I LOVE YOU

Chapter 1

STEFI'S P.O.V

"Girl, come on, we need to leave."  Dad pulled my hand.  I bowed my head crying so hard.  Orlando was me.  Why should I leave?

"Dad, I want to stay..."  I sobbed.

"Baby, we have to.  Canada would be great.  You're gonna love it."  Dad convinced me.  Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate Dad for taking my life away from me.  But I was still 14.  It's hard.

"I want Mom..."

"Stef, please.  Don't make it hard."

"It already is, Dad!  I want Mom!"  I sobbed harder.

"YOUR MOM HAS DIED!"  He shouted crying in front of me.  We stayed silent for a minute until he lifted my face.  "Please sweety, make it easy for me.  We're leaving.  Come on."

We dragged our suitcase to the car.  It was the unexpected conversation which held in this front park of my house, that soon wouldn't be mine anymore.  I looked straight to across the house, and crying again.  I tell you this.  Leaving your hometown is already hard, right?  But can you imagine how's it like to leave your best friend?  Riley and I grew up together.  We went to the same school probably since we were babies.  I played with him and his brothers like every single day.  And I hate it when I was the one who needed to leave for another city in another country.  I believe in this theory, that the one who's leaving would be the one who'll never forget.  We've been seeing some kids in my school who had to leave earlier and moved for another country.  Riley and I would always hold each other's hands, and whispered "It's not gonna be us."  And here I am.  Riley must hate me right now.

"Hey..."  I greeted him and Tank, walking across the street to say one last goodbye.

"Hey...  It's today, yeah?"  Riley frowned.

"I don't know...  Maybe..."

"I'll be here, so come back."  He hugged me.

"I don't know Ri, I can't promise you."

"You have to!"  He shouted from my hug.  

"You know that I don't know."

"You give me no choice but not to find somebody else to be my best friend.  I'll live this way.  So you better come back."

"Riley..."  Connor came out and stopped his brother.  Riley sit on the floor holding the wristband that we both had. "Take care, Stefi.  I'm gonna miss you."  Connor hugged me.

"I will, Connor.  You too.  Where's Toby?  I need to leave soon, I guess."  I looked back at my Dad and he's already at the driver seat.

"Stefi!"  Toby shouted from inside the house.  "Take care, okay?  Come home sometimes."  He gave me the big hug too.  Gosh this is too hard.

"Sure, Toby.  You too, little man."  I punched him playfully.

"Don't go."  Riley mumbled.

"Ri...  Please, I don't want to either, but...  Riley, look at me."  I pulled his hand so he finally stood up.  "I will talk to you like everyday.  I will visit sometimes.  Okay?"

He stood like a freaking statue, just looking deep down into my eyes, not saying a word.

"Riley, come on bro, she has to leave."  Toby shocked him.

"Okay okay, deal."  He pulled me into the deepest and longest hug.  "I miss you..."

"I miss you too..."  We released each other and he kissed my forehead.  "Okay, so this is it.  Bye guys!"  I waved away with the tears came streaming down my face, not wanting to look back, but I had to.

"Oh Stef!  Wait!"  Riley ran toward me.

"Hmm?"

"Let's exchange the wristband.  I'm gonna wear your name, and you're gonna wear mine.  No one would be allowed to take this off until we meet again and exchange it back.  Deal?"  He took off his wristband and took off mine too, then put my wristband on his left wrist.  "This is better..." 

"Sure, deal.  Bye, Riley."  I blinked another tear in front of him.

"See you soon, Stefi."

I climbed up to the car and when we were ready, Dad drove us away to the airport.  Live with Dad was the thing that I wouldn't ever questioned.  But sometimes when it comes to the big decision like this, I hate it.  It doesn't mean that I put my life above Dad.  Jeez, you know what I meant.

We arrived at the airport by 4.25 pm.  The flight would be at 5.40.  We did check-in and everything else, it's exhausting.  I kept staring at nonsense outside, tried to memorize as much things as I can.  I even captured a photo of the sky and houses around me along the way to the airport.  I don't know.  It's all blurred.  Adults are complicated.