From Here On Out

6

September 2017

Daveed was laying on his bed throwing a softball up and down through the air. He was running out of time and supposed to be packing but his laziness had taken over.

His room was mostly done, a large part due only to Rafa, but there was still a little more to do.

"Are you gonna help me or not?" Rafa asked as he took a box from Daveed's closet to the door.

"You look like you're doing great," he smirked back.

Rafa took a tennis ball that was lying on the dresser and tossed it at Daveed. His aim caused it to hit Daveed's softball while it was in the air and send it plummeting right to his face.

"Hey!" Daveed sat up and tossed the ball right back at him.

"Last time I checked I'm not the one moving" Rafa exclaimed.

About a month ago, Daveed's dad had been offered a new job. It was almost his dream job: higher pay, more power, but there was a catch, the job was all the way across the country. Daveed and his whole family would be moving to Oakland, California. 2,516 miles from Norfolk, Virginia.

So today, and for the last few weeks, Rafael had been coming over to help Daveed pack. The first week was hard, Daveed wouldn't even accept that he would have to move during the middle of high school to a place where he knew nothing and no one. Now, he had given a little more into the idea and figured that he could come to visit or Rafa could visit him.

Rafa stood in the doorway of Daveed's room when his phone dinged with a text. "Oh shit, did you know it was Emmy's birthday?"

"Yes," Daveed shrugged, nonchalantly, his focus still on the softball.

"Haven't y'all spent every one of her birthdays together since she was like...6?" Rafa asked back.

"Come on man, you know what happened," Daveed replied.

"I know, but what I don't know is why you're throwing away a decade-long friendship over some of the dumbest shit I ever heard," Rafa said, shaking his head.

"She not talking to me, I'm not talking to her," Daveed shrugged, using his arms this time, "I wasn't even invited to her party."

Rafa stared blankly. He was appalled at how long they had let this argument go on. Daveed and Emmy had been best friends double the amount of time he'd even known Daveed, and now they were acting like they never knew each other.

Rafa moved to sit on the foot of Daveed's bed. "Maybe if you would just... apologize," he shrugged and then added, "Or, I don't know just finally tell her that you like her."

"What?" Daveed immediately exclaimed in defense, "I do not like Emmy" he shook his head rapidly.

With a strategically placed elbow on the knee and hand over his mouth, Rafa mumbled, "Soyoubeingmadthatshemadeoutwithjohnhasnothingtodowiththecrushyouvehadonherforlike15years?"

"Huh?" Daveed asked in confusion, not catching what he said.

"Nevermind, don't worry about it," he said, letting the specific topic go, "Does she even know you're moving?"

Daveed hesitated the question. He knew he should probably tell her but it would be too messy. They hadn't talked in months, he hadn't even seen her since she stormed out of his house. He figured they would just fight again so he didn't think there was a point.

Rafa picked up on his answer, or lack thereof. "So you're leaving in a week and you're not even gonna tell her goodbye?" he frowned, "That's real low, you know?"

"She doesn't want to see me," Daveed said with another throw of his softball.

"You don't know that" Rafa replied simply.

-

Emmy was running around making sure everything was set in place. She checked the decorations, the food, the guest list, and pretty much everything else so that the party would be perfect.

She had about 15 minutes before people would start to trickle in. Her mom was helping with the food and decorations, and her dad was "helping": picking up one thing every now and then and taking 10 minutes to put it in place.

Last school year, she had met someone in her classes named Jasmine. They had basically gone from not knowing each other to best friends overnight, so Jas was also here helping her with the final touches.

Emmy had told Jasmine everything, she basically knew her as well as she knew herself. That being said, Jasmine also knew about her friendship with Daveed and everything that had gone down in the last few months.

They grabbed a balloon set each and headed to the backyard to set them up. It was a pretty big party, and as always, they were going all out.

"Is Daveed coming?" Jasmine asked quietly, still tipping on eggshells when it came to the subject.

Emmy took a deep inhale before speaking, "No, he hasn't even talked to me since, let alone an apology," she scoffed but the sadness this subject brought was very much evident.

Jasmine set down her balloon stand and reached out to rub Emmy's shoulder, "You think maybe if you reached out first?," she asked, "If anything just to tie up loose ends."

Emmy shook her head rapidly, "Absolutely not, there is nothing he should be mad at me for. And what do you mean 'tie up loose ends'?"

"Just before you never see him again," Jasmine replied.

Her eyes widened and a state of confusion overtook her face. "Never see him again??? Jas, what's going on, stop being so cryptic."

Jasmine looked confused as well until she suddenly caught on, "You don't know?" she asked in pure shock.

"Know what?" Emmy asked, starting to get angry at this lack of information.

"Daveed's... moving. He leaves in a week I'm pretty sure," Jasmine replied.

Emmy's eyes widened once more. She was so blindsided, so caught off guard that she actually stunbled over her feet."Moving? Why? To where? Because of me? Why didn't he tell me?" she rambled off her questions at rapid speed.

"All I know is he's moving to Oakland for some new job his dad got," Jasmine shrugged with her arms.

"A whole lot more than I did," Emmy crossed her arms across her chest,"So he was just gonna... leave? And never tell me?," hurt was etching through the tone of her voice.

"Sit down Em," Jasmine used her hand and motioned for her to sit on one of the lawn chairs. She herself sat in the other chair.

"How did you know?" Emmy's voice broke as she sat down in the chair.

"Rafa told me," Jasmine replied.

"He's- he's such an asshole!" Emmy exclaimed, pushing a tear out of her waterline.

"He is, and Emmy I'm so sorry, but it's your birthday. You shouldn't be this hurt on your special day, I shouldn't have brought it up," Jas spoke sympathetically.

"No, no, at least you let me know," Emmy replied, wiping yet another tear off her cheek and then switching her face completely, "But you're right, it's my birthday. I can't let him ruin that too."

"Lets go, I think I hear some people at the door," Jasmine took Emmy's hand and brought her forward, towards the door that was now lined with people standing under a large Happy Birthday banner.

Once they reached the door the crowd erupted in Happy Birthday cheers for Emmy. Emmy smiled and was thrown into the middle of the crowd of people showering her with celebration. She had gotten a year older and now it was time to live it up.