"Adopted By" Oneshots!

College

Book: Adopted by Six
Clementine's Age: 18
Year: 2029

"Oh Jesus Christ." I said to myself, looking at all the boxes and suitcases around my room. "This is really happening. I'm moving out."

This is the most I've ever packed in my life. Hell, I was packing up nearly everything I owned. I didn't have much when I moved from Brazil to New York, mainly because I never expected to move. I just packed a small suitcase of clothes to last me a week and some books, most of my clothes I got after Britt took me in.

Speaking of Britt...

"Hey Mamãe." I said as she came into my room.

"Hey, Lemon, how's the packing going?"

"Stressful!" I laughed. "Plus, a little bittersweet. It feels weird to see my room as empty as it was when I first came here eight years ago. At least I haven't taken all the posters and pictures off the walls yet, that's the last to go."

"Lemon, honey, you can keep those on the walls if you want. Unless-" Britt said, looking around my bare room.

"Unless what?"

"Nothing. You are planning on moving back here eventually, right?" Britt said.

"Yeah. I'm coming back after I graduate college, okay?" 

"Okay. Sorry, it's just weird to see my little girl, who I guess isn't so little anymore, move out and go to college and get a job. I mean, it was weird to see you become a teenager. Start high school, start driving." Britt said. 

"Trust me, it was weird for me too. I mean, I drove around on my bio dad's motorcycle for the first ten years of my life, never did I ever expect to not only get my driver's license since we could never afford a car, but now I'm going back to Brazil on my own. It's gonna feel so daunting when I land..."

"I know Lemon, it's daunting for me too." Britt said. "But you're going to have fun, right? I remember us talking about how you were going to reconnect with some of your old friends from elementary school and how one of them is going to be your roommate."

"Yeah. She was nice to me as a kid, hopefully it's the same way now. She obviously remembers who I am." I said. 

I took a deep breath and packed the last of my clothes in the suitcase, and it was ironically the same purple T-shirt I wore when I first came to New York.

"Well, there's that."

___________

"You promise me you're going to be safe?" Britt said as we finished checking in at the airport.

"Yes Mamãe. Come on, you need to remember I grew up in Brazil." 

"True. Now, come on, your flight boards in a couple of hours, I'm sure you want some time to get a snack and a bottle of water before you board." Britt said.

I checked the clock, and realized Mamãe was right. Given the long security lines and the usually long lines to get food, I probably needed to head out now to make it in time.

"Well, I guess this is it, then. I'll call you when I land. Um...Mamãe, thank you for everything. Thank you for giving me a home, for not giving up on me when I got sick, for teaching me to find my passions and my interests and not give a fuck what other people think. I'm really going to miss you. I'll come to visit this summer. I love you." I said, giving Mamãe a big hug.

"I'm going to miss you too, Lemon, more than you know. And remember, it's always you and I against the world."

"Clem and Britt against the world." we said at the same time.