•Emmeline•
December 11th, 2022 was one of the hardest days of my life. It was a little less than a year ago. It was the beginning of the sixth year-- or senior year in American terms. You see I grew up in a small town in London that we nicknamed 'the coast.' I would be attending USC for the next few years, a big jump from my local secondary school, and I hated it. I knew I needed change-- I needed out, but it was still hard, too hard-- impossible even. I missed life before everything.
That day I lost someone.
I lost her because she killed herself.
Because I wasn't there to stop her.
Because I got angry.
It still haunts me.
There was a letter sitting on my desk, one from her, my best friend. I hadn't opened it yet, I just couldn't. I wasn't in denial about her death, but not reading that letter makes it more bearable. Azalea parker-- or as I called her Lia was only fifteen-- fourth year when she died. Our town based grades differently then most, pre-secondary school was called first class, whereas secondary school would of been called first year, It was confusing no doubt, but we went with it. Lia was one of those people who was dealt a bad hand in life, and I didn't notice, I didn't notice she was in pain, nobody did. So here I am, packing my bags away and leaving the Coast, hopefully for good.
My hand reached out for the letter, it had my name sprawled across the envelope in her cursive hand writing. Change is good. It has to be good. I would be staying in an off campus apartment with my cousins-- well step cousins girlfriend-- who I was supposed to meet tonight. He told me her name was Hailey or something, and that she was a sophomore at the university like him. God I hoped she was nice, or normal-- really I just hope she's not crazy.
"Emmeline!" My Step-mum; Angie calls from downstairs. "Your Uber is outside darling!"
"Coming Angie!" I shout back, shoving the letter into my knapsack and running down the stairs.
My mother, my birth mother, Meredith was still very much healthy and breathing-- well I think she's alive. I wouldn't know she hasn't contacted me in almost fifteen years. I hate her. You see when I was four years old she cheated on my father with her rich boss and left him. My father later met Angie-- the owner of the local cafe, when he moved us to The Coast five years after the divorce, but they only got married two years ago. I see Angie as more as a mother than my real mom, and if your wondering why I don't call her mom it's only because she thinks its disrespectful to my birth mom, the woman she believes raised me. It wasn't true, in fact it was straight up bullshit. Angie raised me and my brother, not Meredith.
Once I made it down the stairs I noticed Angie typing away at her phone.
"That was your father love, he apologised again that he couldn't be here to bring you to the airport."
"Tell him it's fine, he was here so much for me this past year." I tell her giving a small smile.
"Hun, don't you think it may be too soon to pack up and leave? Az--"
"No." I snap suddenly, startling Angie. "I'm sorry, but I need to do this, I- I need the change."
"I don't doubt that sweetheart, I'm just making sure you've completely thought this through."
"I have" I haven't. "It's fine Angie, is the Uber on the way?"
"I really wish you would let me drive you." She says in a scolding tone.
"I know, but if you did you would never let me go."
"I guess that's true." She sighs
I smile before loosening from her grasp. "I love you Angie."
YOU ARE READING
finding us
Romance"you're a jerk." I grumble as he pulls me closer "I know." "I hate you." "I know." --- Emmeline DiCostanzo still hasn't come to terms with the loss of her best friend, who had committed suicide. A year has passed since then and she's more of a mess...
