Paperboy | Fillie

t h i r t y - t h r e e

I never thought I'd be moving out before I was eighteen.

But here I was, carrying a box full of my clothes out to Sadie's mom's truck. We had been moving things out all morning, and my arms were starting to hurt a bit. Millie and Noah were helping too, their parents being okay with it. It had been a week since Halloween, and my dad was to come home tomorrow. I had packed all week, Sadie coming to help after school.

The whole thing was kind of weird to me. It didn't feel like it was even happening really. I had expected my mom to care, to be helping and wishing me nothing but good. That wasn't the case though. No, she had barely even glanced at the four of us as we walked into the house and started taking my things out box by box.

I wished her and Millie could have actually met at least, but she had resided in her room away from us the entire morning. It hurt, to be honest, and I think Sadie noticed that. She was giving me reassuring smiles all day and had even asked me how I was doing a couple times.

"There's only one more box up there, Noah is getting it."

I looked to Sadie and nodded. She came closer, talking low so only I could hear.

"Did you want to go talk to your mom?"

I sighed and nodded.

"I probably should."

She grabbed my hands and squeezed them.

"You'll be okay. We'll be right outside if you need us okay?"

I nodded and turned to go inside, giving a small thanks to Noah as he walked by me with the last box. I stopped as I got to her door and took a deep breath in.

"Mom?"

I knocked lightly. A small "come in" was heard and then I opened the door. She was sitting on her bed, her eyes trailing up to meet mine as I walked in.

"I'm leaving now. We moved all my things out."

She nodded.

"You don't have to go."

I shook my head.

"Mom, I do. I'm not arguing about this again with you."

She sighed and started to speak again.

"Love bug, I just feel like you're overreacting. He's your dad and-"

"And he hurt me. He hurt us. I'm leaving now."

She stayed quiet as I opened the door.

"It just sucks that you pretty much had a choice in this situation and you chose him over me."

I left the room then, not letting myself look back to see her reaction.

"How'd it go?"

I looked at Sadie. Her Noah and Millie were all leaning against the truck.

"It was okay. Let's get going, they have to be home by six."

We all got in the car and Sadie started to drive. I glanced at my house one last time before looking forward. This was going to be better for me.

We had unloaded everything quicker than we loaded it, leaving Millie and Noah an extra two hours to spend with us. We had been arguing for the past twenty minutes though trying to decide what to do with the rest of our day.

"We should get ice cream, I'm telling you."

Noah glared at Sadie.

"We aren't supposed to go to town. I'm not going to be the one that has to explain to my dad why we were there."