The Exchange

Chapter 6

I sit at our lunch table in the general commons area with all my friends. They chat happily about non-important things. I wish I could participate in the conversation but I can only think of how I should tell them I will be leaving. I have no choice but to do it today. I just don't know how to start it.

"Yeah, I've only had him for two days and his high voice is already annoying! I don't know how I'm going to learn anything in his History class." Britt complains.

"Is he really that bad? I have him next semester." Marley asks. I can't wait any longer. I have to do this now! What kind of friend would I be if I keep something like this from them for any longer.

"Hey, umm did any of you guys get invited to go on the exchange?" I ask not wanting to be too forward.

"No, I didn't know you have to be invited." Britt says looking slightly dissapointed.

"Yeah, they called me down yesterday during Religion."

"Ohh, is that what that was for?" Marley asks.

"Yeah..." I reply to trailing off, not sure what to say next.

"So, are you gonna do it?" Marley asks staring at me.

"Yeah, actually I am. I'm leaving in two weeks." I say looking at my hands in my lap.

"But wait, won't this ruin your plan?" Marley teases obviously not believing I would go through with this. Well, if I didn't have to I wouldn't.

"Yeah, it will." I say taking a deep sigh, "But I don't really have a choice."

"What do you mean you don't have a choice?" Britt asks. Everyone is staring at me with wide eyes waiting for my answer. Tori's mouth stops chewing her food and she is waiting just as patiently to hear what I have to say

"Well, if I don't go they told me I won't graduate." I explain slowly. "So if I want to graduate I have to go."

"That sounds like it's against the law. Isn't that like, blackmail or something?" Tori asks. I am surprised at her keen interest in my obvious problem.

"I don't know." I say suddenly upset. "All I know is that I have to go if I want to get my highschool diploma which I need to go to college and I do want to go to college after highschool."

"So wait, you're actually leaving?" Marley asks in a quiet voice. I nod my head and start picking the nail polish off my nails out of bad habit.

"Where are you going?" Britt asks fiddling with her granola bar.

"England." I say, "London specifically. They haven't told me who I'll be staying with yet." I explain.

"For how long?" Britt asks again.

"A year."

"A full year?!" Briit exclaims and more of my friends repeat.

"How can you be gone for a year?"

"You can't leave us!"

"How can the school do that?"

"This isn't fair."

"It doesn't matter if it's fair or if the school can do this or not. If I want to graduate I have to go." I say finishing the debate.

"What about your plan?" Marley asks seriously. What about my plan is right.

"I guess I will just have to put it on hold." I say. Everyone looks sad and depressed and I feel bad for bringing down the mood.

"Why do you all look so sad? It's just me that's leaving. We will still talk on skype anyways and nothing will change." I say trying to sound hopeful.

"Mira's right." Rine says. I thank her with a smile. "With social media these days it will be like she never left." Everyone shrugs or nods. I should be a little more optimistic about going now that my friends know but it just isn't happening.

***

I sit at my desk doing my math homework. Is there really a point in doing my homework if I'm leaving for the entire year in thirteen days? I won't even be back to hand in any projects or write any tests they assign within these first two weeks of school. Why am I doing my homework then?

I know why I'm doing my homework. It's because I'm a goody-two-shoes who does as she's told. Any command or task I am given, I complete in the fastest time possible. I drop everything to do what I'm told. I don't talk back and I don't ask why, I just do it. I drop everything and do it. I drop everything, like high school.

I shut my math text book with a slam. Paper hitting together is the only sound that can be heard. Next Friday I will have to return my textbook anyways so what's the point of even having it? I have it because the teacher told us to sign out a textbook. That's why I'm doing homework right now.

"Why are you doing homework?" Hayden asks walking into my room.

"I don't know" I say putting my binder and my text book away.

"Are you excited to go?" My brother asks from my bed where he's lying on his side.

"No." I say honestly.

"You should be."

"Why?" I ask, "Why should I be excited to be taken away from my home and my life to go to a foreign place I have never been."

"When is the next time you will have the opportunity to go to London, Mira? You always said you wanted to go to Europe."

"Yeah, on my own time." I respond.

"Well, this way you are going to see more than the tourist attractions. Think about it, you get to see the real parts of London where locals go and you get to study there at the same time. It's like you are doing two things at once." He tries to convince me.

"I still don't want to go." I reply.

"Yeah, well you should think about it." He said getting up and leaving the room. I thought for a moment and then looked around my room for the millionth time today. How can I forget that I will be leaving all this in just two weeks?