This Too Shall Pass

Chapter 6

-3 Days later-

"Goodbye, Claire." Signe says, hugging me tightly.

"See you soon, Signe..." I whisper "Call me everyday when you can." I feel her nod and she backs away.

"My little Irishette is all grown up." She smiles through tears. "Its been a wild ride, but I'm glad I got to share that with you.

"Claire." Shannon says, almost in tears "You know it's not going to be the same without you?" I hug her.

"We'll Skype all the time. Even if it means I have to wake up at 3am." I say.

"I love you, Claire." She mumbles.

"I love you too, Shann." I briefly squeeze her and then move onto Myah.

"I'm sorry, Myah..." I apologize. She shakes her head and pulls me into a hug.

"You can't be sorry for something you can't control. I'm going to miss you, but you'll make new friends, and you'll be with Mark, and Annabelle, and Mark is so similar to your dad, and Annabelle is one of your best friends, it'll be like nothing changed." She says, "You're so strong. Call me the second you get there." She smiles through tears.

"Of course... how could I forget My Pie?" (Get it? My Pie? My-ah Pie? Okay, I'll stop now. I call Myah 'My Pie' in real life, though)

I nod and we hug again quickly. "Goodbye." Her voice cracks.

"I love you." I whisper.

She pulls away and steps back so Carson can take her place.

I smile at him. "Hey, bro, I'll be back. Destroy the rival team for me, will you?" He chuckles and then the tears come.

"Thank you, Carson." I muster. He steps forward to give me a hug and he holds me close to him.

I hear Sarah and Shannon whisper- "Clairson lives on!" And myah groan in dissaproval. (Carson and Myah are dating)

"For what?" He asks.

"For telling me to be my annoying, boy-ish me, when I was insecure and for talking about sports with me when none of my other friends wanted to, and for making me more confident."

"Thank you, Claire, for being there for me when no one else was. Ill see you soon." He says, and then steps back.

"See ya later?" He starts.

"Alligator..!" I finish.

We both chuckle.

"Bye, Miniman."

"Bye, Monkey." I smile at the nickname. It was a joke from when I was in gymnastics and was amazing at bars. But fell off during practice once, and he just happened to be there that day to watch me, and from that day on he called me Monkey to tease me. He steps away. Sarah approaches me and literally throws herself at me.

"I've always been the one to move, and I've never experienced someone moving away from me." She chokes.

I rub her back. "I'll be back so soon it'll be like you only blinked."

She sobs into my shoulder.

Sarah and I have only been friends since I moved to the UK almost a year and a half ago from Ireland. She used to call me The Drunk Irish Girl, because I'm so crazy she joked that I was forever drunk and I responded by saying it was because I was Irish, and BAM the nickname 'The Drunk Irish Girl' was born.

-Flashback-

"CLAIRE!" Some one screams, I turn as I see a girl run at me and she is all of a sudden embracing me. I'm stunned at first and then hug her back.

A friend of mine, Bella, asks: "Since when have you guys been friends?"

I actually have no answer and it seems Sarah doesn't either.

"Sometime last year?" Sarah questions me, I nod my head, thinking about when we actually did become friends.

We weren't. Hmmm.

Weird.

We were the best of friends from that moment on.

-Flashback-

"I love you, Claire. You've been there for me through everything. I'm sorry you have to put up with my spam and spazz. I can't believe you actually accept me, for me."

I rub her back.

"Thank you..." She whispers.

"I'll be back soon, Sar Bear."

"I don't want this to be goodbye, so... hello to this new chapter in our lives."

I chuckle. She's so optimistic.

"Okay, hello, UK." I joke, laughing at the new nickname.

"Hello, LA!" She giggles for a moment before pulling me in for another quick hug.

I wave at them all, grab Annabelle's hand and board the plane as Mark, Ethan, Annabelle and my ticket numbers are called.

"BYE!" Myah screams at me.

"SEE YOU LATER!" Yells Carson

"I'LL MISS YOU!" Waves Shannon

"I LOVE YOU!" Calls Signe.

"BYE, L.A.!" Sarah laughs.

I turn to look at them, Myah has her phone out, taking pictures. I wave one more time and smile with my red, puffy-eyed, tear stained face and turn the corner into the corridor to board the plane with Mark, Annabelle and Ethan.

I hear Signe break down as I walk away.

Goodbye, My Pie, Miniman, UK, Shann the Man, and Wiishu. I love you guys...