why not?

chapter 26: change

chapter 26: change

Mum and Dad are clinging to Tristain, talking adult like things. I invite Mandy over to help time pass more quickly, as it always does when I'm with her.

We go to my room and watch Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, but this time, with Spanish dubs. It's hilarious and we're laughing, learning wicked phrases to tell our Spanish teacher like "El senor oscuro mate a mis padres" (the dark lord killed my parents). 

In the end, I think I love Voldemort's Spanish dub voice. So masculine! We giggle and began talking all things Harry. I sketch Teddy and Victoire kissing, and it's very accurate from my failed attempt at drawing kissing people years ago. After all, I am experienced now in that feild. Teddy looks a lot like Tristain and Victoire looks like me.....hmm.

"You're soo good at drawing! Look at my Rose and Scorpio" Mandy holds up a primitive sketch and I giggle. It looks like a seventh graders.

"Stop laughing!" Mandy scolds, slapping my arm.

"Scorpio looks like....hahaha....like some demented angsty kid with....short leg syndrome or something!"

"Shut up! You're Teddy looks like Tristain! You can't do that! And besides, he's a Metamorphi, he's supposed to have odd coloured hair! You made it brown!"

'Well maybe he felt like having brown that day!" I argue. But she's right. So I re-draw it and give Teddy bright green hair

"Better?".

"Yup" Mandy nods, and moves to put in the disc for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. All over the bed are snack wrappers and crumbs, and colorued pencils and discarded paper (containing failed drawings) It feels great. Just some me and Mandy time.

We speak the lines of the characters along with them on screen, so avidly that I ignore that Tristain has entered.

"You've trashed this place!" I hear him say.

"SHHH!" Mandy looks murderous. Tristain immediately silences and joins us on the bed, beside me, and lays ON TOP OF ME. I feel my stomach squish and it's uncomfortable, as I'm laying on my stomach and a heavy ninety kilogram man on my back.

"Gettoffme!" I hiss. Mandy slaps my hand. I squirm underneath Tristain but he stays put. I try the "in pain" trick. I let my body go limp and I whimper. "It hurts"

He loosens his weight off me just enough for me to toss him off.

"Oi!" he gasps, "Cheater!"

"YOU TWO" Mandy roars, "Go flirt elsewhere!"

" Right" I giggle, pushing him out of the room into the hallway. I look around, making sure the coast is clear, before hugging him tightly, lips pressed against the side of his neck. I love this spot in particular because I can feel his blood racing against my mouth, the gentle thrumming of his heart beat.

He sighs and inhales loudly, taking in the scent of my fruity shampoo. 

"Lila" he says, "Have you thought of moving with me to England?"

"Yes" I say back honestly, "But I can't leave Mum and Dad here. And besides, Dad has his job here---"

"What if I got him a better job?"

"What?" I ask pulling back to look at him. He has this large smug smile on his face, looking so chuffed that I know he has done something.

"He's head manager of the entire company that we bought, the French one" Tristain informs, "The other manager wasn't pleased with us changing things, so we gave him a lower position and the spot of manager became available. We relocated the headquarters near London, between there and Oxfordshire. You're Dad can move there for his job"

I gasp. Ohmygod.

"You're....you're bluffing!" I laugh, my jaw dropped and my eyes wide.

"Nope!" he exclaims, "Your Dad is highly qualified in his field and his company values him. BUT we have a better pay, and the location is prime. Uncle Tom accpeted, naturally"

"I LOVE YOU!" I scream, smashing my lips against his. That means....ah, I can move back to England! Where I don't have to oder marmite online and I can by bourbon biscuits freely in shops! Ahh! AHHH! HOME!

We snog for only a few seconds before Mandy bursts out of the door, looking annoyed as hell.

"What the f*ck is going on?!" she roars. I'll get her more chocolate. She gets like this with chocolate deprivation. 

"Tristain, tell her" I say quickly, "I'll be back"

My secret stash of chocolate, hidden in a place where I will not say, is losing its jewels. I'll need to re-stock. i pluck a Hershey's Bar and race back upstairs and clamp it in Mandy's fingers.

She looks visibly upset. Uh oh.

"You're leaving?" she demands, "Are you serious?! What about me, Ryan, Alex and Jessica?" 

"I--I'll still talk to you..." I hadn't thought it through. Oh. I'd be leaving my best friends behind. Is it really worth it? 

England with my parents and boyfriend, my people and birthplace, or America with my best friends. I don't know what to do, or say really. 

"You can't!" Mandy begs, "You're my best friend!"

"I know" I reply honestly, "But I'm not sure on what to do..."

Tristain backs off, and I'm kind of upset he doesn't help. But this is my battle that I have to fight.

"Mandy, I'll....I'll talk to you later" I try to dismiss her nicely. Her soft brown eyes look so hurt, I regret being weak like this. She storms out of my room with her stuff, and I'm forced to make a decision of a lifetime.

Can't someone else decide for me?!

"It's your choice, Lila" Tristain tells me. Mind-reader! And he doesn't help either. Gah, I haven't a clue on what to do!

Tristain follows me into my bedroom and helps me clean up me and Mandy's mess. My mind battles with itself. I love my friends here, but I miss home so much. I don't belong in America. The food, the culture, the people who look at me as if I'm magical (because of my accent). It doesn't rain as often too! England, however, has the perfect, gloomy weather I love.

I know that I'll end up chossing England over home, but my heart aches for Mandy. By terribly lovely best mate.

"Cheer up" Tristain says gently, aware that I have chosen, "You can still see Mandy online, with face chat"

"I know...." 

Then the phone rings. I answer without checking caller ID.

"So you're leaving then, eh?" Alex says glumly.

"Oh Alex, I'll still talk to you guys" I sigh. I feel worse now. I glance at Tristain, who looks pissed that I'm talking to Alex. 

"It won't be the same! Is it because of that Tristain guy?"

"Well partly yes. And my Dad's got a job back at England so we can move! Alex, I'll be going home!"

"This is your home, where we are!"

"I don't belong in America, Alex" I mumble. Now I'm miserable, "I never did. I'll be going home, and you should be happy for me"

"Whatever" And then the line goes dead. I hug Tristain tightly and he pats my back.

"Remember when you left England. You said goodbye to Aimee and Jules?" Tristain murmurs. Oh yeah, I remember telling him that.

"Yeah" I smile, "I still e-mail them. My best mates"

"See" Tristain grins, "It's not the end of the world. You should be glad that your mates are this upset over you leaving. It means they really love you"

"And it'll make me feel like a monster because I'm breaking their hearts" I retort, getting upset once more.

"Lila....everything will be fine"