Chapter 4 – Life is Changing Again
For the next couple months, life continued as usual. I spent more time with Richey, participated in the swim team, and avoided Mum. Eventually, she got used to me not coming home until late at night and stopped coming to pick me up after school. That proved to me that she didn't care. If she really did care, she wouldn't stop waiting for me, showing me that I was important to her.
Life was going great and I was happier than I had ever been. I finally felt like I belonged somewhere. In the back of my mind the thought persisted that at any point, I could leave town. Leave Richey. And I couldn't- I wouldn't- do that. If Mum decided to leave, I would refuse. Mr. Brook liked me and maybe he would take me in. I had finally found a home in this town and I wasn't about to give that up just because Mum was scared of the police discovering her dirty little secret. I was tired of doing everything she said and uprooting my life whenever she felt like it. It was time I made my own decisions. And that started now.
I got to school that morning and when I saw Richey, he had a downcast face.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Dad told me yesterday that we have to move."
"What?" I asked. "But you can't."
"I have to. Dad got a different job in Cardiff and we're moving next week."
"I-I won't let you!" I shouted. "You can't leave me like this!"
"I'm sorry," Richey said. "I tried to convince him that we have to stay, but he said that it's not possible. I really have to leave."
No. Why was this happening? For the first time in my life I finally felt like I belonged somewhere and now that was being taken away. Surely there was something I could do about it.
"What if you lived with me?" I asked Richey.
"What? What are you talking about?"
"Yeah, it'll be perfect. That way we'll never be separated." Although I wasn't keen on Richey seeing my real life, if this was the only way that I could make him stay, then I would have to.
"I can't just leave my dad," he said. "I need him."
"I've lived without my dad my whole life and it hasn't affected me. Don't you want to stay with me?"
"I certainly don't want to leave, but I have to go with my dad. I don't have any other choice."
I couldn't believe this. If it was me, I would have begged Richey to let me stay with him. But he was acting like our friendship meant nothing. After all the time we had spent together, would he just leave me like this? I guess you never really knew who your true friends really were.
But the worst part about it was that I had finally opened myself up to being friends with someone, knowing that I would eventually have to move away. I had pushed that thought to the back of my mind and refused to think about it. And now Richey was the one leaving and I would be stuck here with no friends. Why did life always have to be so cruel?
I spent the rest of the day in a daze, still trying to process why this was happening to me. What had I done to deserve this? I had always tried to be nice to others and never did anything to warrant all this bad luck. For once in my life, I would like things to go my way. One day, when I was old enough I would make sure I was never hurt again. No matter what it took.
I didn't talk to Richey much at swim practice and went home right afterwards. Mum was surprised that I was home so early but, as usual, I ignored her and headed to my room to work on my puzzles. I didn't want to deal with people right now; all I wanted to do was get lost in my puzzles and forget all of the troubling thoughts trying to occupy my mind. Eventually I would come out of this reverie, but for now I didn't care.
I went through the next couple days mad at the world. I barely talked to Richey and I didn't talk to Mum at all. Deep down, I was hoping that if I could forget about my problem, it would go away and I wouldn't have to deal with it. But I knew that wouldn't work and all too soon, the day came when Richey had to leave. That morning at school, he approached me with a sympathetic look on his face.
"I know this is hard for you," he said. "But this is the last time I'm going to see you for a long time, and I want to leave knowing that we're still friends."
"We are friends," I said. "I just don't want you to move away."
"I know. But I have to and there's no point in denying it."
"Will we ever see each other again?" I asked.
"I hope so," he replied. "You're the best friend I've ever had."
"Me too."
That evening I went to Richey's flat for the last time and had dinner with him one last time. It was amazing to think that just a couple of months ago I had been the new kid here with no friends. Then I had met Richey and all of that had changed. I had actually been happy for once in my life. And now that was all about to change again. I would go back to being the lonely kid who didn't have any friends and stayed to himself. But I knew this dream couldn't last forever. As much as I hated it, I had to get back to reality.
All too soon the night was over and I had to say my last goodbye to Richey. Maybe if I just avoided it, he wouldn't have to move away and things could go back to the way they were supposed to. But if this was the last time I was going to see Richey, then I needed to make the most of it.
"Thanks for being my friend," I said. "I never really had one before this."
"Me either. And we'll just be a couple hours away so we can visit."
"I'd like that."
Unfortunately, the time came and I was dropped off at my flat. I said one last goodbye to Richey then entered my flat and locked myself in my room. I grabbed my puzzle and angrily started working on it. Why did nothing good ever happen to me? All I wanted was for something good to happen to me every once in a while. I was tired of always receiving the bad fortune in life. Why couldn't I be happy for once in my life? Was that too much to ask?
I fell asleep that night angry that Richey was moving away, angry that I would be left here alone, and angry at my lot in life. Maybe if I stayed angry at everything, I wouldn't be able to feel the pain I was going through. I was willing to try that. I was tired of being hurt and I would do anything to make sure that never happen again.