They Don't Know About Us

High School As I Knew It

So it was a thing now... I was going to study abroad.

A week before the end of my junior year, I got the papers that told me the (what I called) "secret" location where I would be attending school the next year. I pulled it out of the envelope, and read the fine print:

"Alexis L. Anderson, from Glenna, Texas will be attending Wilmslow High School in the United Kingdom for the year 2013 – 2014."

I jumped up and down so excited. I had always wanted to go to England, and now I would get to be there for a an entire year! I immediately ran to the kitchen to tell my mom the amazing news. She expressed her excitement for me, and how she was so happy for me. She started to tear up and hug me even tighter. We sat there for a minute hugging, when she said: 

"Lexi, we need to finish packing, you are leaving in a week." 

"Okaaaay," I said running to my room, tripping over the floor as I did so.

I walked into my room and gazed at the walls. The white walls were bare without my crazy obsession with posters. It was almost spooky just how different it looked. I had always had about fifty One Direction posters plastered all over the walls throughout my high school years. Now it was empty, and a piece of my heart felt heavy.

I shifted my glance to down below me, and I saw 2 suitcases filled with my clothes and possessions stacked neatly on top of each other. I took a deep breath in before I began to get some more stuff in my bags. I would pick up the small things I had forgotten, like my alarm clock, and place them in the top zipper of the top suitcase. 

After pacing my room, only packing what I needed, and leaving all the large things like my wardrobe, I was getting tired. I collapsed onto my bed and laid there for a few moments before I dozed off. The next day was my last day in Texas.

***

            After a week of packing, it was the last day of my junior year. I woke up, reminding myself how I was going to make the best out of today. I was going to have the best day of school in Glenna ever. 

As I got to my high school, I stepped in the red door of the band hall, dragging my One Direction backpack along, filled with the books I had to turn in that day. I was greeted by Mr. Bhan. 

"Ew, Its Lexi" he said. 

"Ew its Mr. Bhan," I said back laughing. We always teased with each other. All the way from the very beginning of my high school years, Mr. Bhan and I got along really well. Most of the students didn't really enjoy his humor, but it always made my day.

Dave, who had been one of my best friends ever since 6th grade, came up to me with a sad expression laying on his face.

 "I heard you aren't coming back next year," he said, a frown still lingered on his face. His words made my heart hurt.

"I'm not, I know," I said, trying to give a half smile or something to make him feel a little better. This was a dream of mine, and now I finally got to do it. I wasn't going to let anything hold me back. Besides, I had already packed my life up here.

"But what about football season? What about being drum major?" he asked, holding his hands out in question. He was low-key insisting that I stay. I knew he was. I knew he didn't want me to leave, and quite frankly I did not want to leave him. He was one of my besties! 

He seemed more upset than I thought he would be. But I came off to him as being playful to counteract his attitude.

"I can still play my flute in England," I said rolling my eyes. He just stared at me.

"Okay..." he said dragging out the word, the frown still on his lips. I felt so bad as I pulled him into a hug. 

"I won't forget you Dave. We have phones we can text," I promised him.

I walked into what we called the "commons area" of our school and met up with my bestest friend of all time, Chrissy Lou. 

"Hey girlie," I said reaching out to her and playfully slapping her shoulder. She laughed and we hooked our arms together as we walked to go get some breakfast in the cafeteria. 

Suddenly she stopped in the middle of the hallway right before the five brick steps we had to take to get into the doors of the lunch room. She hopped up on a step above me and turned to look at me.

"I'm gonna miss you Alex," she said looking at me intently. 

"And I'm also super jealous that you get to go to England," she started laughing, her attitude changing from sad to happy.

"No, but seriously though," she said, setting her hand on my shoulder and giggling. "I am jealous."

I think everyone in my city was jealous of me. That's all everyone was telling me. The man at the supermarket said he was jealous of me, my teachers said they were, and of course my friends and family. I must have been really blessed to be able to study abroad. 

Chrissy and I laughed as we walked back our usual trip to the band hall with food. We always chose to eat there instead of the cafeteria seating since we didn't want to sit with people we didn't know or didn't like, which was pretty much everyone. Suddenly my other good friend Briana skipped up to us.

"Sister! I'm going to miss you!!! I can't live without you!!!" She said grabbing my upper arm with both her hands.

She always called me "sister" because we acted and looked alike in ways that people actually thought we were related. We were basically un-related sisters.

"I'm sorry!" I said in a high-pitched voice, hugging her tight.

"Tell Louis I love him!" she said to me with a cheesy grin. I was confused momentarily, but then I got it, Louis Tomlinson... Louis from One Direction. She laughed at my late reaction, and I joined in on the laughter.

My friends and I were all huge One Direction fans, so being able to spend an entire year overseas was a dream come true for one of us to have. Thankfully, it was me who got the opportunity.

We got to band hall and quickly finished our food just as soon as the school bell shrieked its usual annoying tone.

***

            The last bell of school rang, the last bell I would hear at Glenna High School. 

I walked out of the band hall and gave all my friends last minute hugs and goodbyes. 

Becky, one of my other close friends, started crying as I told her the news that that was my last day of school in Glenna, ever.

"I'm gonna miss you Lexi," she said, hugging me tighter. "I'll miss you too," I said, and I pulled out of the hug. 

I smiled and waved at her as I walked to the exit doors of the school. As I walked out of the school for the last time, I felt the warm breeze brush my face as the summer heat belted down on me. 

I watched as all my acquaintances and friends got into their cars and drove away in the biggest parking lot the school had. When all the cars left, everything felt empty for a minute, and I started second-guessing myself.

I saw the all too familiar silver SUV roll up the curb I was standing at. It was my mom. 

As I opened the passenger door and hopped in, she smiled and asked how my day was just like any other day. I was quiet before looking over my shoulder at my high school.

"I think everything went well," I answered as she drove off, and looked in the rearview mirror, watching the remaining pieces of my present disappear into the horizon.