stage and camera

╚»★«╝ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴏɴᴇ-ᴀᴛ ʜᴏᴍᴇ ╚»★«╝

𝓪𝓭𝓭𝓲𝓼𝓸𝓷

I have always been a happy person. I lived in a small cottage located in South Dakota, right next to the Black Hills Forest. I spent my entire seventeen years of life in that little cottage until I decided to move to New York.

One day, my father left for work earlier than usual. While having breakfast at around nine, I suddenly got up and said to my mom, 'Mom, I want to go to New York.' I know it wasn't the best way to break the news to my mother, but I was always like that.

She was making toast in the kitchen when she heard me say that. She wasn't as surprised as the others in the room. My mother is a gentle woman, and I often wonder how she managed to raise three boisterous children like us. Baxter is my thirteen-year-old brother, and Pixie is my eight-year-old sister. Her real name is Piper, but we all like to call her Pixie.

Anyway, when I shared the news with my family, my mother was a little shaken at first but then asked me, 'Why do you want to move, Addie?' It was a pretty normal reaction. However, when Baxter and Pixie heard me, it was a whole different story. Pixie was in disbelief and asked me, 'Why are you leaving, Addison?' Her eyes were wide with shock and sadness. I scooped her up in my arms and tried to comfort her, but she started crying. Baxter, who is very protective of his sister, grabbed Pixie from me and ran up the stairs to his room.

I felt terribly selfish like I was the worst sister in the world. How could I leave these two kids who depended so much on me, just to pursue my dream? Mom must have realized this, for she grasped my hand and whispered, 'We'll talk about this later, Addie.' Saying so, she left me alone in the tiny room and went up the stairs to Baxter's room.

Later that day, while Mom was out and Dad was still away, I was left alone as my siblings were sulking upstairs and refusing to talk to me. I walked up the stairs, passing Bax's room without entering it, and reached the vast terrace. There were drawings all over the short walls of the roof. They were from when I had drawn little stick figures, animals, and all sorts of nonsense when I was a child. Baxter continued this exhibition of artwork as he grew up and then by Pixie too.

Smiling as I remembered these beautiful memories, I settled into the cozy hammock that my mother had crafted for our terrace. Tucking my long brown hair under my bare ears, I gazed at the breathtaking view of Dakota. Our house was far from the bustling city, and evening treks into the forest with my dad were a big part of my childhood. From my cottage near the Black Hills Forest, the view was stunning. Endless green stretched across as far as I could see. Best of all, this was the perfect place for stargazing, which has been my passion since childhood. My dad used to point out all the constellations, and I would watch in awe, fascinated by the pretty pictures in the sky.

I stayed there for a long time, lost in my thoughts when someone joined me. Baxter, with his messy hair uncombed for days, climbed into the hammock with me. I hugged him tight and whispered, 'Where's Pixie?' 'Asleep,' he replied, squeezing my arm affectionately.

'You aren't mad anymore, are you, Bax?' I asked softly. He suddenly turned stiff and turned over to the other side. I nudged him and said, 'Look, I'm not going on purpose. That's the only place where I can get enough opportunities for acting.' He still didn't say anything, so I got angry and poked him. I retorted, 'Well, if you're not going to even say anything, you're welcome to stay here alone.' I scrambled out of the hammock and stomped down the stairs.

I felt bad but then decided not to because he was probably not even bothered as this kind of thing happens frequently between us high-tempered kids.

_________________________________________________________

We sorted it all out. I packed my bags and decided to leave for New York the next morning.

The morning of my departure, I was woken up by my dad. He kissed my cheek and I sat up on my bed, smiling. 'You have such a beautiful smile, Addie.' he whispered, holding me in a tight embrace. He hugged me for a longer time than usual. When he finally pulled away, I was taken aback when I saw that he was crying. 'It's okay, Dad, why are you crying? You never cry!' I said, about to cry myself. He wiped the tears off and said, 'Nothing, darling. It's just that you've grown up so much, and now you're going to New York, leaving us behind-' his voice broke again. 'Oh, Dad!' I hugged him again, once again feeling terrible. 'I am going to miss you so much, Dad.' He took a deep breath and said, 'Good luck, Addie.' Saying so, he walked out of the room.