Before The Bell Rings - Spencer White

episode XXXV

Summer was great. No, actually summer was fucking magical. Spider and I, we made the most of it. We went together everywhere, we fucked everywhere. It couldn't hurt more to leave him behind. Because, today was mid august and moving day. My mother had authorized him to spend the night. We had stayed up talking, kissing goodbye. Spider started school today, at Hartley's. He had to repeat his 12th grade since he had failed a few classes. So he couldn't be there today but I knew it was only a matter of days before I would see him again. I was almost finished packing, only a few boxes were left until Amerie and I would drive to our new apartment. I taped the last box and looked around my room. Just only a year ago, it looked exactly the same. Empty and lifeless. Only the bed and the desk remained. I wasn't attached to it as much as my old one back to my childhood home but I had a lot of great memories in it.

"You got all your stuff?" My mother asked laying her body on the door's frame.

I nodded as I handed her the freshly taped box and I took the other one, both walking downstairs to put them with the rest. I took a deep breath in as I wiped the sweat off my hands on my jeans. It was hard to hide my nervousness. I felt a buzz from my back pocket and knew it was a text from Amerie. She had gotten a car over the summer so we could drive there together. Amerie had already made a trip to our apartment earlier this week so I'd have space to put my boxes in the car.

"She's here." I said to my mother while piling up the small boxes and getting out in the driveway.

My mother followed me with some boxes in her hands too.

"Hiya Miss Jones!" Amerie exclaimed. "Anything left inside?" She asked.

"A bag and a box."

"Find some space, I'll go get the rest."

My mother and I put the boxes inside the car, some colliding into each other and smashing the cardboard. We finally looked at each other, my mother and I. She smiled at me with glowing, teary eyes as she pulled me for a hug.

"I'm so proud of you." She paused. "But it's so hard letting you go." She continued her voice breaking.

I cried in her arms. My mother and I's relationship had been better since we moved. I finally felt like we had a sort of connection, that Hartley's had made us closer and I was forever grateful.

"I'll call you when we arrive." I sniffled as I heard Amerie slammed the trunk of her car, the bag and the box in it.

I got in the passenger seat and waved her goodbye as we drove away from my house and into the adulthood. God, it felt weird.

[...]

"I can't believe we're here!" I exclaimed as I put the key in the lock and unlocked our new home. "Did you get the chance to look at the drippy toilet the other day. We have to—"

"Surprise!" I heard voices shout making me drop my boxes on the ground. Surprised to see Quinni and Darren in my new living room. I ran up to hug them both. "What are you guys doing here?!"

"Like we'd miss you moving in!" Darren exclaimed.

"It was actually my idea." Quinni stated which made me chuckle. It was clearly her idea.

"We also brought supplies." Darren said as they redirected their gaze towards a few pints of paint.

"We're painting the kitchen green." Amerie excitedly wiggled her eyebrows.

"Epic." I grinned.

[...]

The sun had almost come down but it still was very warm outside. The girls and I were sitting on our balcony. Amerie and Quinni on the patio chairs, Darren rested on the metal fence as I sat on the floor we had just swiped. Our hands covered in paint, we had just finished the kitchen. A feeling of proud came over me. It was the first time I had painted a wall of my own, that I had no parents telling me that I couldn't. For the first time, I truly felt free. Part of me wished I could live this moment with the man I loved. Amerie clapped her hand, snapping me back to reality.