are to see me.

We went inside, my aunt chattering nervously, obviously not knowing exactly what to say. I went straight to what has been my bedroom for the past 17 years and got my cockatiels, Ernie and Oswald from their cage, setting one on each shoulder as I automatically got some crickets out of the cupboard and fed my lizard. I added some treats to the the brothers' cage, and set them back in it with some regret. Mary and my aunt Lynne seemed to have taken a liking to each other, which is nice. 

Mary subtly hinted at me to start packing- my aunt is a talker and wouldn't let Mary get a word in edgewise. Since Mary had already gotten my clothes- or any clothes that I cared about- I pulled two big suitcases out from under my bed. I had been keeping them there, hoping that one day I'd be able to escape on vacation, but it's never happened.

What I want to know is, how on earth am I supposed to put my whole life in two suitcases? I carefully filled one of the suitcases with everything my animals would need for a little while. The dog's blankets and enough food for a couple weeks, their toys, leashes, and dishes. For the birds I packed their food, toys, treats, and cage accessories. For Nano, my lizard, I packed dry food and her plants, knowing that I would have to buy live crickets when I got to my destination. 

With that, I left space for my clothes that were in the box in Mary's car, filling the rest of my suitcase with books, sheet music, my clarinet and flute cases, and different pictures and horse back riding ribbons from around my room. I put the suticases on a suitcase rack and packed my keyboard into case, adding it to the cart. My guitar was in its rightful place in the corner of my room, and was added to the growing amount of things that I'm taking with me.

My aunt took my suitcases and intrument cases out to Mary's car and put them in the trunk, while Mary and I put the birds in their traveling cage (we used to take them to my coach's cottage all the time), and brought their regular cage out to be put into the trunk as well. Nano was put in a smaller traveling tank so that her bigger tank could be packed as well. Then we brought the the animals in their cages into the back seat and set them onto the floor so that we couldn't move around. The dogs sat on the seats as my aunt said her tearful goodbyes to me. I didn't real feel much emotion, just distant from it all. Nothing felt real.

Eventually Mary and I drove right out to my horse's paddock. I got out of the car and gave him and apple. I kissed his nose and whispered

"I love you, Midnight" before walking a little ways away, knwoing I would cry if I didn't. 

It was right then that my coach came around the corner and hugged me tightly. It hit how she had become my mother when times had gotten hard. I loved her and was going to miss her so much. Maybe I could see her sometimes, but from the way Mary was treating things, I was going to be moving fairly far away. 

"I promise I'll take care of him for you. I'll even change his blankets and his him treats for you, I promise."

She was starting to cry, so she hugged me again and then said her goodbyes. It took everything in me, but I didn't cry as I got back in Mary's car and drove away from everything I've ever loved.