What Comes Next?

Chapter One: Moving Day

Chapter One: Moving Day

The moment my best friend closes my bedroom door we start jumping up and down. Nat comes over and wraps her skinny arms around me. “This is it.” she whispers. She hold me at arms length to look at my mismatched sweats and t-shirt-the perfect long car ride long outfit- while she has one high-waisted denim shorts, a cutoff tank that stops right above her pierced belly button, and black combat boots. “No parents. No curfew. No rules. It’s just going to be me and you this summer.”

Then college, I think. The smallest pit begins to form in my stomach. I quickly return to packing my last items, and thinking about #1 on my list to Becoming The New, College Worthy Kyler. (#2: Don’t think about the future or the past. Focus on the now.)

Most of these rules I got from the girl standing next to me. Natalie. She never doubts herself and she knows what she wants from life. (#6: quit judging yourself. and #12: figure out what are good at.) Nat has an edge to her, and because of that she always get her way. It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t do her homework, she always comes out with an A at the end of the semester. One leg of her jeans could tear off and she would still attract everyone’s eyes in the room. Pretty much, she is capable of handling anything thrown her way without the lift of a finger. It comes natural to her. I’m just hoping that it’s possible to become more.. carefree. 

#17: quit making stupid little list

I’m the girl that stays up all night studying for a test. The girl who’s closet is colored coordinated and who’s shoes are arranged in a perfect straight line. Needless to say, I have a whole lot of work ahead of me.

My mom comes in the room right as I am zipping up the suitcase. I extend the handle and wheel it toward her. Her hands are covering her mouth and tears linger in her eyes. This is something that I had seen a lot during graduation. 

“I’m going to miss you this summer. You’ve worked so hard for this trip.”

“Ok, Kyler, I just can’t believe that you are graduating.” She sobbed into my blue gown.

“Yeah, I have.” I say, nodding. 

I have held down a part-time job at the Piggly Wiggly since the eighth-grade when Nat and I read the book that influenced this move. Nat, on the other hand, has jumped from job to job after continuously getting fired for not showing up to work. Finally, this past year she held down one whole job, but I only think that was because she wanted to torture one of her co-workers, who had a crush on her, by wearing super short skirt everyday.

Mom takes the suitcase from me and turns toward the door. “I guess I’ve just always thought that you’d actually never go on this trip. I thought I had another three months before…” She shuts the door letting her remaining words leave with her.

When mom looked up at me she took in a shaky breath. “I’m just so happy for you. This is an exciting time in your life. College is all about finding out who you really are.”

Wasn’t that exactly what she had told me about high school? And middle school before that? Either way, I nodded and patted her back while she continued to tear-stain the gown, that I was going to have to return. I just prayed I had other classmates who had spent their home-life comforting their mother instead of vice versa.

I’m about to follow mom out when Nat stops me.

“Thanks.” she says.

“What for?” I ask.

“For not letting me give up on this trip. I need this. You need this.”

I just smile. Not often do we have this gushy moments like this, and when we do, I never know what to say.