Letting Go

But I Don't Want To Be Here

Umph

I let out a huff of breath as I dropped the heavy box in the trunk.

Soon after, Chris appears beside me with another box, storing it inside my car.

"Jesus, Chris. I told you we can't bring much stuff. There's barely any space to fit in all that," I sigh.

"Nah, don't worry, it's fine," he waves me off.

"Are we done?" I ask Chris with hope.

"There's one more box at the door step. Let me go grab it really quick," Chris says and runs back.

"There's more?" I whine, more so to myself.

I lean my back against the car and I take a look around. Everything is big: the houses, the trees, heck even the squirrels are on steroids or some shit. It feels like a whole different world, and I itched to leave. It was a bit intimating and I felt awkward.

The house right across Chris's was crowded with cars and bustled with noise. The door to the house was open, and I could see a blur of people walking around, casually talking to each other. They were holding a wine glass one one hand and side hugging with the other.

A car rolls up the driveway and parks near the busy house. One heeled foot steps out of the car, followed by the other. When she shuts her car door and turns around, I get a better view of her face. A part of me tells me that I know her from somewhere, so I crane my neck just a bit to compromise for my horrible eyesight. Without warning her eyes look straight at mine, and I remember.

Kailey Gardanva, my close friend from 9th grade,(that somehow drifted away as we got older) looks at me confused, then smiles, and starts to walk over towards me. She had the loudest mouth in our grade- she couldn't keep her mouth shut. It was her hobby of her's; whatever she heard, she spread. Maybe that's why we grew apart. She has a great sense of humor, but I wasn't particularly too keen of her habit of spreading rumors, which even caused one girl to transfer to another school.

"Andreeson!" She calls me by my last name and envelops her arms around me.

"Hey, you," I awkwardly hug her back.

"It's been a while!" She smiled at me, showing her bright white teeth. This girl never needed braces because she always had such perfect teeth. It amazed me.

"Yeah, it has been," I smile back.

"How are you?" She asks.

"I'm good, you?" My answers are short and script like. I can't help that I'm always awkward with social situations.

"Good, good. Actually, my older sister just got married this summer! It was the most beautiful thing ever-" she trails off into her own land.

No one cares. At least I certainly don't.

"All the guests were invited to this island, and when everyone arrived there were these little- wait. Why are we talking out here? Let's head in," she motions over to the house.

I look at the house. Then at her. "Where?" I ask a little confused.

"Hello? Are you blind? Over there," this time she points at the house with her index finger.

"Me? Why would I go there?"

"Well, considering that you graduated Torrence High, and this is a reunion, I see why not," she laughs at me, a little amused, but confused nonetheless.

Wait. What?

"What? Say that again?" My eyes widen.

"Lily, don't play dumb. Isn't that why you're here anyway?"