Moving On?
The first part was more of an intro into the story; an explanation. Here's chapter one to Sweet Sunshine.
It was the day after graduation and I was moving all over my room, grabbing things, folding them, and shoving them in bags. I was getting ready to spend the summer with my mom. For once, I was a little excited to go because I was flying there without my dad. Dad always came with me, told me bye, talked to mom (more like fought), and went back to London. This time I got the plane ride all to myself. As I was packing, Ethan was sitting on my bed, trying to talk me out of going, again. He did this every summer. He always wanted me to stay there and spend time with him.
"Come one Claire! This is our summer before we go to college! We NEED to spend it together!" Ethan whined.
"Ethan, I would love to spend summer with you but I have to go see my mom. I want to see her before I go off to school."
"Ugh..."
"Ethan..." I made a pleading face.
I knew he didn't want me to go. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me down to the bed with him. He looked at me, his face serious but his eyes are kind.
"I don't want you to go. What if we go to college and never talk or see each other again?"
I smiled and laughed a little.
"That will never happen!" I said.
"What if it does?"
"It won't! The college I am going to is not that far away from yours. I will call and visit all the time."
He looked at me then said with a sly smile,
"You never told me the college you are going to."
"You will eventually know."
"Why not just tell me?"
"Because it is a surprise."
He looked at me giving me a 'Yeah OKAY' look. I hit his shoulder, not that hard, and tried to get up to pack more. Ethan pulled me back down again.
"I have to pack, let me go."
"You can take a break." he smirked.
"Fine." I flopped back on my bed.
I laid there and Ethan laid down beside me. I looked at the ceiling while I felt him staring at me. Our hands were side-by-side, brushing each other. I felt tingles run through my body. Suddenly, I felt his hand move and grab mine. I sat up immediately and pulled my hand away. I got up and started packing more. When I looked at him, he looked a bit disappointed. Then, someone knocked on the door. I yelled, quickly,
"Come on in!"
Gwen came through the door and smiled nervously. She had a few bags with her.
"I came to say goodbye."
I looked at her, confused.
"You're going alone?"
"Yeah, no parents. I am leaving soon; in about an hour."
I went over and gave her the biggest hug.
"I'll see you there?" she asked.
"Of course!" I said excitedly.
We hugged again and I said,
"By the way, you're invited to my birthday party."
"Really? What's your mom doing for this one?"
"Just a big eighteenth birthday bash!"
"That sounds amazing!"
We laughed a little then sort of looked at each other. She went over to Ethan and whispered something in his ear. His face was full of shock and sadness. Gwen quickly gave him a hug then said bye to the both of us. When she left, I asked,
"What did she whisper in your ear?"
He looked at me, sort of sad.
"She's...she's going to college here."
"Here? Here in London?" I started to panic.
"Yes."
"No! We promised we would all go to college at least NEAR each other!"
"Well, it is a great opportunity for her; we should be proud of her." he said quietly.
I sort of calmed down a little. I guess he was right.
"Yeah, I guess...wait, how are you dealing with all this?"
He hesitantly said,
"I don't know."
Yes, he still had feelings for Gwen. He always loved the idea of all of us visiting each other at college. He loved that he would spend more time with Gwen (so he said). Sadly, that was all over. We sat in silence for a while then he asked,
"What did you guys mean by 'see you there?'"
"Oh, she's going to Pennsylvania to spend the summer with her aunt and uncle. I used to watch her cousin, so I know them. Gwen has never been to Pennsylvania before so she decided to go."
"Great, you guys get to spend your last summer before college together and I am sitting at home all summer, doing nothing"
"I'm sorry."
Then Ethan had a big grin on his face. That meant he was thinking. I always hated when he got thinking; he had the weirdest plans.
"What if..." he trailed off.
"What if what?"
"What if I came with you? Then we could all spend summer together."
"First, it costs money for that; second, I want to spend time with my mom; third, my dad would never let you go."
"Money is no problem, you WILL be able to spend time with your mom, and what does your dad have to do with this?"
"My dad is paying for the plane ride."
"Okay...how do I get on your father's good side?"
I stared at him and thought. Finally I said,
"There is no way."
"Then you talk to him for me."
"Awe, why me?"
"He's your father!"
"Ugh..." I hesitated.
"Come on."
I stood up and turned away from him. I felt a warm hand grab my arm and turn me around. He stood there, inches away from my face.
"Please?" he whispered.
I hated when he did that. Every time he did that, I always thought about that one day. So, I always give in so I don't do anything stupid.
"Okay, fine." I said looking away.
When I looked back at him, he looked disappointed again. I didn't understand that. Eventually, he left and later on, I went to talk to my dad.
***
"Dad?" I said lightly as I walked into the living room.
"Yes, Claire?"
"I was wondering if I could take a friend with me this summer."
"Depends, who exactly?"
"Uh, well...Ethan" I said quickly.
"No."
"What?"
"I said no; N-O. No."
"Dad..."
"You're not bringing him with you."
"Why?"
"Why?! Because he is just going to mess with you again."
"Dad, he's my best friend and he has never messed with me, you know this. Nothing has ever happened and nothing ever will." I fibbed a little.
"I don't want to chance it."
"Look, dad, you can't control my life forever. Whatever happens to me, I have to deal with it. Just let me handle my own life."
He looked at me, then stood up. He kissed my head and said,
"Fine, but only because your not my little girl anymore. This is your decision, so I will let you make it."
"Thank you."
"Anyway I could talk you out of it?" he grinned.
"Nope."
I smiled at him and gave him a huge hug. I walked out and let Ethan know immediately. He was extremely excited. In a few days, we were off to Pennsylvania. It kind of scared me a bit because Ethan knew very little about my home in P.A. That scared me a lot.
It was the day after graduation and I was moving all over my room, grabbing things, folding them, and shoving them in bags. I was getting ready to spend the summer with my mom. For once, I was a little excited to go because I was flying there without my dad. Dad always came with me, told me bye, talked to mom (more like fought), and went back to London. This time I got the plane ride all to myself. As I was packing, Ethan was sitting on my bed, trying to talk me out of going, again. He did this every summer. He always wanted me to stay there and spend time with him.
"Come one Claire! This is our summer before we go to college! We NEED to spend it together!" Ethan whined.
"Ethan, I would love to spend summer with you but I have to go see my mom. I want to see her before I go off to school."
"Ugh..."
"Ethan..." I made a pleading face.
I knew he didn't want me to go. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me down to the bed with him. He looked at me, his face serious but his eyes are kind.
"I don't want you to go. What if we go to college and never talk or see each other again?"
I smiled and laughed a little.
"That will never happen!" I said.
"What if it does?"
"It won't! The college I am going to is not that far away from yours. I will call and visit all the time."
He looked at me then said with a sly smile,
"You never told me the college you are going to."
"You will eventually know."
"Why not just tell me?"
"Because it is a surprise."
He looked at me giving me a 'Yeah OKAY' look. I hit his shoulder, not that hard, and tried to get up to pack more. Ethan pulled me back down again.
"I have to pack, let me go."
"You can take a break." he smirked.
"Fine." I flopped back on my bed.
I laid there and Ethan laid down beside me. I looked at the ceiling while I felt him staring at me. Our hands were side-by-side, brushing each other. I felt tingles run through my body. Suddenly, I felt his hand move and grab mine. I sat up immediately and pulled my hand away. I got up and started packing more. When I looked at him, he looked a bit disappointed. Then, someone knocked on the door. I yelled, quickly,
"Come on in!"
Gwen came through the door and smiled nervously. She had a few bags with her.
"I came to say goodbye."
I looked at her, confused.
"You're going alone?"
"Yeah, no parents. I am leaving soon; in about an hour."
I went over and gave her the biggest hug.
"I'll see you there?" she asked.
"Of course!" I said excitedly.
We hugged again and I said,
"By the way, you're invited to my birthday party."
"Really? What's your mom doing for this one?"
"Just a big eighteenth birthday bash!"
"That sounds amazing!"
We laughed a little then sort of looked at each other. She went over to Ethan and whispered something in his ear. His face was full of shock and sadness. Gwen quickly gave him a hug then said bye to the both of us. When she left, I asked,
"What did she whisper in your ear?"
He looked at me, sort of sad.
"She's...she's going to college here."
"Here? Here in London?" I started to panic.
"Yes."
"No! We promised we would all go to college at least NEAR each other!"
"Well, it is a great opportunity for her; we should be proud of her." he said quietly.
I sort of calmed down a little. I guess he was right.
"Yeah, I guess...wait, how are you dealing with all this?"
He hesitantly said,
"I don't know."
Yes, he still had feelings for Gwen. He always loved the idea of all of us visiting each other at college. He loved that he would spend more time with Gwen (so he said). Sadly, that was all over. We sat in silence for a while then he asked,
"What did you guys mean by 'see you there?'"
"Oh, she's going to Pennsylvania to spend the summer with her aunt and uncle. I used to watch her cousin, so I know them. Gwen has never been to Pennsylvania before so she decided to go."
"Great, you guys get to spend your last summer before college together and I am sitting at home all summer, doing nothing"
"I'm sorry."
Then Ethan had a big grin on his face. That meant he was thinking. I always hated when he got thinking; he had the weirdest plans.
"What if..." he trailed off.
"What if what?"
"What if I came with you? Then we could all spend summer together."
"First, it costs money for that; second, I want to spend time with my mom; third, my dad would never let you go."
"Money is no problem, you WILL be able to spend time with your mom, and what does your dad have to do with this?"
"My dad is paying for the plane ride."
"Okay...how do I get on your father's good side?"
I stared at him and thought. Finally I said,
"There is no way."
"Then you talk to him for me."
"Awe, why me?"
"He's your father!"
"Ugh..." I hesitated.
"Come on."
I stood up and turned away from him. I felt a warm hand grab my arm and turn me around. He stood there, inches away from my face.
"Please?" he whispered.
I hated when he did that. Every time he did that, I always thought about that one day. So, I always give in so I don't do anything stupid.
"Okay, fine." I said looking away.
When I looked back at him, he looked disappointed again. I didn't understand that. Eventually, he left and later on, I went to talk to my dad.
***
"Dad?" I said lightly as I walked into the living room.
"Yes, Claire?"
"I was wondering if I could take a friend with me this summer."
"Depends, who exactly?"
"Uh, well...Ethan" I said quickly.
"No."
"What?"
"I said no; N-O. No."
"Dad..."
"You're not bringing him with you."
"Why?"
"Why?! Because he is just going to mess with you again."
"Dad, he's my best friend and he has never messed with me, you know this. Nothing has ever happened and nothing ever will." I fibbed a little.
"I don't want to chance it."
"Look, dad, you can't control my life forever. Whatever happens to me, I have to deal with it. Just let me handle my own life."
He looked at me, then stood up. He kissed my head and said,
"Fine, but only because your not my little girl anymore. This is your decision, so I will let you make it."
"Thank you."
"Anyway I could talk you out of it?" he grinned.
"Nope."
I smiled at him and gave him a huge hug. I walked out and let Ethan know immediately. He was extremely excited. In a few days, we were off to Pennsylvania. It kind of scared me a bit because Ethan knew very little about my home in P.A. That scared me a lot.
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