It was the day before I left Earth, my father, and everything else I cared about behind. I was repacking for the 50th time. I think I kept unpacking because I didn't want to believe I had to leave. I would have to give up so much, including my life long dream. I have spent every spare minute of my life dancing. That is all I've ever wanted to do.
I packed my clothes and shoes right away to get them out of the way, making sure to pack my pointe shoes and underarmour shirt and shorts in case I had time to practice. I wrapped up my iPod in my leggings. My iPod was my lifeline.
Now-a-days people only listen to screamo or techno but I only had music from the late 1990's and the early 2000's. I loved the music from then and it is so beautiful to dance to. I packed my jewelry and makeup and took a sweeping look at my room and everything that would stay here forever. I reached under my pillow and grabbed my sketchbook and diary.
By the time I comfortably fit everything into my rolling suitcase, it was ten at night and I was exhausted. I had skipped dinner so I decided to eat something before I went to bed, not that I would ever fall asleep. I was leaving at six in the morning to get there close to eleven when check-in is. It was a two hour drive to my mom's grave, which I wanted to visit one last time and then a three hour drive to where the hidden ship was.
I didn't know if my dad was sleeping or not so I quietly snuck down the stairs. I flicked on the single light above the sink and walked over to the freezer to find some ice cream. I found a pint of triple chocolate and grabbed a spoon from the drawer. I pulled myself up onto the counter and sat criss-cross-apple-sauce. I put the spoon in my mouth and let it hang there while I attempted to pry the lid off the ice cream.
After a minute of struggling I heard one of the stairs creak and my dad walked into the kitchen. He saw me with the spoon in my mouth, my fingers clawing at the lid and started quietly laughing. He grabbed another spoon out of the drawer and pulled the ice cream out of my hands, opening it in a matter of seconds.
"Show off." I mumbled grumpily.
"You're welcome." he said flashing me a smile before he dug his spoon into the ice cream. I reached out to grab it but he pulled it out of my reach.
"It's on!" I said and shoved my spoon back in my mouth, then diving across the counter towards my dad. After about a minute he let me win and I hugged the ice cream and scooted back to where I had been sitting and took a heaping amount and shoved it in my mouth. I looked up to see my dad looking at me with one brow raised and I laughed harder than ever as his cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk. We both swallowed but by then the air in the room changed. He looked down at his spoon.
"I'm really going to miss you bud." he said. I looked down at my own spoon blinking back the tears that threatened to spill over the brim. We ate in silence.
I went to bed close to 11 after giving my dad one last hug and a kiss on the cheek. I sat in bed for the next six hours glaring at the wall in front of me, silently begging for time to stop. At 5 o'clock I got out of bed and mechanically got dressed. I put on some athletic sweatpants and pulled my dance hoodie over my head, hood up. I grabbed my suitcase and walked out into the hallway. I stopped in front of my dad's door. It was closed. I knew he was awake but the closed door meant don't come in. I figured that would be the case so last night I wrote him a note. I slipped it under the doorway.
"I love you." I whispered. As I walked away I almost thought I heard the same words returned. I ran down my driveway and threw my bag into the car and started the engine, afraid that that if I didn't start driving, I wouldn't be able to make myself leave. I drove stiffly for two hours straight. There was no traffic so I went over the limit. May as well become a criminal since these were my final hours on Earth. I stopped by a field that had wildflowers in it and picked a bunch, binding them together with a rubber band I had found in my jeep.
