They Call Her Love | ✔️

40: They Call Her Love

Author's Note: I am not prepared. At all.

"Love, are you ready for your last confession?" Liam asks me. I'm standing outside my bedroom door with him and Sebastian while the rest of the crew are setting up inside, waiting for me.

"Not at all. I can't believe this is the last one," I say, getting a bit teary eyed. It's been quite the journey and it still hasn't hit me that it's coming to an end.

After graduation, a traumatic event that had all of us sobbing like babies watching Viho cross the stage, summer flew by in the blink of an eye. The anticipation for the turn of events that this summer would entail had us more than ready to leave Thompson, and our worries, and head out to Hawaii for vacation. I don't think any of us got enough sleep during the whole month of June because we were collectively an anxious mess.

Viho had moved out the third week into June, and it was heartbreaking watching him pack the entirety of his life here in Thompson, into boxes and bags. The lacrosse boys silently helped him shove everything into a large truck, not a single word spoken. Most of his things would stay in a storage unit until his parents would ship his belongings just in time for the school year.

The boys asked to keep his practice jersey as a memento.

I don't think I've ever cried harder than in that moment.

When it came time to see him off at the airport, there wasn't a dry eye in sight. Even though we would be seeing him a few weeks after that for our trip, we knew that we would only be visiting him, and coming back home without him. This was the last time we'd ever see him on our home turf, and the last time the boys would ever be together at home for a long time.

Once he was called to board the plane, he threw on his aviator sunglasses, and gave us one final salute before walking out.

The following two weeks leading up to the trip, it was absolute chaos. Emotions were unstable, tolerance levels were at an all time low, and it seemed that this trip was causing more stress than what it was supposed to be, which was to have fun.

Everyone was scrambling to get what they needed for the trip - including Penelope and Clarkson. They had forced me to take a few spin classes at CrunchTime (I threw up after every class before heading to Domino's and ordering a large pepperoni pizza to myself), made me go bikini shopping (turns out, I don't have enough boobs or butt to fill out any bikini), and had me go under my very first spray tan (never again).

Now, that I had actually gained five pounds from the pizza, returned all the bikini's and bought one-piece bathing suits, and was the color of a melon, I was all set to go to Hawaii. Absolutely no regrets.

Penelope planned a fantastic, relaxing trip to Hawaii in July. We were having such a great time that we extended our one week vacation to one month. From then on, it was pure bliss. Soaking in the sun, surfing the waves, playing volleyball on the beach, experiencing para sailing and zip lining, going scuba diving with the tropical sea life, learning (and failing) how to surf, shopping the local boutiques, eating the amazing local food...Hawaii was a dream come true. My friends and I were together making memories we'd have tucked away forever, and with a smile on everyone's face, there wasn't anything else in the world I desired.

Once we got arrived back in Thompson, reality sunk in and there was a empty spot on the plane ride back that Viho should have been in. Saying goodbye again was excruciating because this time, we didn't know when the next time we'd see Viho. For a solid week after we were home, it was impossible for us to get them do anything. Darcy, Jagger, and I had tried our best to console them, visiting the game room every single day while they lifelessly played video games and watched TV. Enough was enough. We had to get them out of this rut. It was time they accepted that Viho wasn't going to be around anymore.