Lifeguard || unrolling waves

Moving in❥

I check around my room to make sure I didn't forget anything. All of my items stored away in brown, cardboard boxes with labels. I walk over to my bathroom and look in the mirror. I take a small black hair tie and pull my long, dirty blonde hair back, securing it with the hair tie.

I step back and take another glance at my room and walk over to one of the boxes that was labeled "pictures". Laying on top of the box was my favorite family photo. My mom, my dad, and I were all sitting on a bench outside. We all had huge smiles on our faces that day, not caring what the world thought. The picture captured in a beautiful purple and silver frame that matched the picture perfectly.

I was 13 when we took that photo. Who knew so much could change in a such sort amount of time? A wave of sadness immediately came ahold of my body. Tears swelling in the blue eyes while a tears travels down my cheek and falls onto the glass frame of the picture.

"Alison! Are you almost done, darling?" I hear my aunt shout for me. "Almost, just a few more minutes" I reply back trying to make it sound like I wasn't crying. Then again, I had every reason to cry. Considering the "incident" only happened a month ago.

I place the picture back in the box and wipe the tear mark away. I call out for my aunt, Christina, to come and load the boxes. After loading the rest of the boxes into the moving van, I walk back up to my room one last time to say goodbye.

I walk in and trail my fingers on the wall while walking around my room. I pause and run my fingers over a small dent in my wall. It was from when I was 5, I was playing and I fell holding onto the curtains for support. The curtains fell and the metal rod caused a dent in the wall. I was lucky that it didn't hit me.

Then again, I *was* lucky. I wouldn't consider myself that anymore.

I walk back over to my door and turn back to face my room one last time, "goodbye" I whisper, choking back on my tears. I shake my head and walk out, shutting the door behind me.

I double check the rest of the rooms upstairs until I walk down the stairs to find my aunt Christina waiting for me. Her warm, welcoming smile makes me feel a little more at ease but cannot shame my mind away from the sad thoughts. I was really going to miss this house. I grew up here, after all. I force a smile back at my aunt as she says "are you ready?" In a sweet, calming tone. I nod and reply "I just have to check the downstairs rooms" she shook her head no and told me that she had already checked them. Before we could start our long drive home, I had one more stop.

I get in the car of my aunt's Mercedes Bends as we drive away, me not taking my eyes off of my house, well... my old house. I shake my head trying to clear that thought from my head as I turn the radio music up a bit louder so I wouldn't be able to concentrate on my thoughts.

As we approach a familiar neighborhood, I have to pinch myself from tearing up. When we arrive at my best friends house, I hesitate but quickly jump out when I see Lexy running towards me. I run up to her and wrap my arms around her giving her a tight hug.

Tears flooding both of our eyes. She sniffs and says "you can't leave! You can't!" Her voice raising as if trying to make her point clear. She has been my best friend since I could remember. I honestly don't know what I would do without her.

I open my mouth to speak but no words come out. My throat was dry and my voice hoarse from all of the crying I have been doing this past month. "I'm sorry Lex, it's not my choice at this point. You know I don't want to leave." I whisper apologetically.

"Then don't! Don't leave if you don't want to, Ali! They can't just come and take you away from me!" She persists. If I learned one thing about Lexy, it's that she's very persistent and will not go down without a fight.