Chapter 1: The Move

It was 6.30 PM. I was finishing putting on my lip gloss when I heard my doorbell. I looked to see my friends standing outside the door, banging and screaming for me to come hurry. We were already late and my slow processes didn't really help with that. They were here to pick me up for our fancy good-bye dinner party which started at 7. It was just my best friends; Vanessa, Dylan, and Francesca and I. We called Vanessa Van a lot since she's actually bigger than most of us, and it's a nickname we got out of Vanessa. Francesca aka Fran, was the sporty one out of all of us. She was always the strongest, and always kept us motivated. Dylan was the most petite out of us 4. She would be the first to cry, the first to fall, the first for everything. She was the most quiet, yet the most wild. I'm Amy. I'm the oldest one and I'm almost 15. I tend to speak my mind, but I make sure it's not too offense. I can get pretty bossy, so they need me there sometimes if people are being just plain rude.

Fran being Fran said, "Amy, come on. Open the door!" Walking through the completely empty house with only mattrasses and bathrooms and listening to Fran, I opened the door, and they started tearing a bit knowing that this was my last night in the beautiful Sunset Keys, Tampa. Seeing them cry, made me cry, but I held it in thinking if I cried, everything would get even worse.

After a moment of silence, Dylan said, "Come on guys! We're already late. The night's only just begun. Doesn't mean we have to worry about it now. Let's go crazy tonight. Okay?"

"Yeah yeah. I'm sorry, its just...oh well, anyways let's just get to the car before everything gets worse." Van said trying not to cry.

"My mom's starting to get really edgy, so let's get out of here. Amy, you coming?" Fran commented, making sure her mom didn't here that.

"I'm right behind you, babes." I said while shutting the door, locking it too. Running in my little high heels behind them, the sound of my heels banging the floors sent a sudden rush through my body. A rush of exitement knowing I'm off to a new start, a new school, new friends, new places, new everything. When I saw the girls sitting in the car, the rush decided to leave my body. This time, I wasn't so happy.

Jumping in the car, my favorite song, "Streamline" was playing. I was in such a party mood. Could it be this different in Jakarta? I was thinking to myself. Hoping that it wouldn't be half as bad as I was picturing now. I'd have no friends, just eating in the bathroom alone. Being pushed around in the hallways, cafeteria, classrooms. Now I started to really worry. What would happen to me? Oh well, not the right time to think about it. I'm with my friends on my last night out.

Back to normal, I was just looking outside the windows, noticing I wasn't going to "Alessandro's"...but to Van's house.

"Van, where are we going? This is your house... What's going on guys?" I said a little bit worried, yet curious.

"Chill Aims. I just forgot my deo. No biggie. Just hushh." Vanessa said to me as if I was an idiot.

We all got out of the car, and they looked excited. I was more confused then excited because I didn't really feel that we were going to out to dinner. I suspected something.

We walked inside her house, and it was dark. Now I really knew something was going on. Two seconds later all the lights turned on and all my friends jumped up from all over the place. My heart stopped, and I burst into tears. I was so happy to see all of my friends before I left the next morning. Someone turned on the music, and started playing "Streamline" again. Everything was just so perfect now. Everyone I loved was there, supporting me and saying good-bye to me. It made my day.

After all the partying, after all the fun, and after all the eating, it was time to say good-bye. Not as in saying good-bye, but speeches good-bye. We had a little stage for where people would say their speech. First up were of course, Dylan, Fran, and Van. They couldn't even say my name without crying. The only thing I understood from their speech was that they would miss me, and that they love me and don't want me to leave. On me, that wasn't the easiest thing to hear, but I had to face the truth. I was leaving. A lot of my other friends said the same thing as well. Once everyone said what they had to say...it was my turn.

"Guys...I don't know where to begin..." I said. I managed to cry in an instant without even trying. "These past 6 years have been the best years ever. ASH is like my home. I grew up here. I have the best friends anyone could ask for, and I have the best times here. I love you so much, and I don't know what I would do without you. I have to be somewhere else, while I can't be with you, having the same old fun I always do. Just knowing that in a short time, I'll be on the plane off to a whole other continent, hurts. You have all been the greatest supports for me when I told you I was moving to Jakarta. I...I...I..love you. That's all I can say..." And that was it. I choked up, and I couldn't even speak let alone breathe! I had to try my best, but it was hard enough.

I ran to the bathroom, when everyone left already. Fran and Dylan stayed to sleepover at Van's too. They were knocking on the door to see if I could come out, but I just couldn't. I didn't know how to react.

After around 10 minutes or so, I got out. We all got into our PJ's and had one of our famous slumber parties. It didn't last long until we fell asleep.

It was 8.00 AM when I woke up because my mom called. I had to get dressed so I could just look at my house one last time before it was Jakarta's time. I woke up the girls, and they all came with me.

Arriving at my house, I already felt the vibe of an empty place. I walked into the house and I could hear the echo of my foot steps. All the carpet was gone, and all I could see was the cemented floor with white splotches on it. I automatically ran up to my room just to see it. I opened the door, and I choked up.

"Wow..." I said. I still remember the first time we all got together at my house. We sat in the middle of the room in a circle. With candles all around us, promising to each other that we would be best friends forever. The ground was now cement, and the walls were just plain white. It felt as if it was never mine. I sat down in the same spot I did in the circle. Fran sat down in her spot, Dylan sat down as well, and Van refused.

"Amy, I can't. It's too hard." She refused.

"Van, it's not for me. It's for the memories. Please, just sit down. It's for all of us. Remember when you guys came to my house for the first time? And," I cried. I started crying even louder than usual. I grabbed Fran's left hand and Dylan's right hand, "And we started promising each other to never forget? To always be friends? To help each other out? So just please...sit"

I couldn't help but cry so loud, the whole house echoed. Van sat down in between Fran and Dylan. We all held hands, thinking to ourselves about the moments we all spent together. Suddenly, I let go.

"Aims, what are you doing?" Dylan asked.

"We shouldn't do what we've done in the beginning. That was our first memory, why make it our last? Stand up"

"Why?" Fran asked a little bit nervous.

"Just do it..." I said.

All of us stood up. The first thing I did, was put my arms around Fran and Dylan, pulling Van with us as well. We all hugged for a very long time. We were all crying so hard, there was a puddle of our tears by our feet. This moment was a moment I didn't want to forget. I couldn't. I wouldn't.

"Girls, we have to go. We have to go to the airport. I'm sorry." Fran's mom said with my mom in her arms, supporting her as well.

"Alright, we'll be right down.." Fran cried.

"Promise me something..." I asked

"Anything..." They all said.

"This will be ours forever. No matter what happens, we'll be together, and you won't forget me. You'll keep in touch, and visit"

"We promise.. anything." They said

Our hug was an eternal hug it felt like. None of us could let go. We did eventually.

We sniffed and wiped our tears as we let go. All looking at each other, we decided to leave. They went ahead, making sure I could just have one more second alone in my abandoned house. They were already walking outside my front door, into the car when I decided I had to leave. I looked around one good last time, and I walked to the door. My footsteps echoeing, playing a video of all our good times in my head. Hearing laughter, and cries, and screams, and voices of our past, I had to leave.

As I closed the door, to myself I whispered, "This is it. It's all done. I'm gone."

The door shut, and the shutting sound echoed. An echo saying it was finished. Everything that has happened here is the past. I had to leave this place. It was over.