Eighteen Reasons

Chapter Two

{I'm quite pleased with all of the supportive comments and all the votes I have received. Thank you.}

I muffled 'what?!' came from the other room, as I rushed down the hallway. I heard a loud thud. Then I walked into the kitchen to find my mum crawling out from under the kitchen table, rubbing the top of her head. I giggled. 

"What were you doing?" I asked, quite amused with my mother on her hands and knees in front of me. I shrugged it off since she took too long to answer my question.

"Look! Look! It's Niall!" I smiled widely, shoving the letter and the plane ticket in her face. She stood up, still massaging her head with her hand.

"Claire, you know it isn't going to be that easy, darling." I sighed. 

"It's not easy letting go." She whispered, rubbing my back. 

Half of me thought:

You don't understand do you, mum? You don't understand that this could be an experience that could change my life. I let you pick and choose who I was friends with growing up. I let you control every little thing I did. But not anymore. I'm 18. I have a life. I can handle myself on my own, just let me go.

The other half of me thought:

Mum! I love you. You've always been there for me. How can I leave you behind, without me? I don't know what I'm doing. I don't have any idea. Up until last week, I didn't even know how to put gas in the car. Mummy, I'm not ready to leave you.

"I know that.. it's not going to be easy for me to let go either. Just as it was for Niall. I'm going to miss you like crazy, but I can't stay locked up forever.. ya know?" I smiled up at her. "Mum, it will be a great experience for me. Pleeeeeaaaseee?!" She laughed as she walked back over to the stove, continuing to make breakfast.

"I want you to talk to your father about this." I nodded and stood up. Slowly, I crawled up the stairs and into my bedroom.

The first thing I did was jump around, scream, sing, and dance like a crazy person. Next, I picked up my phone and called Niall.

"Hello?" He said in a sleepy voice. 

"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

"Yeah, kind of. It is, 4:30 AM!" He chuckled.

"That letter. Niall, were you for real?"

He continued laughing.

"Yes, I was for real. What did mum say?"

"I have to ask dad..." I muttered quietly into the phone.

I heard a loud sigh. 

"Yeah, well I'll get back to you on how that turns out," I mumbled, "I'll let you sleep, Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

I fell back on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. My arms and legs spread out equally apart, almost as if I was a starfish.

When I woke up, I still had the anxiousness to sit up and call my dad.

"Hello?"

"Daddy?" I said in a soft, sweet tone.

"Claire?"

I explained everything for him. I told him it would all be okay and that Niall would keep me safe. I told him I was 18, I'm old enough to take care of myself.

"No."

"B-But...."

"No."

And that's where the conversation ended. I quickly texted Niall a one-word text. Yeah, one of those text messages. I hate those too.

"No"

I sighed, and laid back on my bed again. Soon, I fell asleep.

There were blue ceilings, and purple walls. The sunlight glowed in the windows, but everytime they yelled, thunder boomed in the background.

"Noo! I need to go! I'm 18 now! Please! Please let me go!" I yelled.

"N-O! NO!" They yelled back, along with a rumble of thunder.

I was crying, I don't think I had cried any harder in my entire life.

"I'M 18!" I screamed, "LET ME DO WHAT I WANT!"

"Prove to me, that you have the responsibility. Give me one good reason why this is going to be such a great experience!" This time there was a flash of lightning.

"I will! I can give you a reason for every year I've been alive. You know I'm 18, right?"

I woke up, sweaty, with tears in my eyes. I'm not sure what I just dreamt of, but it meant something. I soon thought up a plan. And this is where my Eighteen Reasons began.

{It's 4 am. I've been writing for three hours. Oh my god.  I have no idea how bad this chapter sucks, but I love you guys so much, you see?}