Finding Everett | ✔️

Chapter Thirty Three

OH MY GOSH GUYS!!

We're here! It's the final chapter of Finding Everett! I'm super excited to share this final chapter with you guys and there'll be more notes at the end of the chapter but here we go!

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The North home became a flurry of movement and preparations over the next week. Jesse's room soon lacked most of the small things he'd collected since he was small, the things that made his room his.

With the remaining time before his departure, Jesse bought several maps of the USA, guidebooks and spent hours doing online research. As a result, a basic itinerary developed, giving him a bit of satisfaction about his choice. Jesse knew how he wanted to proceed with this adventure. His maps were marked up, miles were calculated and he figured if he needed money, he could put down temporary roots in some spots and make some cash before moving on.

Odds job existed if you looked for them and Jesse knew just how to do it.

The plan Jesse imagined for his future seemed to be coming together quite nicely. Except for one thing: he still felt as though his parents were tip toeing around him. Jesse liked to think he knew his parents fairly well, having grown up with them and all, so he could recognize the signs of them being off and weird.

They were definitely being off and definitely being weird. Whenever Jesse would make his way into a room, they would stop their conversations and attempt to look at him casually. They failed every time. His parents had something up their sleeve.

"I just don't know what," Jesse wondered, kicking a rock from his path. Lizzie walked next to him, only half listening. He'd said these same words several times over the past couple of days and he didn't seem any closer to an answer.

At the moment, Lizzie and Jesse wandered around the neighborhood, getting a bit of fresh air as they spoke. Jesse's nerves were beginning to get the better of him and he found the more he walked, the more he could keep it under control.

"Well, gee, have you tried, oh I don't know - asking them what's up? Maybe if you opened conversation you could actually get an answer?" she pointed out, raising her eyebrows at him.

Jesse just shrugged, hands hanging limply at his sides. The weather no longer called for jackets and putting his hands in the pockets of his pants felt awkward. So he figured they could just swing back and forth as he walked.

"Just leave it alone, I think," Lizzie advised, nudging him with her shoulder. "Whatever it is, they obviously want to surprise you. Just wait it out."

Jesse grumbled a bit, but took the advice to heart. The two parted ways as they reached the North home once again. Lizzie hopped in her car, stating it was lasagna night which she refused to miss, and headed off with a wave.

Turning to his home, Jesse stood and stared for a few moments, drinking in every detail and committing the structure to memory.

All his firsts were in this house. And in a few days, he would be leaving it all behind. Some part of Jesse refused to acknowledge those things; refused to truly acknowledge how big of a deal it was.

But his heart knew. And it grew heavier with each passing day, filled to the brim with nostalgia and love and memories.

It hurt, but what a good kind of pain it was.

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Denise fixed Jesse's favorite on his last night at home. The table held an assortment of Mexican dishes, from tacos to enchiladas.