Our Farm

01

Chapter One| Just breath
Sunday

My heart pounded. It felt like a million tons of bricks that were engraving a hole in my body.

My heart raced faster than lightning McQueen could call Mater his best friend.

My body shook like it was the last time it was going to move.

My life never changed, yet here I am leaving everything I knew behind.

I know it's only one semester, but one semester is five months. And five months is twenty weeks. Twenty weeks is one hundred and forty days.

You know what that means?

It means I'm missing 86 400 seconds every day of making memories. Memories of my grade twelve year. 86 400 seconds every day for twenty weeks.

My dad says that the longest I'll be gone from school is one semester. But then again my parents are both home and it's hard for them to look at me. So they could be lying to make me feel better.

This car ride couldn't feel any longer. "Hey mom, can you hurry up?" I asked as I saw my house become a dot in the distance.

"Hon, just breathe. We'll be there soon." My mom said, her rigid voice slicing my ears in half.

My dad looked back at me, his watery eyes full of fear. "Go with me. Inhale..." he said breathing in.

I took a deep breath and held it for a moment as my dad paused.

"Exhale," he said a moment later as all the built-up air rushed out of our lungs.

I continued this pattern throughout the car ride.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

As buildings began to turn to trees, and the pattern seemed to go into autopilot. My mind wandered to the events of today.

Walking home from school today was just like any other day, except for the surprise at the end. My dad stood next to his parked car on our driveway. Now, this may seem usual to most people, but to me it's extremely unusual. If I'm not lying, I thought I was going to have a heart attack.

I immediately went over all the things I've done recently, making sure I hadn't done anything wrong.

Why would I automatically do this?

Well, for one reason, my parents are never home in the first place.

And two, because I have the most protective parents on the planet. I swear both of them are the most overbearing and uptight people you will ever meet. I can't do one thing without them finding out. It's not like I am a bad student! I'm quite the opposite actually. And it's not like my parents are terrible human beings. I love them! It's just they get to be a little to much from time to time. And that's why I like to call them 'helicopter parents'.

And don't get me wrong! You would think helicopter parents and parents who are never home to begin with are complete opposites. But no. My parents have surveillance cameras everywhere. Even in the washrooms! My nanny Laura comes every day to check up on me. Plus my parents hired a man to fly a drone beside me whenever I leave my house.  So are they overbearing enough now?

"We're going to the doctors. I do not want this cold affecting your future." My father declared walking towards the car. I rolled my eyes. Was he serious?! Did he really think a headache and cough was going to hurt my future? Because if he did, news flash buddy I've been sick before.