Christin Solomon

Chapter 30-I Have to Leave

A/N: I'm sorry I haven't updated in forever. I've been really busy and a lot has been going on. Anyway, thanks for the reviews! I can't believe I got all the way to chapter 30. I think it's going to be a little emotional though.

Christin's POV

"Hey Rosie, let's go outside and play soccer!" I yelled a crossed the hall to my best friend. She opened the door and rolled her eyes in a silent yes. Today was Christmas Eve, but snow hadn't fallen. All of us were getting edgy being cooped up in the house and I wanted, like many people, to enjoy the sunny day outside. My arm was still in a brace, since I had whole heartedly refused to have a cast. Luckily, soccer didn't require any hands and it was one of my favorite sports. All the teenagers were going outside, but the adults decided to stay in the house to make Christmas Dinner for tomorrow. I think they were just worried that they would loose at soccer, ha, ha. Rosie and I raced each other to the full sized soccer field about three hundred yards away from the house. Mom had expertly put trees in between the field and house so we wouldn't break any windows.

"Boys versus Girls!" Rosie challenged loudly. Woops of agreement started the game. I dribbled the ball like a professional even with my broken arm throwing off my balance. My sides had stopped aching a couple of days ago and a few muscle workouts had healed my leg back to full potential. I passed the ball to Rosie and not even a second passed before she had given it an expert kick into the goal. It was five to zero. It was all fun in games until we heard the gun shot. Rosie kicked the ball and it exploded right in front of my face as I ducked. Rosie's gun was out moments later and she shot . . . and a limp form dropped from a nearby tree. My mouth fell open as I stared at my emotionless best friend. Her face was pristine and didn't reveal anything. Like the trained spy she was, she went to the body, and tried to find any identification, but there wasn't any. After a long, stressful couple of minutes, she pulled out her phone, and held it to her ear, turning away so none of us could read her lips or see her reactions. She snapped the phone closed and placed back in her pocket and turned toward us. She approached me first.

"Are you okay?" She asked like a good friend in relative concern for my safety, but I knew her too well, she had to leave.

"How did you . . ." I trailed off, realizing I didn't know how to ask how she had saved my life.

"I heard the click when they loaded the gun and I had that gut feeling that they were shooting at you. I knew that there was only seconds to save you and kicked the ball so the bullet would hit it and not you," She explained quietly, glancing around, she looked at me again, "I have to go."

"But it's Christmas Eve, so close to Christmas and New Years, you can't go!" Grant shouted as he sprinted to his big sister. Rosie sighed and reached to touch his shoulder but he tore away, obviously not wanting to be comforted.

"I'm sorry, but this has to be dealt with now," Taking one more look at me, she stepped around, and headed back to the house. Johnny followed her, reaching for her hand as he got closer, but she shook her head, and he chose not to touch her. I watched my best friend walk away and didn't know what to say. It wasn't fair!

Rosie's POV

"Sis," Grant murmured at my door as I packed my clothes into my duffel bag. I nodded to acknowledge him, afraid that my voice would crack if I tried to speak. Seconds passed in silence before I heard his familiar step and turned right when he wrapped his arms around me. I returned the hug tightly, the guilt eating me up.

"I'm sorry, but you know I have to go, don't you Grant?" It was like speaking to him when he was eight again, and I had begun going on missions. His bluish green eyes looked up at me and he nodded in agreement with my words. I hugged him tightly again, wishing that I could stay, and be the big sister that he needed, but that wasn't possible right now. For a few minutes, we just stood there, hugging tightly before pulling away, and Grant walking out of my room, as I was about to walk out of his life again to go on another mission. I was a horrible big sister.

Continuing to pack, my weapons were all secured and ready when Johnny came in. He sat on my bed and I sat down on his lap. We didn't say a word as we kissed. There was no comfort, only understanding. I loved him so much and now I had to leave without him, but he wasn't angry, he wasn't upset, he chose to understand that I didn't want to leave, that I hated this just as much as he did. When we stopped kissing and stood back up, he kissed my cheek gently before exiting my room. I turned away from the doorway, now my enemy as everyone I loved kept exiting through it. Pulling my weapons back onto one shoulder and my duffel bag on to the other, I left the house, and threw them in the second row of my truck. Staring at the house, I waited, just hoping that she would come out and say good bye, but I knew Christin, and I knew she wouldn't say good bye because she was angry with me. For now, I would just have to live with that.

Grant's POV

I watched my sister's truck drive away and felt myself crack in half again, just like it always did when I watched her leave. I understood why she had to leave, really I did. But that was my big sister that I didn't get to see too often, but something that she had never failed to do, was be with me for Christmas and New Years. I glanced at the present on my dresser that she had left, just another reminder that my sister wasn't here, wonderful. I blinked, maybe this was how it was always going to be, maybe I would have to adjust to it, and maybe, just maybe, I could look forward to the day that I would go on a mission with Rosie.

A/N: Rosie doesn't get to be there for Christmas, sad day . Please Review.