Yes, I'm technically plagiarizing my own writing. I spent a lot of time writing that shit and it came to nothing, so bite me.

Just kidding, I'm sorry to put you guys through torment. I really am :(

This chapter is UNNATURALLY long, by the way, but it's just so I can fit my chapter outline and get the stuff that GB readers already read out of the way. But there are some slight changes, like Max is really popular at her old school, and Sam and her are really good friends, so don't skim :)

MAX WILL BE OOC FOR A FEW CHAPTERS. Just want you to know it's not how she really is/will be.

This chapter takes place in: September, 25, 2014, Manchester, New Hampshire. NOTE: Yes, Manchester is a real place, and I've been there many times, but for the sake of privacy and awkwardness, I'm not going to be accurate with information from there. Thanks :)

PART ONE OF CHAPTER ONE:

I've never cared much for phones.

The buttons are so tiny and the screen is so small. I'd rather talk in person than text for an hour. Oh, and the waiting… that sucks.

Of course, if you can't hang out with your friends at the moment because, oh, I don't know, you're packing up your bedroom because you're leaving this coming weekend, I guess texting is an okay way to talk to people. I mean, I'm not bitter or anything.

I hope you caught the sarcasm. I'm not even mad about leaving this dumpy, boring old town, or this house. Heck, I don't even care about leaving behind the mediocre chocolate chip cookies on the corner of our street. But you know what I'm really pissed about? I had to tell my boyfriend on our one year anniversary that I'm going to be moving to another state. Yeah, how awkward is it to just spurt out that you're moving to another state, three hours away, while your spitting pizza chunks that he cooked himself?

Pretty awkward.

The thing is, it was never even planned. Mom just got home one day after work and said, "Oh, we're moving in two weeks. You should start packing up your stuff."

My mom is really independent, for lack of a better term. She gives me money to go do stuff so I won't bother her, she brings men into the house without any consideration that I'm in the room adjacent (I know, ew), and she doesn't even care if I'm at the house at all. Once, when I was nine, I told her that I was going to the store, and I ran away to my friend JJ's house. JJ's parents just thought that my mom was out of town, and that she'd told me to go to JJ's. They didn't even question it, they knew my mom was... unconventional. I only went back home because JJ's dad saw my mom in the grocery store.

Sometimes I think she wishes she was a teenager again, and that she hadn't had me at seventeen. I mean, I get it, and it's not that I mind, she doesn't get in my business, I don't get in hers. It's nice. But just this once, I wish she'd take into rumination that I have a good life here. I have three amazing best friends, and one of them is my boyfriend. I don't want to leave to go live on an island in Vermont, Just because she's interested in… I don't know, the weather or something.

I don't know, maybe I wouldn't be so angry about the three hour move if Dylan hadn't freaked out. He's really worried about a long distance relationship between us, and I keep telling him that with today's electronics, we'll be able to face-call each other all the time, and we can meet half way once a month on the weekends. He's still a little uneasy, but we're determined to make it work.

Bing.

I open the text.

hey babe :3 I have something for you.

Dylan Gunther-Hagen is just perfect. His eyes, the color of turquoise, sandy brown hair, soft jaw line, spectacular smile, great teeth, amazing personality. Fun and carefree, but he knows when to be serious, and when to listen to me. The way he makes me sound incredibly stupid when I talk about him enrages me, but I love him for it. And he gives me stuff, and it shows that he thinks about me, which is more than I've gotten from anyone else, except JJ and Sam.

and what might that be? I reply.

come over tomorrow night around eight and i'll show you ;)

ooh sounds interesting… ill be there

I smiled at the prospect. I was just sitting in my room, with four white walls, bare surfaces, my bed stripped of all dressings, and my feet surrounded in boxes. It was empty. Never again filled with my boyfriend, my best friends… Oh, Sam and JJ.

Dylan and I tried to tell them I was leaving, but they thought it was just a joke. We've always pranked them with things like that. We once got them to think I was pregnant. JJ didn't believe it, because I told her that Dylan and I agreed to wait, but after a few minutes she tried to act happy for us. It was hilarious to see their faces two and a half months later when they realized I wasn't blowing up like a balloon.

I thought about how much I'm going to miss pranking them. Sam and JJ have been dating for way longer than Dylan and I. JJ's told me how they've talked about getting married after their senior year. They're seriously perfect for each other, and I'm really glad that I've shared in some of their friendship, but I''m really sad that I won't be able to be a part of it anymore.

And Dylan...

You really can't understand the caliber of my resentment for my mother. I don't understand why we're moving to Grande Isle.

I stepped over a big box to get to my bed. I flopped down and let out a breath of air. I closed my eyes for a few seconds, and when I woke up it was seven thirty. I considered going down stairs to eat, but realized I wasn't hungry. Instead, I checked my phone for any messages, then heard footsteps up the stairs. Mom appeared at my door.

"Mackenzie, are you hungry?" she asked. I stared at her. We looked a lot alike. Blonde hair, brown eyes, relatively tan skin. She always dressed in very sophisticated business suits. I've never seen her not wearing one; in fact, I think she might even sleep in them. Right now, she was wearing a blue and white, pinstriped skirt-suit. She made it look good, but it repelled any motherly image that might come to mind.

None came to mind.

"No thanks, I'm fine," I said. She shrugged, and was about to leave, but at the last second, she turned around.

"I know I'm not much of a cook, but if you do get hungry, I've set out a plate of fish in the kitchen." And with that, she turned and left.

I frowned. The last time my mother had ever made me a meal, I was seven years old and my right hand was broken. Maybe she knew I was upset with her for making us move. It seemed improbable that she would notice such a thing, even though I screamed profanities at her for an hour after she told me.

There was no point in doing homework. I'd be starting with a new curriculum in less than a week, and the grades won't matter. So instead, I decided I would check out the fish. I walked down stairs and saw my mom on the couch, chowing down a bowl of popcorn and watching a movie in her respectable pantsuit.

"Umm… What are you watching?" I asked.

"Wolfblood," she answered simply. I cocked an eyebrow.

"Wait, the cheaply animated Brittish show?"

"Yes," she said matter-of-factly. "It's a sci-fi."

"Is it?" I said. "I've only seen the first episode."

"It's good." At this point she looked over at me and motioned to the bowl in her hands. "Popcorn?"

I was so shocked that she was offering me popcorn that I nodded eagerly and sat down on the other side of the couch and reached for a handful. We watched a few episodes of Wolfblood, not commenting more than once or twice, sharing the popcorn. I can't explain to you how weird it was. I guess if you ignored the bad animation, the show wasn't that bad. But the weird part was that I was watching it with my mom, who never spent time with me, let alone offered me popcorn.

After we were finished, Mom got up to go set the popcorn bowl in the kitchen. I took that as my cue to leave and then she walked back in and cleared her throat.

"I'm packing up the office tonight, if you'd like to join me."

I wasn't sure if it was an invitation or a request, but I nodded anyways.

As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out. We'd packed up the entirety of the office last night, as well as finished what was left of the kitchen to pack. The myriad of boxes were stacked in a tower in our living room. I'd set the last box up and trudged up the stairs to my room.

I got up to brush my teeth and moved my way through a card board maze into the bathroom. As I peered in the mirror, I noticed dark circles under my eyes and groaned.

"Ugghh," I said, pulling my skin down to look more deeply at the imperfections on my face. I had a zit on the corner of my forehead. Great. The last day at Manchester Memorial High, and they'll remember me looking like absolute crap.

I gave up trying to figure out how to get rid of it and washed my face with cold water. I grabbed my tooth brush and brushed my teeth as I walked back into my room to find a suitable outfit. Maybe if I wore something cute enough it would distract them from looking at my face.

I grabbed at the shirt I'd left out of the boxes and shrugged it on. Eh, clean enough. I took it off and then I took off my PJs and grabbed my jeans and some clean under garments and headed back into the bathroom to shower.

I trudged down the stairs with my bag on my shoulder. Grabbing some bread, I shoved it in the toaster, then pulled up a chair and sat down to tie my converse. I wasn't exactly looking forward to school. I had no idea how Sam and JJ would react. I mean, it's not every day that someone drops a bomb like this on their friends. I mean, I tried to tell them...

I sighed and walked over to the toaster, waiting for it to pop. As soon as it did, I kicked the cupboard.

"Oh my frigging word, how can I turn away for three seconds and have this burn?"

It's happened enough times that I really shouldn't be surprised anymore, but come on. I'd like to have something in my stomach for school. Seeing as peanut butter, jelly, bread, and a toaster was really all we had left in the kitchen, I realized that I'd be going to school hungry.

I threw the toast in the trash bag hanging on the doorknob of the closet and grabbed my bag, walking towards the door. I snatched my keys off the entryway table and left.

I drove into the Memorial parking lot and parked my car. I jogged into the school with my bag slung over my shoulder, my stomach churning is suspense. Stopping inside the doorway, I looked around at the haphazard halls. My last day at Manchester Memorial High.

I can't say honestly that I'll miss this place a lot. Most of the people here are stupid and don't do their work. I would miss the familiarity, and that's about it. The few friends that I have I'll miss a lot, and I'm not that good at making friends. Whatever, I can find new ones.

I took another glance around the halls and saw JJ and Sam kissing over by their lockers and jogged over to them.

"Hey, guys," I said. "PDA much?

"Hey, Max," JJ said, and smiled. Sam nodded in greeting.

"So..." I said. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to tell them... How could I? Hey guys, I know we're best friends an' all, but I'm moving this weekend, so bye, have fun without me. They had no idea that I was moving. But I'd made a good effort, right? It's my fault they didn't believe me in the first place, though.

JJ and Sam waited for me to speak, arms loosely around each other.

"I have something to tell you guys," I said, pushing some blonde hair behind my ear. I swallowed thickly. The bell rang as I opened my mouth to speak again, providing a suitable reason for my "I actually wasn't lying about moving to the far side of the next state over" speech to be said some other time. JJ rolled her eyes.

"Okay, tell me in French class!" she called over her shoulder. Sam followed behind her.

"I'll see you in English," he said with a grin. I nodded, and watched them walk off together, hand in hand.

Walking to homeroom, I rolled my eyes. Great, that "goodbye" moment was a bust.

As Mr. Jerms took attendance, I yawned. When the bell rang, I left, rubbing my eyes. I walked to my first block class, geometry with Mrs. Coories.

As she taught the lesson, I stared at my text book with a fervor that couldn't compare to anyone else's. I paid no attention to what she was saying. Coories droned on about Special Right Triangles and I rolled my eyes. This lesson won't matter anyways. They'll probably be teaching something completely different at the high school in Grande Isle. Instead, my thoughts were consumed with the inevitable moment where I'd have to let go of my friends, and move to a new town.

How could I gently imply to my friends that I was going to be moving this weekend? Surprise, I'll see you in a month if this works out!

It was kind of intimidating to think about, actually. I have a lot of friends; I have a good set up here. The teachers know me, I know where all their buttons are, and I can press them easily. Everyone in school knows me, I'm the snarky, party girl dating Dylan Gunther-Hagen: School Heartthrob. It's fun. I don't have to live up to any reputation except for being obnoxious and rambunctious. And hey, it's not like it doesn't come naturally.

I perused the clock above the door. It said 8:30. This is going to be a long day.

Part two will be along within a day or so!

I'm getting these along early so that I can take what I can of GB and transfer it to here if I need to. Besides the room part, I don't think I'll need much of the GB chapters. Then I can get started on the good stuff!

Let me know what you think!