Code Black [The Experiments Book 1]

Chapter 26: Goodbyes

Chapter 26: Goodbyes

            “Wake up sleepy head,” Grace said moving my bangs out of my face.  I didn’t want to open my eyes.  It meant we were leaving.  I just embraced Grace’s touch, trying to remember every feel of it.

            “You guys have everything,” Vanessa asked Amber.  From what I could hear, everyone else woke up early.  I hardly slept that night.  I had to cry myself to sleep, and I could still feel the tears flush my face.

            “Yeah, and we’re going to meet Titus at the gates,” Amber replied.

            “Wake up Karissa,” Rosabella shouted, jumping onto my stomach and making me jolt awake, filled with pain and my breath knocked out of me.  The entire bed shook from the impact.  My stomach hurt for a short second, but that pain was replaced by the pain of leaving.

            “That hurt,” I said to Rosabella, tickling her stomach as I tried to catch my breath.  She bent over and started laughing hysterically, flailing her feet.

            “Karissa, you need to get dressed so we could go,” Amber said.  I lifted myself up and picked up the clothes I left out for myself.  I went to the bathroom and put it on, but couldn’t get the thought of leaving out of my mind.  I felt empty.  I picked out a white dress with purple flowers.  I haven’t worn that dress all summer, but I took it to camp anyways.

            “Alright,” I said, putting a tiny braid in my hair.  With curly hair, it looked pretty.  I spread my wings out through the opening of my dress, not caring anymore if anyone saw.

            “Let’s go,” Amber said.  I put my pajamas in my bag, attached it to my suitcase and dragged it out the door, everyone following me.

            All of us walked quietly towards the gates.  Rosabella held my hand, she quietly sobbed.  Everyone else followed me, but I didn’t want to look at their sad faces.  When we got to the gate, Titus talked to my parents by the limo.  Titus could talk to anyone, even if he doesn’t know them.

            Hazel, Oriana, Bailey and all the rest of my friends stood around there too, all of them grouped together and watching us.  Hazel came running over as soon as we were in sight.  She hugged me around the neck and started crying.  I officially broke down into sobs, not forcing myself to hold them in.

            “I’m going to miss you,” she said, her words were almost drowned out by tears.  I started crying even louder.

            “I’m going to miss you too,” I said between sobs.  Everyone else came over and gave us a group hug.  Amber, Rosabella and Titus even came over and said goodbye to everyone.  Miles came over last.

            “I’m going to miss you,” he said stuffing his face into the crook of my shoulder as he tightened his arms around me in a hug.  I pressed my face into his neck, my hot tears staining his skin.

            “Keep everyone safe,” I asked him.  He silently agreed, kissing the crook of my neck.

            “I don’t know if I can ever let you go,” Miles’ voice cracked.  “I’m going to miss you so much.  But I will tell you this.  Jerome is the guy for you.  I know you don’t want to hear this from me, but I can sense something hidden in his emotions.  Fairies are very emotional, and they show other things through them.  Something inside his emotions is telling me that I have to move on.”

            “But,” I asked, my mouth foamy from crying.

            “Don’t argue, just trust me,” he said.  “I’ll always think of you as my best friend.”