Daydream Believer

cxxiv. leaving home and resolution

 

cxxiv. leaving home and resolution

 

Today was the day. I was leaving for college. Dad would come with me to help me get settled, but it would be difficult to get Brooklyn there, so Shonali, Brooklyn, and Noah were staying home.

 

I was mostly packed, but there were still a few last minutes things that I wanted to add. I found my phone and tossed it into my bag. I also dug around in my room a little bit and found what I was really looking for. I found Bronto stuffed deep in my closet and threw him into my bag. It seemed wrong not to take him when he was such a big part of my childhood. I needed to bring some pieces of my past with me.

 

While I was looking in my closet, I found an old picture of Aaron, Justin, and I. We were so little back then. I wondered if Aaron and Justin had the same picture. Were they taking it with them too, purely for the sentimental value? I secretly hoped they did. I wanted to be able to remember them. I wanted to go back when I had new friends and new schoolwork and a new home in college and tell people that this is where I came from. These are the people who helped me survive it all, even when it was hard. I put the picture in my bag with Bronto and my phone.

 

“McKenna?” Dad asked me. “Are you almost ready to go?”

 

“Almost,” I said. I took the bag and tossed it into the pile with my other suitcases. Now it was time to say my goodbyes.

 

I went up to Shonali first. “Bye Shonali,” I said. “I’m going to miss you so much, but I’ll try to visit here as much as I can.”

 

“Bye McKenna,” she said. “I’m sure we’ll see each other plenty.”

 

I decided to say goodbye to Brooklyn next. She was turning ten tomorrow, and I was disappointed that I would have to miss it. I made a mental note to Skype them so I could wish Brooklyn a happy birthday. “Bye Brooklyn,” I said.

 

“Bye Kenna,” she replied. “I’m going to miss you.”

 

“I’ll miss you too,” I said. “Will you be okay without me?”

 

“Of course,” Brooklyn said. “I’ll still miss you though.”

 

“Me too,” I said.

 

Finally, I went up to Noah. He was in the middle of playing a video game, but he paused the game when I entered the room. “What is it?” he asked.

 

“I’m leaving and I wanted to say goodbye,” I said.

 

“Bye McKenna,” Noah said.

 

“Bye Noah,” I said. “Take care of Brooklyn for me, okay?”

 

“I will,” Noah said.

 

I grabbed all of my bags and suitcases and hauled them into the car. Finally, I could get my fresh start, but I couldn’t forget what I was leaving behind.

 

I waved goodbye to Odiosis one last time as I hopped into the car and Dad started backing out of the driveway, and I disconnected from this small-town life. Everything drifted away as Dad drove out of Odiosis. Everything I had built over the past thirteen years was gone in an instant.

A fresh start. A new life. That was what I wanted and needed, and now I was getting it. I was truly free at last.