Tuning Heartstrings

Chapter 23

(Written August 25, 2014)

Afterwards, we stop at a Mexican place and finally drive to our new home. My legs feel like jelly as I step outside the car, and it's as if Jason reads my mind. In a matter of milliseconds, I feel him picking me up. Liam quickly unlocks the door, and Jason carries me all the way into what will be our future bedroom. But I don't realize this because I've already dozed off.

I've been sleeping for a while when I wake from someone moving in my bed. I lift my head to see Jason asleep. I smile and move closer to him, but his eyes open wide in shock as I lay my arms to hug him.

(Jason's POV)

I move around on a bed. As I look around, the room I'm in looks very familiar. After a few seconds of thinking, I remember. It's my bedroom, my childhood bedroom. I look around, smiling, remembering all the memories I made in this room. I slowly get up and walk to my dresser, looking in the mirror. It's the same Jason that was standing here two years ago.

As I look at my reflection, I hear screaming and yelling, just like the day I moved out. I turn around and quickly run out of my bedroom, just like that day. I stop in the living room and see my parents glaring at each other, wearing the same clothes as then and saying the same lines. "STOP!" I yell, not being able to control my actions. This has to be a dream. At this point, I feel like I'm just watching everything happen as the old Jason repeats the same actions from the past.

My parents turn around and look at me because in my life, I have never behaved erratically in front of them. My parents continue to look at me while I scream about my life, about how they have always fought, about my mom's alcoholic problem and my dad not getting a job. I run to my bedroom and lock the door. My parents follow, banging on the door to open up. I sit at the window and cry. After a few minutes, my parents give up banging, but I stay still, thinking about taking action. At this rate, I won't be able to make anything of myself if I don't try.

As a 19-year-old, the best thing I can think of is moving out. I wipe my tears, find my phone, and call the two people I trust most in life, Liam and John. Around fifteen minutes later, John and Liam show up at my door with their truck. Once they come into my bedroom, I announce to them I'm moving out ASAP. Their first reaction is, "Are you crazy?" but once I tell them everything, Liam suggests that I come and move in with them. I agree and begin to pack up my stuff.

Once Liam and John are outside with all my luggage, I go into the closet and open a secret compartment. It has all the money I have saved up for a car, plus all my banking stuff, health care card, and certificates. Once everything is in my backpack, I look at the time, 4 am. I head to my parents' room. As I open the door, I see my dad on his phone, facing one way, and my mother sitting on the bed with a book and a beer.

"Jason, honey, what is it?" I look at my mother and clear my throat. "I just wanted to say bye before leaving. I'm moving out, so thanks for everything." They cry, they yell, apologize, and beg, but I ignore them. As I'm about to step outside, I look at the family photo hanging on the wall. I take it off, hug it, and walk out with tears in my eyes.

Just as my parents reach the main door, I jump in the back seat and tell John to go. The truck moves farther and farther away from my house. As I turn around to see my parents one last time, I feel someone hug me. Slowly, everything goes dark, and I wake up to see Liz looking concerned. I get up and grab my hair, realizing it was a dream. Well, technically my past as a dream, which brought me to where I am today. I'm thankful for it because without that day, I wouldn't have met Liz. So in the end, I guess it's worth it.

(Liz's POV)

Jason grabs his hair while sitting up, shocked. After a few seconds, he becomes less tense and seems like he's back to normal. I ask him if there's something wrong, because we can talk about it, but he shakes his head. We sit up, and he holds me in a hug. A few minutes later, we get out of bed and decide to finally look around our new house.