Hold On Forever (A sequel)

reality strikes

sowwy i missed a few updates... ily guys!

alsoo i just wanna make this clear: i am writing a 100% new caleb fanfic with new characters. not a third book to this series. i'm very sorry if you wanted a third book to this series but i honestly think you guys will love my new book. there will probably be 3-4 more chapters of this book, and i can't wait to share my new work with you all! xx

65 votes = friday chapter

It's been a month since Dad left. A long, hard, grieving month. We can't contact him, he won't respond. Mum is still in shock. Joey doesn't know what an affair is and is still confused as to why his father just left. Caleb and I both turned fifteen a few days ago and there was no huge celebration. Tonight Mum, Katie, Billy, Caleb, Annie, Hayley, Joey, and I are all going out for sushi to celebrate mine and Caleb's birthday dinner. (His was July 13th and mine was the 14th.)

I stand in front of the full mirror in my bathroom wearing my pink sundress and flats. My hair is straightened, it looks quite long without the curls. My short pixie cut has grown out and now reaches past my shoulders. I fix up my mascara quickly and take a deep breath. It has been an awful month. Things have been settling down lately, but we all miss dad.

It's so weird when a parent leaves. I want to hate him and scream in his face but I don't want to at the same time. I want him to run home with open arms and give us all hugs. Are my parents divorced now? I guess so. I never thought this would happen. My parents got married because they love each other, how could Dad just fall out of love? Is that a thing? Can two people really fall out of love? I don't like thinking about it. It doesn't seem like real life.

Mum is overwhelmed, I saw her crying the other day, leaned over the island in the kitchen sobbing. She tries to act brave for Joey and I but I know it's a challenge for her. I look in the mirror. I've changed a lot. I look older, maybe even more mature. I flip some hair over my shoulder and keep looking at myself. Then I leave the bathroom, grab Caleb's present, and go downstairs. Mum and Joey are waiting for me by the door.

"You look beautiful, Ebony." Mum says, I smile at her. We go outside to see the LeBlancs. We're riding in their car.

"Are you guys ready for some sushi?" Asks Katie, grinning. I smile back and nod as we sit down in their car.

"Hey, Eb," says Caleb. I say hello to everybody and sit beside Caleb with my head on his chest. He rubs my arm soothingly until we arrive. He knows how hard everything has been and he's always able to make me feel better.

Once we've ordered Caleb leans down in Katie's purse and gets something out. It's a tiny pink box with a ribbon. My heart skips a beat as my eyes fix on the gift. I looks lovely.

"Ebony, this is for you. I love you so much and I want us to be forever." I delicately take it from his hands. I can feel everybody's eyes fixed on me as I open it. I see a silver heart shaped locket with an E in cursive on it, hanging from a delicate silver chain. It looks flawless, and beautiful. I open it up and there are two tiny photographs. I laugh when I see the first one, it's of him and I with frosting all over our faces, that was back when we first met and we were celebrating Hayley's birthday. On the other side of the locket there's a selfie from the other day when we were swimming. My hair's a mess, but I'm kissing Caleb on the cheek and his face is the most adorable thing I've ever seen, his brown eyes lit up with delight. A few seconds after the picture was taken he turned his head so I was kissing his lips instead of his cheek and we ended up falling asleep on one of their chairs in the back yard. This necklace has so much meaning to it. I feel tears of happiness stinging in my ears. It's amazing. Caleb is amazing.

"So...?" He says.

"Oh my God Caleb! I love it!" I say. He laughs and I throw my arms around him. He helps me put it on and I show it off to everybody. Right now I want to freeze in the moment. This is how life should be, surrounded by everybody you love.

"Okay," I say, "now it's time for your gift, Caleb. It might seem a little cheesy but I think you'll like it." I pull out his gift and hand it to him.

He unwraps it to reveal the scrapbook I made for him. As he flips through it I can see the memories being regenerated in his head. All the fun times we've had. Playlist, baseball games, swimming, last summer, sledding, camping, everything. His lips spread into a wide grin.

"Wow," he says, flipping the pages, revealing more and more pictures. Annie, Hayley, and Joey stand behind his chair to see it as well. "Ebony, this is amazing!"

"You like it?" I ask.

"I love it," he says, grinning.

"I love you," I say. Just as I'm about to lean over and hug him, our food comes. Mine and Caleb's eyes go wide as we see the sushi. We catch each other staring and laugh. Dinner is great. It feels like things are going back to normal. Everything has been so hard and I'm happy things seem to be settling down. As we're finishing our dessert Mum looks at everybody sadly.

"Guys," she says, frowing. "I have to tell you all something."

"Yeah Mum?" We ask.

"I'm so, so, so sorry about what I'm about to tell you and I wish it didn't need to be like this but you know things have been hard since your father left... And this is really hard to say. You all know how I've been trying to get promoted at work?" We nod. "Well, I was officially declined the promotion yesterday and it confirmed we don't have enough money to afford the rent at our house. I'm so sorry Ebby and Joey... And all of you. We're moving back to England."

I feel like I've been punched in the stomach. My word begins spinning. No. NO! There's no way this can be happening. My throat becomes dry and I feel like I'm about to vomit up each and every sushi roll I just ate. This can't be possible. That was the worst thing that has ever come out of my mother's mouth.

"What?" I hear somebody whisper. It's Hayley, her brown eyes quickly filling with tears. "You guys can't go!" She says, jumping up and throwing her arms around Mum. I look at Annie. She has her hands covering her face, crying. Katie and Billy look shocked. Joey has run to Mum and is hugging her and Hayley. Then I look to Caleb. His facial expression is like nothing I've seen before. Sorrow has cast a dark shadow over his face. I take his hand and he takes mine tightly. I lean into his shoulder and he wraps his arm around me. How can this be reality?

qotd: have you ever been dumped?

aotd: not really but I've been cheated on and i think i got dumped by a guy who thought we had something this afternoon... but i didn't like him. lmao boys are dumb

ily all so so much xx-e