Blueberry Milkshake

Sunrise

"Someone's getting fired," Jade joked.

He grunted and went looking for the coach.

"You used to have a crush on him," Jade noted. "I think I'm finding a pattern here. You're into jocks"

"No, I'm not. That's stupid," I retorted, rolling my eyes.

As our work was done, we went back to the cafeteria where Court, Louis, and Yuki were having lunch.

"Marvin is such an idiot!" Louis complained. "That was not legal, I'm sure of it"

"You know his name is Vondergold, right?"

"Is it? Poor guy, that's even worse"

"Louis!"

He laughed and shrugged. I couldn't help but laugh with him.

I was sad. In less than a year, we would all be going to the sixth form and I didn't know if we would see each other again.

"So, what are the plans for today?" asked Yuki, filling his mouth with ladyfingers. "Are we even counting AJ in or is she going to be sticking her tong down Dean's throat this afternoon?"

"I'm eating!" Courtney gagged.

"She is not going anywhere today, love," I said in a dull tone. Yuki is being a bitch since I started dating Dean. He keeps saying the guy is a jerk, but he's wrong.

"I found out something," Jade joined. "I think she has a thing for sweaty guys in uniform. You know, Micah, Dean... maybe she even had a crush on Kyle or Reed and we never knew"

"Ew! Reed is my friend!" I complained, and then corrected "Was..."

"She didn't deny Kyle, you heard her!" Louis yelled, making the whole cafeteria look at us.

To our dismay, my favourite teacher was near the table and had to intervene. Note the irony.

"Viscaya, keep it down. I don't need to hear your girly voice so early in the morning"

"My girly voice?"

"It's noon," Jade told him.

"We're very sorry, Mr Albertelli, it won't happen again," Yuki reassured him.

The human walrus, I'm sorry, that was rude. Mr Albertelli left, hobbling, to the teachers' table.

Sometimes I pity him for being the main mocking target among teachers. Then I hear "You break it, you pay it!" and suddenly I'm annoyed by him again. I should get a catchphrase too. Like... Nope, I can't come up with anything.

Courtney caught our attention once more and said, "Keisha called me this morning. She is going to that small cafe near the bus stop with Chris and she invited us to hang out with them. We should go. We haven't seen them in a while. Besides, only Yuki wants to spend the afternoon playing basketball"

"I never said..."

"Am I wrong?" she cocked a brow.

Yuki rolled his eyes, and after a slight pause, he admitted it.

We all agreed to meet up with them and after lunch, we girls went back to our common room on the fifth floor.

The fifth-grade common room was so much better than all the others. It was twice the size, had three sofas, a shelf full of adventure novels, and a fireplace. The only problem was that the fourth-graders were always trying to sneak in. If we waited, they have to wait too!

Jade told Court about the whole moving to America deal, but she didn't react as bad as I thought.

"That's good for you. I'm going back to the capital at the end of the year. My parents have been thinking about putting me in some fancy private school for those rich, snobby kids. I mean, my dad does, my mum says it's going to ruin my education," she snorted. "I'm probably going to Hathor's School"

"Great!" I complained. "You're going back home. Jade's moving to the US. Louis is going to Wales. Yuki'll go to God knows where and here I am. Am I ever going to see you again?"

"Of course!" they both said. "We'll visit you all the time"

I smiled softly. I have good friends.

Then my phone rang, and I was surprised. It was my mum. My mum never called me in the middle of the day. I picked up, a little scared.

"Avery, dear, I need you to come to your dad's house now. I'm here waiting for you. Please hurry"

I didn't have time to ask what was going on. She hung up as soon as she finished.

"AJ, what's wrong?" Jade asked.

"I don't know"

I grabbed my jacket and my bag and called a taxi. It wasn't the first time I had to do it. I stopped living in NAA a couple of years ago and often my dad is so overwhelmed with work that I have to find another way to get home.

I entered the yellow car without properly saying goodbye to my friends, which I later realised might've been a mistake.

When I got there, I spotted my mum's crappy car parked in front of the house and found her in the living room talking with a very well-dressed lady holding a briefcase. Oh no. The last time I saw that woman was four years ago when my parents got divorced and fought for my custody.

"Mum? What's going on?"

They looked at me, and she smiled tightly. The woman left us alone.

"Avery, dear. I have good news. You're going to live with me in London, isn't that great?"

"What? Why?"

She motioned for me to sit down, but I didn't.

"Your dad is... having some problems and he no longer can have you here, so..."

"What did you do?" I asked, as if she was to blame. Little did I know.

"Avery",

"He works all day and all night to have me here! I know he's not around all the time, but I don't mind. Everything he does is for me!"

She looked down in guilt and I would've never predicted what she told me next.

"No, he doesn't," her voice was trembling. I bet she wanted to keep me shielded from the truth. "Your dad is broke. He's spent his nights in a casino. It's a gambling issue. He has lost everything, including this house. By tomorrow morning you won't have where to sleep"

I stood there for a while. Didn't move a single muscle. Just letting it all sink in. But it made little sense. It makes little sense! I always had anything I needed! How could I not see it? He always put food on the table and clothes for me to wear... How could it be true?

"He owed a lot to the owner of the casino and yesterday... yesterday they took it all and he's... your dad messed with the wrong people, Avery. He's fine now but he can't support you anymore"

I looked at her, feeling the carpet being pulled from under my feet and my back falling to the ground...

"Don't you want to live with me?"

"Yes," I cried and hugged her. "That was all I wanted for so long...but now...it sounds wrong"

"I know, honey. I'm sorry, but we have to go now. Go pack your bags"

"Wait! What about my friends? I didn't say goodbye!"

There wasn't time. There wasn't time, so I texted them all as I left.

Months later, Courtney moved back to London, and we reunited again, enrolling in the same school. I never saw Yuki again, nor Louis, but we kept texting, just that at some point I never heard from Yuki again. Jade visited sometimes until she moved to the USA, but we keep talking every chance we get, yet it's hard with her parents.

My mum had built a life for herself. We weren't rich, but we were happy. I worked part time in a gym, teaching Dance, so we could get money for college, but I'm never going to some excellent school without a scholarship.

I remember when we got to the house for the first time. The garden was small, but it was beautiful. My mum's gem.

"Welcome home, Avery"

☕☕☕

What's missing?

Oh yeah, the Epilogue...

Stay tuned for the ending of BM