What We Lost In The Winter

Chapter 2 (Part 2)

Next to me, Jackie jumps up and runs across the gazebo, sitting down next to Chloe Sanzer. The twin whispers something into the other one’s ear, and raises her hand.

“Yes, Jackie?” Mom smiles, looking over her left shoulder.

“We could play basketball. Chloe has a ball with her,” my friend suggests. Next to Chloe is a drawstring bag. She wears her bright orange jersey underneath a black hoodie.

“That would be fun, but where could we play that?” my mother asks. Everyone practically bursts out laughing due to her sudden burst of stupidity.

“Um, the court,” Jackie points out, gesturing to the basketball court on the other side of the field. She acts as though it’s the most obvious thing in the whole world.

“Oh! Of course! Does anyone else want to play basketball?” Mom, now blushing from her obvious mistake, asks. I raise my hand, along with the rest of the Crew. Everyone but Johnny, that is. But he has his mind set on a silly game of Mafia, and we all know that he’ll join the big kids.

We all stand up and run to the courts. We split into two teams. I end up with Chloe, Lily, Jackie, Evan Carlton, Chris Como and Danny Sportles. The other team consists of everyone else, including Johnny. Danny and Joe Darlieng tip off the ball, and the game is in action. We’re able to play for a long time, with a million breaks of course. And it’s actually fun, which usually isn’t a term used to describe the Crew. At twelve o’clock, Mom calls us back to the gazebo. She’s standing there with Mrs. Lanzer, Chloe’s mom.

Once we’re all seated, Mom takes a deep breath, “Kids, I have an announcement to make,” she looks towards me and Lily grimly. I don’t know what to expect, “I got a job in Michigan, and Becca, Lily and I are moving.”

Everyone gasps, I don’t even breathe. How could I? I’m moving? What? Mom keeps talking, but I don’t listen to a word she says. All I can think about is that I’m moving. And why would she keep that secret from Lily and I until she reveals it to the rest of the Crew. Once her speech is over, and I’m not even aware that it ends, a large section of our group comes to hug me. They’re hugging me goodbye. These kids I grew up with are hugging me goodbye.

I pinch myself, this can’t be real. My mother couldn’t have gotten a job, I mean, she wouldn’t actually take time looking for a full-time job and end up so desperate that we need to move, right? And what about Alaina? She probably doesn’t know, and if I or Lily were in charge of telling her, there’s no way she would listen. She would just assume it was an attempt to get her to leave her room or something.

Every one keeps talking, but I’m frozen in place. The world is just a mess of noise and color. I can’t hear what anyone is saying.

“Earth to Becca,” I hear someone say. I’m snapped back into reality. It’s funny how that saying actually works. Looking up, I see that it was Delaney.

“What?” I ask. I don’t even know who I’m asking it to. Mom? Delaney? The world?

“Are you okay?” she puts her arm around my shoulder. By now, most of the Crew is saying goodbye to Lily. From what I can see, she’s just smiling, enjoying the attention. Does she not get that we’re never going to see them again?

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine,” I lie, choking on a breath. I can feel the pressure pushing from behind my eyes, the tears just starting to well up.

“Come on,” Delaney helps me stand up, I hadn’t realized I ever sat down on the bench. We walk over to Jackie and Haley, who both hug me.

“Will we see you before you move?” Haley asks, squeezing her nose bridge to hold back the tears.

“I don’t know,” I sigh, because in all honesty, I really don’t know. “I didn’t even know when we’re leaving.”

“I’ll miss you,” the blonde Merrick squeezes me for the last time before Mom calls that the Crew is dismissed, and that us Kingsers have to leave. This was the last time I would ever see Haley Merrick.

A/N

End of Chapter 2! Do you like it so far? It will get better, I promise. Remember to keep reading!