The Last String

|01| Leaving Behind

|01| Leaving Behind

I never knew that goodbye can be so plain and simple. Those scenes in the movies weren't accurate, after all. Not all goodbyes are all about heartaches and pain. Sometimes, it makes a person at ease and free at last.

And that's what I am feeling right now.

I watch my mother exchange goodbyes with our fellow neighbors as I stand in the house's foyer looking all bored and unamused.

They've been kissing each other goodbye for almost twenty minutes. I can foresee the horrified face of my mother as she realizes that we'll be late for our flight to New York. But what can I do?

Nothing.

So I just let myself stuck in this moment. Besides, mingling with those two-faced neighbors we have is too much for me to handle so I kept mum and silently watched them.

"Is there anything that will make you stop leaving?" Mrs. Richards asked as she talked to my mother.

I rolled my eyes out on her fakeness. What a great actress. I knew deep inside her that she wanted us to move out. So much for being a fake bitch whose face was so stretched after all those Botox surgeries on her face.

"Gin and I decided that it would be for the best. We had a new company branch in New York too so traveling from New York to New Jersey will only tire him so we'll be the one who'll be there." Mom said with all honesty. I stopped myself from groaning when she said that. What she said was true but there are so many stories behind this one.

And they aren't good.

"Finn! We'll be going!" I lazily slumped myself on the car seat as soon as Mom called my name. Finally, Mom has said something that delights me.

I caught our neighbors' scrutinizing gaze and I fought back with a bored one. The usual look they got from me ever since we got here in New Jersey. They scoffed in disgust and I smirked in return. Freaks.

As if I liked their presence in the first place.

The ride to the airport is silent. Only the songs playing on the radio can be heard in the car that we're riding. It's like I share the car with no one. It's the usual and I'm not even surprised. I'll be surprised if she starts to blabber and ask me how am I doing which never in a freak year happened. That's like saying that pigs can fly.

It's next to impossible.

As soon as I step on the airport tiles, I feel at ease. Being with other people makes me calm and collected. I like the energy that the crowd gives me. It's something...unexplainable. It frees me from the suffocating thought of being alone.

We waited for several minutes before our flight to New York was called. This is not the first time that I boarded the plane. I grew up in the Philippines and when my American dad decided that it was high time for me to go and experience the life in U.S., he made me go. Growing up in an environment that I am not accustomed to is hard. But then again, who am I to argue? I'm just their child.

Nothing more, nothing less.

I decided to sleep as soon as I got to my designated seat on the plane. Mom and I got separate seats (for which I internally thanked God) and I got a strange teenage boy as my seatmate. It's all cool tho. It's just half an hour of flight.

I got the space beside the window. It's a good thing that I don't suffer from motion sickness. I practically enjoy having long flights. The thought of flying alone gives me satisfaction and the view! It's always fascinating. Too bad the flight to New York only takes for about thirty minutes or so and with all the processing in the airport it probably takes an hour or so.

"You're coming home from a vacation?" The strange brunette dude asked me (which I didn't expect at all!) and studied my face. Since the luck of meeting him again is close to zero, I decided to have a chat with him. Even if it means sacrificing my sleep just to talk to him. Maybe it's worth the risk.

"Nah, more like I'm moving out from New Jersey to have a life in New York. Yay." I faked enthusiasm and he got it right away.

"New York isn't that bad." He said as he plopped himself comfortably on his seat.

"When you start to ignore shits, you'll probably enjoy the life in New York."

"Maybe. I just wished that high school was not as toxic as I have back in New Jersey." I said as a matter of fact. He nodded like he knew what I meant.

"There are many good schools in New York that offer privileges and such. I think you may like some of them." He said.

"I really can't choose the school on my own, yenno? My parents got it all covered without consulting me." What I said is true. Sometimes, I hate how much of a puppet I am.

"What grade are you? I won't believe you if you'd tell me you're a senior." He said. "You look pretty young." He added.

"Pretty and young, you say?" I laughed. "Sorry to burst your bubble but I am indeed a senior student." Sometimes I hate my baby face. They often mistake me for being a middle schooler. Sometimes it has perks but it's a pain when I can't enter the clubs because I look way too young.

I must say that we shouldn't judge a person by the looks that he has. This also applies to the person sitting next to me. Yeah, he got tattoos all over his arm but he's an A Class humorist, softie kind of guy.

And now, how I wish to meet him again.

We were walking out of the airport when I heard his voice calling out for someone. I don't assume but anyway, I looked back to see what was going on. And oh, he's calling out for me. What would it be? He ran forward to meet me in the middle of the airport with his backpack slinging on his shoulder. He runs pretty fast.

"Hey, uhm..." he approached me shyly and I stood there looking at him like he's the cutest softie in the world. Aish! Knock the thought off, Finn!

"I didn't catch your name. I know I'm weird but I'd like you to be my friend." He said sheepishly as he ran his hand over his brunette hair.

And that's when I remembered that we talked for almost an hour but we never caught each other's name.

"I'm Gavin. Gavin Smith." He extended his hand which I gladly accepted.

"I'm Finn. Seraphine Gray."

"See you when I see you." I waved my hand to him as I exited the airport.

"Who was that?" Dad asked as he saw the encounter between me and Gavin. I shrugged my shoulders off not even minding to have a conversation with him.

He sighed in defeat before getting my luggage. He never did that before, asking who I am associated with. Why do it now?

Moving out from New Jersey is a really good idea. I don't fear missing what I've left behind.

I don't have something to lose, anyway.

#end of chapter one