AN: Sorry for not updating (again)! Same thing as last time! I'm so pumped for the ending, but we're one chapter away from that! Well, here we go!
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Sequel: Chapter 26: Goodbye, I'm Heading to New York...
A Few Days Later...
Kevin's PoV:
It's been a few days, since I've been to school. I've been helping Mom and Dad pack the whole week. It's been decided that we move to New York. Buzz and the others finally realized it's what's best. They also apologized for taking out their anger on me... Mom's decided to let me go to school tomorrow, Friday, to say "goodbye" to everybody. I will miss it here, but I need a new beginning... It's not like I'm not going to come back here, someday... Though, I have a special "goodbye" for everyone, since I won't be seeing them for a long time...
The Next Day...
I sit with Buzz on the bus again. I'm scared, but not as scared as I was on the first day of school. Once again, I'm shrunk down in the seat, arms folded. I'm looking around, trying to see if anybody's staring at me with pity. Nobody really seems to be looking at me, but some only spot me looking at them. I just look away to someone else. I feel like today will be a reenactment of Monday... I want to be able to say "goodbye" to everybody, but I'm too scared to... I just face ahead of me, looking at the seat my knees are up against. Buzz notices this, because he asks, "Are you OK, buddy?" I just shrug. "Today's your second and last day. Everything will be fine,"
"They'll look at me and treat me differently, just like Monday..." I say, with barely any volume in my voice...
"Look, you made it through Monday. Today's your last day. You'll be fine. Just go to class and say 'goodbye' to everybody, and pretend you don't care what others say and think about you. Have you ever cared before?"
"It's different, this time..."
"How's it different?"
"Even my friends look at me differently... They pity me..."
"It's the last day. You don't have to worry about it, anymore..."
"I am... I just am..."
"Just say 'goodbye' to everybody, then come on down and see me, OK? You know where my classroom is..."
When Class Starts...
I ignored everybody on the way to class today. I'm not ready to say anything to them, until it's time for class to start... Really, I don't want to say anything to anybody, period, but I won't be seeing my friends and fellow students for a long time, so I must...
Well, I'm in class now, and I sit at my desk at the back of the room. Mrs. Tommis says a few things to the class, before she says, "Kevin?" I'm sitting back in my chair, arms and legs crossed, looking down at the floor. I'm startled out of my thoughts, when I hear her say my name again. "Would you like to come up here, please?" I slightly nod and slowly make my way out of my desk... I'm not ready to talk to the class, nor do I want to... I'm shy, when it comes to talking to crowds... "Class, Kevin McCallister will be leaving us shortly, and came to class to say 'goodbye' to everyone. They're moving to New York, and it'll probably be a long time before you see him again," While still having a hold of me by my shoulders, she looks down at me and says, "Kevin, do you have anything else to say?"
I look up at her, then back at the class. "I really don't have anything to say, except for that I'm glad I've attended this school, since Kindergarten. I've made some pretty cool friends, and I'll miss them..."
Eric shoots up his hand, and Mrs. Tommis addresses him. "Yes, Eric?"
He then asks, "What was it like... being kidnapped?..."
"Eric!" the other classmates hiss at him. Josh just looks at me, worried that what Eric said would upset me.
"Eric, I don't think Kevin wants to talk about it..." Mrs. Tommis tells him. She then looks down at me and says, "Kevin, you don't have to... If you do, that's OK. If not, that's OK, too..."
I look at the rest of my classmates, feeling nauseous. All of them are looking at me with different facial expressions. Some of the expressions are encouraging me to talk about it, some others are the opposite of encouragement. Josh's facial expression tells me not to do it, while Eric's leaned back in his chair, arms and legs crossed, waiting for me to answer. I don't understand... The other day, he told me to get well soon... Now, it's like old times with him all over again... "Come on, Kev..." Eric encourages, like being kidnapped is some kind of joke in his mind... I know it's only been a few seconds of the class staring at me, but it feels like minutes...
I decide to say, "Eric, why do you want to know?"
He just shrugs and says, "Just curious..."
I ball up my fists and try to hold in my tears, while thinking about my terrible experience, that I hope no one else here in this class has to go through... "Well, if you must know, I was terrified..."
"Kevin, honey, you really don't have to talk about it..." Mrs. Tommis tries to assure me.
"It made me realize that just because an older brother is mean to you, doesn't mean you have to run away from home... I now appreciate my family more now than before. My siblings appreciate me more now than before..." I pause before continuing, "Sometimes, I wanted to die, because I thought I'd never come out alive, anyway," I don't want to go into full details about it all... "The reason... The reason why we're going to New York is because I need—this family needs—a new beginning... away... away from all these questions!" I finally break free of the control of my emotions and run out of the room...
I run downstairs to where Buzz's room is and knock on the door. A few seconds later, Buzz's teacher, Mrs. Anderson, answers the door. "Oh. Hello, Kevin. Your brother said I'd be expecting you..."
She looks back into the classroom and calls for Buzz. Just a few seconds later, Buzz is at the door, too. "Hey, Kev," He notices that I've been crying, because he then asks, "Are you OK?" I shake my head "no".
"III'll... just leave you two alone..." Mrs. Anderson then walks away from the door, back into the classroom.
Buzz closes the door behind him, so that we're in the downstairs hallway by ourselves. "What happened?"
I look down to the floor and mumble, "Eric happened..."
"What?"
I look up to my oldest brother and say, more clearly, "Eric happened..."
"That little phlegm wad got to you again?"
"He wished me to get well soon on Monday, and now today, while I was in front of the whole class, saying 'goodbye', he insisted on asking me what it was like... to be kidnapped..." I trail off at the end...
"Well, it's done and over with now, buddy," He pauses before continuing, "Listen, go to your locker, get your stuff, and go sit in the office... I'll be right back..." Buzz has this eery grin on him, as he struts down the hallway, toward the staircase... Oh no... What's he going to do?...
A While Later...
I'm waiting in the office for Buzz. I've collected my things from my locker, and now I'm just waiting on him... I wonder where he went or what he's doing... Finally, Buzz enters the office, with all his things with him. "Hey, bud," He tussles my hair. "Want to go home now?" I nod. "OK. Mrs. Leslie, we're ready to call home now..."
On the Way Home...
Mom finally picks us up from school. Jeff, Megan, and Linnie are picked up from school, too. I'm in the back with Buzz. It's still bothering me, wondering where Buzz went, so I decide to ask him, "Buzz, what did you do? What took you so long to come to the office?"
"Nothing..."
"Come on, I want to know... Please?"
"Alright. If you must know, I went to your classroom..."
"Why?"
"I had to have a little talk with your friend..."
"Josh?"
"No, Eric."
"What'd you say?"
"Well..."
Flashback...
Buzz's PoV:
I knock on Kevin's classroom door. Mrs. Tommis answers it, and says, surprised to see me, "Oh, Buzz! Kevin's not here..."
"I know. He came down to my classroom. Can I come in for a second?"
"Umm, sure," She lets me in, and I stand in front of the classroom.
I look at Eric and say, "Eric, why'd you do that to my little brother?"
"Do what?" he asks, like he doesn't know what I'm talking about...
"Upset him. You asked him about something he doesn't want to talk about..."
"I was just curious..."
"He didn't want to come here today, but he did, because he wanted to say 'goodbye' to the kids he grew up with. Then, you have to go and be a jerk..."
"I didn't mean to upset him!"
"Well, you did! He told me that the other day, you wished him to get well. Now, today, you're being a jerk... I don't understand that..."
"I'm sorry... I wasn't trying to..."
"Do you not understand what "kidnapping" is?"
"It's someone who takes you against your will... Usually for money..."
"Exactly. That's exactly what happened to Kevin. We're moving away, so that we can get away from this,"
"I'm sorry..."
"Well, you'd better be sorry. My little brother is alive today, because he was brave and had hope that he'd see his family again. It must have been terrifying for him. So, the next time you want to ask someone what it's like to be kidnapped, remember what I told you..." I then turn to Mrs. Tommis, who's looking at me, stunned. "Thank you, Mrs. Tommis," I turn around and leave the classroom...
Reality...
Kevin's PoV:
"You didn't?" I ask, shocked that he actually did that for me...
He just shrugs. "I don't think he meant to be a jerk... I don't think he understands the fear of it, you know..."
"You actually did that, Buzz?" Mom asks, proud of him. He nods. "I'm so proud of you," Buzz just shrugs again and shakes his head, looking out the window. I think he feels embarrassed... Though, I don't blame him, since he's never done this before... We continue our drive home, getting ready to leave for our new beginning in New York...
A Week Later...
After a tedious week of packing, we're all finished packing for New York... The U-Haul vans carry all our things from our house... Since we have a very large house, we need multiple larger U-Haul vans... I'm finishing up packing my small items from my room... I look around... This has been my room for nine years... And we have to leave it, because of all that has happened to me... I'm wanting to go to New York, yet I don't want to leave Chicago, my home... I hear a knock on my door, and I answer, "Come in,"
Mom enters and asks, "You ready to go?" I slightly nod. She places her hands on my shoulders and asks, "Are you going to be OK?" I shrug.
"I don't... I don't wanna leave..."
"I think you'll like living in New York... We'll stay at Uncle Rob and Aunt Georgette's, until we find our own place. It won't take that long..."
"This wouldn't be happening, if I wasn't kidnapped... If I didn't set those traps last year... This is all my fault..."
"No, honey... It's not your fault..."
"Yes, it is..."
"Honey, it's not your fault that some people do bad things... Unfortunately, Harry, Krista, Ben, and even Marv, at the beginning, did some bad things..." I cringe at those names, except for Marv's... "Maybe we can come back to Chicago, someday? For now, I think we need to move you to somewhere else..."
"It's not fair to the rest of the family, though..."
"It's what they want, too, honey..."
"Mom..." Before I can finish my sentence, I hug Mom, crying...
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We all load our final items into the U-Haul vans and in the trunk of the car. We then drive off, away from my home that has been for nine years...
To be Continued (Until the Final Chapter)...
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A/N: Finally! I've finally finished this chapter! I'm so, so, so, so, so sorry! Especially to you, S Lila! This story is coming to a close, and we're reaching further and further away from Christmas, let alone December! I just hope the reviews will be the same! Unless I just wait to post the final chapter and the other special thing I have planned, until November and December. :P It's a pretty awesome ending! It'll be easier to write than this was!
I have nothing more to say, really! No useless info, because there's so much that has happened! Ooh! Maybe this is important! I've started writing a fan letter to MacAulay Culkin, and I'm so excited! ^_^ I also need to mention that I'm dying to go to New York! OK! Well, leave a review, and look forward to the final chapter and the special thing I have planned for after the final chapter, peoples! Unless I make you wait for months and months... Heheheh... :P Ciao ciao! :)
- Termina's Hero1234