The Forest

1. The Move

"Mom!? Where do you want the boxes?" Emilyn yells from her room. Everything was packed, and Emilyn looked around. Do i have to go? She thought to herself. Her friends, Jake and Hazel, were the only people she hung out with, but she'd came to love them. They were the closest-
"Can you bring your stuff down to the truck?" Her mom shouted from the bottom of the stairs, "ill put them in the truck if you do!"
"Yeah sure..." As Emilyn grabbed a box her mind wondered back off to Jake and Hazel. Im gonna miss them so fucking much.
Carefully walking down the steps with the heavy box, she forced herself to force her friends out of her mind before she cried.
"Here ya go mom," Emilyn said handing the box over.
"Thanks em."
Emilyn walked back up the steps for another box. As she was walking the box sliped and fell down the stairs
"Shit." She mumbled to herself racing down the stairs. The box had opened and it spilled pictures from the years Emilyn spent at the house. She bent down and started to clean up the mess.
"Haha looks like Emi is still a klutz" Emilyn jumped a little and recognized the voice.
"Hazel what are you doing here" she said looking up seeing Hazel and Jake in the doorway.
Hazel looked the same as always. bright red curls, slim body but curvy, flawless skin and the prettiest eyes ever. She looked like a model or a movie star.
"Hi Emilyn" Jake says while kneeling down to help her pick up the pictures. "Oh my god i was such a chubby kid!" He says picking up a picture of the three of them at the park hanging on the monkey bars. Emilyn was upside down holding her striped shirt up, Hazel was waiting for Emilyn fall holding her arms out to catch her, and Jake was off to the side of them both, the only one noticing Emilyns mom was taking a picture.
"Woah that was so long ago..." Hazel said grabbing the picture. Jake had changed in looks. He slimmed out, became taller, and his eyes became a piercing blue. Before they had been a soft baby blue. Now they were as bright as the sky, and could be fierce like a lions or as calm and gentle as an ocean.
Jake and Emilyn had finished picking up the pictures and Hazel put the one she was holding in the box too.
"What are you guys doing here?" Emi said standing up and looking at them.
"We came to say goodbye" Jake looks at her. "Well Hazel did."
Emilyn looks at him confused. "Not you?"
"Uh no, ya see im going with you. Well partially. Umm im going to reno to live with my dad and your mom-" Jake started to mumble while trying to explain and Emilyn just stared.
"-your mom has my stuff in the truck. And im going to ride with you guys and get dropped off in carson city at my dads-"
"Youre coming with?" Emilyn interrupted.
"Well, yeah." He stated looking at her while she ran up and hugged him. Emilyn let go and looked at Hazel. "Mom already invited you to live with us Hazel. You're 18. You can live with us. Please come." Emilyn's eyes started to tear up.
"Emi you know imma miss you, but i cant. You knowTara needs me." She cringed at Tara's name. Emilyn hated her and was almost sure Tara killed Hazels father for the money.
"Im sorry emi" Hazel looked upset and her eyes watered.
"Its okay. I understand. . . " there was a long pause. "Wanna help get the last three boxes?" Emilyn suggested.
"Yeah sure" Hazels eyes brightened a little and they went upstairs. They each grabbed a box and went downstairs. Emilyn's mom grabbed the picture box already and they went to take the boxes out to the truck.
"Thanks guys!" Her mom shouted from inside the moving truck.
As they put the boxes in the truck, Hazel started saying her goodbyes to what she considered her mom.
"Mom-Ms. Garner ill miss you" Hazel says with an awkward laugh.
"Hazel ill miss you too. Take care of Tara." Ms. Garner hugs Hazel and Emilyn calls for Hazel.
"Hazel im going to miss you soooo much!" Emilyn wraps her arms around her.
"Im going to miss you too" Jake says joining the hug.
"You guys are the ones leaving! Im supposed to miss you!! And i will!" Hazel says with a laugh.
"I know but-" Emilyn gets cut off by her mom.
"TIME TO GO!!" She honks the horn twice and Jake and Emilyn let go.
"Promise youll call?" Hazel says nervously.
"I promise" Emilyn and Jake say at the same time then get in the car. "BYE HAZEL. NOT FOR FOREVER THOUGH. I PROMISE!" emilyn shouts through the window as they drive away. Hazel stays where she is and waves while mumbling "goodbye."