The Walk Towards Sunshine

Prologue

Oxford, England

Ricky threw the ball and missed for the third time. "Bloody hell!" He screamed. We laugh.

The rain just topped and we decided to play at the public basketball court four blocks away from my house. It really wasn't a good idea since the cement is slick with rain. We had our high school last week and we celebrated at this pizza parlour, then mum dropped the bomb when I went home that night.

We are moving to San Diego, California.

I mean, I didn't have a tantrum or anything. I was rather surprised. Who wouldn't be? As a guy that loves to go places, I am excited, really. Mum said I'll attend college in America and most probably get a job there. I asked her why and she simply said that opportunities in the US are endless. I still don't get it. Mum's got an awesome job here in the UK. Mum shrugs it off and told me to be excited. "We're going to have new adventures!" She said. And just like that, we are moving away. Migrating to another country isn't that easy and quick so I assumed she got this planned way before I even started high school. I repeat; I am excited, but it seriously took me days to wrap around the idea that we're moving away.

"Hullo?" Wyatt hits me with the ball on the arm. "Earth to Drew?"

I shook my head. "Sorry." I grab the ball and shoot. Another score for me.

"Still thinking about the move?" Lloyd asks me.

"Yes. I'm nervous and looking forward to it, you know?"

Wyatt stops to look at me. "I am seriously going to miss you."

"You're a gay pussy." Ricky throws a ball at Wyatt and I laugh. "But really dude, you're going to be missed."

"We're going to keep in touch, I swear." I shrugged and ran to the net, dodging my friends and shoot. I try not to get attached with anyone other than mum and Aunt Susan. It was what my former best friend said before he became my fiend. "People come and go." True enough, I had two best friends that came and went. The first friend that I mentioned became my fiend because of a stupid, insignificant girl. The other one died of cancer (it's a sad and long story).

I see Lana walking towards our direction. Her blonde hair is braided neatly and she is still wearing her uniform. Lana is my supposed love interest. She is Lloyd's little sister and you might think he is the one who approved me being Lana's love interest. Let me tell you this, he didn't and can't do anything about it. It was my Aunt Susan's and Lana's parents' idea. You see Lloyd and Lana's parents still follow this old tradition that the parents choose their child's partner. Lloyd broke up with his chosen girlfriend a year ago. So you see that it has its pros and cons.

My Aunt Susan (who is our neighbour but mum and her got so close I started calling her aunt) and their parents started chit-chatting then to cut off the long story, they chose me. They of course talked to mum but she just said that Lana and I take things nice and slow and not rush anything since we are just teenagers. Mum told me to cut them some slack and just know Lana more. Here we are now: Lana getting too comfortable around me thinking I'm already her boyfriend and I'm stepping back before things get too hasty.

"Hey boys." She greeted. She looked around but the benches are still soaking wet.

"The hell you're doing here? I thought you're still partying at your friend's house?" Lloyd asks.

Lana smirks. "Mum called me. We need to go home now. They have surprise."

Lloyd rolls his eyes before waving at us goodbye. Lana and I share a brief smile before she walks out with her brother.