007 » a.i + l.h

00| take off

I can't believe it. I'm leaving West Springs. The small town located between Miami and Ft. Lauderdale in Florida. The town that is like Radiator Springs in cars, people stumble upon it by mistake. I just can't believe it. I have never been anywhere outside of West Springs. To be completely honest I have never left West Springs not for field trips or anything. I have been craving to leave this city ever since I can remember. At the age of 10, I wrote on my wall where I wanted to go when I turned eighteen. Now that I think of it, it was pretty stupid but back then everything seemed possible. I wrote down Los Angeles, Cape Town, Sydney, Paris, and Rio. Out of all the places I wrote down I circled Sydney multiple times. Now at the age of eighteen I see that anything is possible if you have faith. I had a dream and I pursued it. I saved every penny which meant while all my friends spent money on concerts and their favorite artist, I would be at the bank depositing that same money into my account. It was all worth it, looking back now.  Today was the day, the day I was leaving West Springs.

"Mom are you ready?" I yelled loudly, zipping up my last piece of luggage. 

"Yes sweety. Are you?" she asks entering my room. 

I glance around my room and sigh. 

"I don't know. I feel like I am, but I don't want to leave anything." I admit. I sit on the side of my bed and place my face in my hands. 

"It's okay Elle. Let me help you, okay." she rubbed my back softly.

"Okay." I nodded. 

"Do you have all your clothing and undergarments.?"

"Yes."

"Toothbrush and toothpaste?"

"Yes."

"Deodorant, lotion, perfume, and soap?"

"Yes to all of the above" 

"Um..oh do you have your female necessities?" she whispered, her brown eyes peering out the door checking for my older brother.

"Check." I whispered, grinning. 

I laid flat on my bed with a big grin. I looked up at the roof staring at my poster of Sydney. You see when I said I wanted to go, I was serious. I turned my head and looked at my mom to find her staring right back at me. I pushed myself up and placed my head in her lap. Her hand instinctively went to stroke my hair. 

"I-I can't believe you're really eighteen and leaving." 

I glanced up at her and noticed her tears starting to form in her eyes. 

"I'm going to fine mom."

My mom has never cried in front of  me before. She has always tried to be strong so she can set a "great example". Ever since I can remember she has taught me how I'm supposed to be an independent woman, and that I don't need to rely on a man. My dad was never usually around. Well to be completely honest he never usually is. He and my mother are still together, they have never separated but I feel like she wants to. 

My dad is always working, and we never see him. Although rarely when we do he always is with my older brother, Steven. He doesn't seem to really care about me. He always is about "my son, my son, my son" forgetting he also helped created a daughter. My brother Steven is like half of the young American men population; out of a job and living off his parents. I don't know why he doesn't try to get a job. He went to university studying engineering then after two years he dropped out. I can recall when we had actual brother-sister conversations about life and him at college. Those were the best years in my life. Dad had taken some time off of work which was a never and the four of us went down to Captiva Island near the Florida Keys. We had an amazing time and pictures lay in wooden frames forgotten and collecting dust.