Maybe change isn't bad - Payton Moormeier

one

"Pass the bottle" I say to Esther. She passes me the bottle of vodka she was holding and I take a big gulp. You know its just the usual things we do on a Monday night. I look up at Jamie whose on the swing

"Omg how high are you, your eyes bro" I laugh

"Only had one joint" she says trying not to act high and we all laugh.

"Your going to need some eye drops" Kai says looking through his pockets for some eye drops

That's it, that's my group. We have been friends since I can remember or at least since I moved here when I was five.

Esther, she's my partner in crime and I'm the closet with her. We always do the bad 'illegal' things together. She's the first person I got high and drunk with in the exact park were in right now. She doesn't live too far away from me, none of them do.

Kai, I met him at the same time as Esther. He had to show me around school when I first joined and he was already friends with Esther. He's the only boy of the group. We've been on and off for two years, not because we're toxic but because I don't do relationships and don't really like feelings so now we're kinda just hook up all the time.

Then theirs Jamie. She joined our school in 6th grade and we kinda just took her in. I'm not as close with her as I am Esther but we still have our good times. She's the good one of the group, she actually goest to school and tries in life. However she still joins in with us. She's probably like that because she grew up in a perfect home unlike the rest of us.

I get up and go to the slide and Kai comes and joins me. We start talking for a bit but like most of the time talking turns into making out, but our small make out session is disturbed.

"Get a room you two that's gross" Esther shouts. I pull away and laugh

"I should get going its 1am and I haven't been home in two days" I say getting down from the slide. I walk over to the girls and get the last of the vodka for on the way home.

"See ya later whores" I shout exiting the park.

I finish the vodka before I get home and throw it in a random bin. I climb through my window which I left a crack open when I last left. Once I'm fully in the light switches on and I see my mum standing their with her arms cross. She looks disappointed.

"Where have you been the past two days" she asks

"I stayed at Esther's like I usually do" I say going and sitting on my bed

"You reek of alcohol and weed" she says looking me up and down then in they eyes to see if I'm high, which I'm not for once.

"Nothing unusual then" I say bluntly

"I've had enough of this behaviour, your out of control Kaden and I dont know what to do with you-"

"What you going to do threaten me with boarding school like always. Why dont you go check on your perfect angel of a child Ava" I say getting angry. She does this all the time. I come home, she lectures me about my behaviour, threatens boarding school but never goes through with it.

"I'll talk to you in the morning" she says before leaving my room. I get changed and get in bed. I can't fall asleep and the next time I check the clock it's 5am.

I wake up the next morning at 10am, I was planning on going to school today but there's no point now. I never go anyway so it wouldn't make a difference. I go down stairs and my mums sitting at the table with a cup of what I assume is coffee. Ava walks in and sits at the table as well, I get some toast and sit down.

"Shouldn't you be at school" I say to Ava

"Shouldn't you" she counters and I roll my eyes

"Kaden we need to talk" my mum says "your out of control and have been for years. I don't know what to do with you at this point. I'm sorry but you've brought me to my breaking point"

"Ok so what is your point" I ask

"I'm sending you to boarding school" she says looking down at her cup

"Bullshit" I say knowing she won't go through with it like usual

"She's not lying , your actually going this time" Ava says

"Seriously, your fucking joking" I say raising my voice a little.

"Yes seriously, we're leaving tomorrow. It's an hour away in Charlotte. You should start packing your things" she says not looking at me

"Isn't boarding school for boys that are a step away from being sent to military school or something" I say "you can't send me their"

"I can and I will, I didn't want to but I sent in an application a few months ago and you got accepted in a scholarship" she says

"Scholarship, what kinda scholarship" I ask

"Art, I sent them some of your work they said it was good enough" my mum says

I get up from the table and go to my room. I notice moving boxes in the hallway, I take them into my room. Knowing my mum she's serious but if they want me gone I'll go. I start folding and packing my clothes, Ava comes into and starts helping.

"I'm sorry Kaden" she says putting my clothes into a box.

"No your not" I say "your not sorry. Your the perfect child and I'm the disappointment. You have no clue what its like for me"

"Well you don't have to be like this" she says looking at me

"Oh really, maybe if dad hit you as a child you would be more like me as well" I say and with that she leaves. I mean I'm not wrong. My dad abusing me and leaving us is the reason I'm so fucked up but they dont care. To them I'm just a troubled misbehaved kid. I finish packing everything and text Esther.

Kaden
Meet me at the park bring the others

Esther
Ok see you soon

I sneak out my window and walk to the park. They're waiting for me when I get there. I walk over and sit on the swing next to Esther.

"Where's the alcohol" she asks because I'm usually the one who brings it.

"None today but guess what" I say

"What" Kai asks

"My mum went through with boarding school, I leave tomorrow" I say not wanting to look at them

"No fucking way, come stay with me you can't leave" Esther says

"That's the first place she would look. She'll find a way to get me to go. It's for real this time" I say

"That's unfair she can't do that" Esther says

"Apparently she can" I say

"good thing I brought this" Jamie says getting out some weed

"At least I can get high with you guys one last time" I say laughing

Jamie rolls a joint and we share. It's not enough to get us all high so she rolls one more and it's just enough. We talk and go through old memories together.

"I should go I have to be up early tomorrow" I say standing up and they all stand up with me

"We're going to miss you" Jamie says. They pull me into a group hug. I say one last good bye and leave. I get to the gate and Kai calls my name as he's running over to me.

"I'll walk you home" he says

"Ok" I say and we start walking. We talk about everything we've been though together. We get to my house and stop.

"I'm going to miss you" he says pulling me in for a hug

"I'm going to miss you too" I say hugging him back. I think about kissing him "fuck it" I say and pull him in for a kiss and he kisses back.

I pull away and say bye one last time and climb through my window and going to bed.