The Bad Boys Roommate

-Goodbyes Are Tough-

"Are you sure you want to go? I mean its really far away..Maybe you could stay another year, honey?" my mom says, obviously having one of her breakdowns.

"Mom, I'ts only like two states away..I think you're freaking out a bit too much..don't you?"

"Only? Only two states? Alice, that's a lot farther than I'm guessing you think it is. Wh-What am I going to do? You're going off to college, Josh is gone, your father..well he's..yeah, exactly why we divorced," she says. I face-palmed, here we go again. Shes rambling. Hyperventilating in 3..2..

"I can barely breathe! Its too much! It's just scary-" she says, pulling at her hair.

"Mom." I say, trying to calm her down.

"No Alice, you try living on your own for the rest of your life. I'm guessing It wouldn't be too fun!"

"You won't be alone for the rest of your life, mother." I give her a 'get real' look. "Just, like, get a cat. Yeah, a cat! They're great companions, loving and cuddly, and if you choose correctly, inexpensive" I say trying to convince her otherwise of her lonely life, feeling like I'm selling cats on an infomercial.

"No, no, I'm not going to become a 40 year old cat lady. I'd honestly rather be lonely than have a cat." she says. I bite my lip, trying not to laugh as I imagine this.

"Mom, It will be okay. Josh and I will come down for the holidays. Plus the fact that you're beautiful! Get out there and find a man! There are plenty of fish in the sea, okay? It'll be fine..I love you, mom." I smile reassuringly and pull her in for a hug, breathing in her perfume. The same smell that has kept me feeling like I was home for my whole life. I was adopted at 3, and the first week I came home, though I was young, I could still smell and it was my mothers perfume that made me feel home, It reassured me that she was still there, she hadn't left me. We pulled back, her mouth tugged into an actual smile now.

"You're right. God.. what kind of a mother am I?" she says, stifling a laugh, then adds, "Trying to keep my daughter from going to college. Geez Louise." she throws her hands up.

"Its alright, mom, I get it." I kiss her on the cheek and tell her I've got to go pack some more things. I head upstairs into my room and pull a few more things from my desk drawer, emptying them into the suitcase. I stand back for a second, placing my hands on the small of my back and looking at my room.

I remember back when I was a little girl, in that corner by the window, I had a small dollhouse. I played in that corner with my doll, her name was Alex. I liked that corner because from that spot in my room I could just barely hear my mom and dad screaming at each other, while in the other half I heard it loud and clear. I stayed in that corner until I felt it was safe to move. But in the closet over there, is where my friend Acacia and I pretended we were in a spaceship, flying to our own little made up planet. I laugh softly, remembering this. We decorated the whole closet like a pink glittery little spaceship. But now.. Its an empty room. Only my bed and some furniture. It is a little sad, I feel like I'm abandoning my childhood. Though I am really symbolic, and my room symbolizes my childhood.

I pull the suitcase out of the room, shutting my door behind me. 'Goodbye childhood.' I think to myself. I carry my suitcase down the stairs to put it with my other tubs of things. I have to catch my plane at 3:00, and it is currently 2:10. "Mom!" I call for her.

She comes running to the front door. "Oh, honey, is it really that time already..?" she says, trying to hold back the waterworks. Although not doing a very good job.

"I'm going to miss you, mom" I pull her into another hug, and she rubs my back gently.

"I'm going to miss you too, Al." She says, her bottom lip quivering.

I pull out of her hug and stand there awkwardly. Not quite sure what to do next, I ask her "Could you help me with my stuff?" slowly turning and dragging my bags out the door, my mom following behind with my tubs of stuff. After getting it all in my little Honda, I get in and roll the passenger window down. "Bye Mom! I love you!" I wave and pull out of the driveway. I see her in my review mirror standing on the porch waving goodbye.

After weaving through the traffic and stop signs I finally arrive at Acacias house. We planned this trip together. She got into the same college as me and we're going together. Just makes sense, right?

I walk up to her front door and knock a few times. She immediately opens the door, like she'd been waiting there for the last hour, which she probably was. She squeals hopping up and down and pulling me in to hop with her.

"Eee! Alice, I'm so excited and I just cant wait, and oh my god, we're going to college can you believe this, we should pack some water for the flight because I heard planes have crappy water, oh my god I'm excited-"

"Acacia!" I laugh and hold her shoulders to keep her from bouncing again. "Breathe." I demonstrate sarcastically. She takes a breath, and pastes a smile on her face, though she looks constipated. Or maybe more like a dog who is sitting still for a trick, a little fidgety. " Okay..that's even worse." I laugh again.

"Sorry, It's just I'm..so excited. I've been waiting for this for so long.. ever since I turned 16 and hated everything about a non-independent life. And now its like..My own rules, living life on the edge." she says, looking up as if a bubble was going to pop up with her vision.

"Come on, we're going to miss our flight! Its 2:30 right now and it takes about 15 minutes to get to the airport, plus traffic. You can dream all you want on the plane, but right now we have priorities." I laugh. I help her pull all her stuff into my little Honda, and we drive down to the airport.

By the time we get there its about 2:50 and we're hurrying into the airport with our stuff. Occasionally tripping on our bags. But we make it into the plane with about 5 minutes to spare, and I seriously feel like I just ran a marathon. I plop down into my seat and let out a huge breath of air. Off to California we go.

A/N

So here it is! I've been trying to make this first chapter for so long, Yay yay! Thank you so much for reading, it means a lot, and i'm sorry if it sucks, I promise it will only get better(: I will update every day, or at the least every other day.(: Tell me what you think!

You're amazing, xoxo, shan.