One House Behind | ✓

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞

Shelly

This was it. We were leaving. Traveling despite only being able to drive places and almost everything closed up. But we were living for the moment and not anything else.

"You almost ready?" Tanner asked as he slid his hands on my waist.

"I've been ready. I just need these in the car."

"I got it."

He grabbed my bags and took them to the car. Sighing, I sat on my bed that I wouldn't see for a year. Or more, depending on what we decided. A lot of things were up in the air.

Since college could be done online, I could get anywhere and go. And because Tanner had been doing the same, we had no serious need to stay. No one was going to need us either.

Susie was happy to stay with his parents at home alone. My mother and father were going to be fine together as they had Seb. Seb could do without me for a year, he'd done five, and I'd always be back.

"Are you sure?" My mother asked as I walked out of my room.

"Yep."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Mom." I had to laugh at her.

I knew she was scared for me. The world was scary right now, the numbers still not climbing down, but I would be fine. Everything would be fine if she just believed it.

"Okay. I guess this is good-"

"No, this is a see you later. I'll be back, I promise."

I pulled her into a hug. I never wanted to say goodbye to my mother. So we wouldn't. We'd see each other soon.

"I love you," she managed to get out.

"I love you too Mom."

I had to pull away or else I'd end up staying. Leaving was good for me. I'd get to explore the world and finally be free. Not that I wasn't here but I'd get to experience the life that I was always afraid to live.

"Are we leaving now or later?" I asked Tanner as he came back in for me.

"Oh, I already said bye to my family. Susie couldn't wait to get rid of me," Tanner laughed, lacing his fingers with mine.

It was a statement. We were meant to be. From anger and sadness to happiness all around, we made it. This virus had taken so much from us but it hadn't taken what we were destined to have. It gave it to us.

And in those broken and shattered and weird pieces, we found our other halves. Our soulmates. His fingers tightened in mine and I squeezed back.

"I'm going to miss you," Seb whimpered with fresh tears overlying the old ones.

"I'll miss you too buddy, I miss you already, but I'm going to be back soon. Promise."

"You do?" he asked as he rubbed his eyes with his fists.

"I do. Cross my heart." I brought my hand up and made an 'x' over my chest.

He smiled sadly at me. I frowned at him, showing him this was harder than I previously thought. But saying goodbye wasn't what we were doing, we were saying hello to my new beginning.

I was now surrounded by people who loved me. I had a new brother, a boyfriend, and his sister. I wasn't alone in the world anymore. Everything was as it was.

Saying it one last time, Tanner and I got into his car. He bought a convertible, knowing that I loved the sun, and I did love it. We had gone on a few trips to secret spots and did more making out in them and then some. How he knew about the spots was still a mystery to me.

He could have been gossip girl herself because he always said that's a secret I'll never tell.

"Are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"You know this means you can't get rid of me anymore because we'll be in the same car for weeks on end," he joked.

"Wouldn't have it any other way, Stalker."

And then we set off in the most cliche way, into the sun with the top down and my hair in the wind, feeling nothing but freedom.

******

A/N:

I want to say, editing this story has reminded me that I knew what I was talking about. The essence of this book is legit how I feel when I'm reminded of the pandemic. It was isolating and everything was 'what if'. But people still managed to stay connected and this story is quite literally everything I feel now. 

It's mind-blowing that I captured it before I even knew what I was trying to say. I can only hope that every single one of you readers understands what I meant. And if you couldn't, if you couldn't see yourself during the pandemic through them, that's totally fine too. I hope you enjoyed this story nonetheless.

And here's the last A/N of this story:

𝐀/𝐍:
Aɴᴅ ɪᴛ ɪs sᴄᴇɴᴇ! I'ᴍ sᴏ sᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ sᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ɢᴏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅʀɪᴠᴇ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ. I'ᴅ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ɪɴᴠɪsɪᴏɴᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ʀɪᴅᴅɪɴɢ ᴏғғ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ sᴜɴ (ᴀʟᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ɪᴛ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ON ᴀ ғʀᴇᴇᴡᴀʏ, ɴᴏᴛ ᴀ ʜɪɢʜᴡᴀʏ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴍᴏsᴛ ᴄᴀsᴇs) ᴀɴᴅ I ғᴇᴇʟ ʟɪᴋᴇ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇʀғᴇᴄᴛ ᴡᴀʏ.

Nᴏᴡ, ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴡʜᴇɴ I sᴀɪᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ I ᴡᴀs ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀ ᴍᴇᴀɴ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ, I ᴍᴇᴀɴᴛ ᴛʜɪs. Iᴛ's ᴏᴘᴇɴ ᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ, sᴏ ᴍᴀɴʏ ᴘᴏssɪʙɪʟɪᴛɪᴇs ᴏғ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴄᴀɴ ᴅᴏ ᴏʀ ɢᴏ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ɪs ᴜᴘ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ɢᴜʏs. I ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ʟᴏᴠᴇ/ʜᴀᴛᴇ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ᴇɴᴅɪɴɢs ʙᴜᴛ ɪᴛ's ᴀʟsᴏ ᴀ ᴡᴀʏ ᴛᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ғᴜɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇᴍ.

Tʜᴇ ɴᴇxᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀ ʟᴏɴɢᴇʀ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀs ɴᴏᴛᴇ ʙᴜᴛ ᴀs ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs, I ʜᴏᴘᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴇᴅ sᴀʏɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜʀ ɢᴏᴏᴅʙʏᴇs ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇᴍ. (Oʀ ᴅɪᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴅɪᴅ ᴀɴᴅ sᴀʏ sᴇᴇ ʏᴀ ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ?)