Candy At Midnight

Life After Mom

So now you know the basic history of Victoria Smith. After my mom died, I became a really quiet kid. My dad had trouble supporting us, so I had to move schools. I was happy to move because I was getting really sick of my old school. I had been going there since first grade and the people were starting to annoy me. It was a nice private school, but everyone knew everyone. It was too small for my taste. So I ended up going to a huge public middle school with a thousand kids. It was like I was invisible. That's what I loved about it. I hated attention, and at Voyager Middle School, I got very little of it. I switched to VMS at the beginning of seventh grade. So about a year and a half ago. My first week there I think I said a total of five words, but by my second week I started to talk more. The first person I talked to was Valerie Hathaway. I asked her for a pencil in class. It wasn't a lot, but it was a big step for me. At lunch we sat together and we soon became friends. I made more friends in the following weeks. Before I knew it, I had twenty new people on my contact list. I got over my quiet phase and went back to my bubbly self. One day at lunch, a new guy came over to my table and sat next to me.
"Hey," he said.
"Ummm, hi."
"I'm Josh Larson. I'm new here. Mind if I sit?"
"It's fine. I'm Victoria."
At first it was kind of awkward, but after I got to know him better, I started to really like him. He was taller than me, which was a refreshing, because I'm 5'5. That's pretty tall for a 7th grade girl. I hate being tall. It makes me feel like I stick out from everyone else. He was about 5'7 and really built. He had messy black hair and light blue eyes. Let's get to the point. He was hot, tall, built, sweet, and funny. So that's how I got my first real crush. The only person I ever told was Valerie. She was a good friend, and kept my secret. Seventh grade was a good year.
At the beginning of eighth, I overheard my dad on the phone. All I heard was,
" When will I have to be there? Three months?! Is there any way I can have more time?!"
I asked him who he was talking to and he wouldn't tell me. Dad started putting stuff in boxes in the garage.
"Dad? What's all this for?"
"Storage. We're running out of room in the house."
"But our house is pretty big. We have room."
"No we don't. Go somewhere else if it bothers you."
Two months later, right after Thanksgiving, Dad told me the most devastating news since Mom died.
"Vikki, I need to talk to you about something."
His tone made my stomach do a few twists.
"It's been really hard with your mom gone to support us. My job fired me two months ago, and the only job I could get is in Minnesota."
"That's not funny, Dad. Don't kid with me like that."
"Sweetie, I'm not kidding."
My heart stopped in my chest. The whole room became a blur. I was dizzy and hot and felt sick.
"Wha-wha-what do you mean (when you nod your head yes🎶 sorry I had to) you're not kidding?!"
"We're moving to Bloomington, Minnesota in a month."
I put all the pieces together. The person on the phone, the boxes, I couldn't believe I didn't see it sooner. The next day my dad let me stay home from school because I was crying too much. All my friends were calling and texting me but I didn't want to talk to them. But when Josh called, I answered.
"Why weren't you at school today, Vikki?"
"I'm moving."
"What? Why are you moving schools?"
"No Josh."
"No what?! You're scaring me Vic."
"No Josh, I'm not moving schools."
"Then why'd you say you're moving?"
"I'm moving to Minnesota."
There was silence.
"Wha-when? Is this a prank? Are you just sick and trying to get a laugh? Because it's not funny."
"It's not a joke. I'm moving next month."
"But, you can't move! You can't!"
"I have to. My dad got a job there."
"Oh my God."
"I don't leave for another month."
"Oh my God, Vic."
"What?"
"I don't know if I can stand you moving."
"Yes you can. You'll be fine."
Inside I was dying because I wasn't going to be fine. I loved Josh. But he couldn't know that. I was stuck in the friend zone.
"No, Vic. I can't."
"Why not?"
"Because I love you."
Silence.
My stomach did a few loops and twists.
"I-I love you too."
Silence.
Then a crying sound. Was it me or him? It was both.
"I- I'll see you tomorrow I guess."
I slammed my phone down on my bed and screamed into my pillow. I punch and kicked and cried and cried and cried. Just as the guy I love tells me he loves me too, I have to move. Not move schools, not move counties, but move states. Move regions. Move time zones. Move away from Josh.
When I got to school, I saw Josh running towards me. I stood there, probably looking dumb as hell, and watched as he pushed his way through people to get to me. When he did, he stopped a foot away, and hugged me. He hugged me harder than I've ever been hugged before. I wrapped my arms around him and cried. He cried too.
"I'll miss you." He said in a whisper.
We let go and just stared at each other with blank faces. He reached out and touched my light brown hair.
"I'll miss you." He said again.
I couldn't say anything. I just stood there. Again, probably looking like a retard. Then he wiped a tear out of my green eye.
"I'll miss you." He said yet another time.
We made a deal to make the last month we had together count. No more crying, no more complaining. We had to be happy and have fun. So we did.
When my last day at school came, he walked up to me at lunch, and kissed me. He kissed me right on the lips. And I didn't know what to do. His warm breathe flooded my nose and his hands embraced my face. When he let go, I said,
"I'll miss you too."