Chapter 1 : It's been a long time
Harlowe’s P.O.V
It’s been a long time since I’ve been back to where I lived many years ago. Too many memories flooding back. Some good, some bad. My mother, step-father and I are moving back across the country in hopes not to run into my Biological father. But it’s for the greater good. My grandparents are getting old and in need of assistance and can no longer be alone in the house. My grandmother was devastated when my granddad fell last month, it’s been hard on us all. My mother still doesn’t want to think about what could have happened. But alas, here I sit packing things from my desk into a half-full box on my floor. I’m not ready to say goodbye yet, it’s still hard to wrap my head around leaving the place I’ve called home for so long. My mother tells me I won’t be alone for very long, she wants me to meet an old friend of mine. Stories I’ve heard about him make me think about one of those sappy stories on Lifetime were the girl moves away and is ripped away from her true love. Yeah gross, no thank you. just as i’m snapped out of my thoughts my mother comes bursting into my room “love, the moving truck is here, would you like to come sit in the living room and wait while we pack?” she questions me. I reply “yeah i’ll be right down I guess” getting up with a sigh. As i’m walking out my room I look back at my once full and colorful room now empty and cluttered with boxes. I’m going to miss it here, a lot.
Entering the living room i’m bombarded with all kinds of people picking up boxes and loading a big truck with the label ’U-haul” on the side. Everything’s packed, nowhere to sit, no rug on the floor anymore, no anything. It doesn’t look like home anymore. I sit in the corner away from all the people in my own little zone and suddenly I hear my step-dad’s voice “Harles? Everything okay girl?” I just stare at him blankly before I register what he’s said. “yeah dad, everything’s fine just a little, you know. shocked I guess.” I said looking around at the ruckus. He takes a seat on the floor beside me. “yeah I know the feeling, if it were up to me, we’d stay here but your mother insists on going back. You know she wants your grandparents to stay in their house. Hell, they’ve lived there for what? 30 years?” he questions me. “yeah I guess it’s only fair but we’ll lose everything. Friends, neighbors, the house I practically grew up in, and importantly your parents.” I practically bark at him and he looks at me with shock “I didn’t expect you to be that way. would you like me to leave you alone now your majesty?” he laughs “yes please.” I look at him with all seriousness. He gets up walking away with his hands up in surrender and I laugh at him. At least Jonah can make me laugh. He’s been here through a lot, and he’s like a dad to me. I’m very grateful for him, he makes my mom her best self. At least I don’t have to say goodbye to anyone. I was home schooled so practically no friends but the ones I have online of course. My only real life friend is my cat, Saraphina, named after the cat from my favorite barbie movie. I love that I get to take her with me. If i’d have to give her up I might just cry. I love her so much and I know my parents to too. speaking of Saraphina, I need to go find her and put her in her cage. everything is almost packed up and we have a very, very long trip ahead of us.
It wasn’t hard to find her at all. She was curled up on a blanket in the box labeled ‘blankets’ I feel so bad. she has no clue what’s in store for her and my poor baby is gonna think she’s going to the vet. I scoop her up and she meows at me for disturbing her slumber. I walk to what once was my room, now white and empty and get her cage from the depths of my closet and place a blanket in the roomy cage with the free hand I have and place her sleeping body gently into the cage and close it. And with that i’m out the door of the empty house and in the backseat of the car. "do you ever think we'll be back?" I ask and my parents look back and me, then back at each other in silence and settle back in their seats. I guess not? rude.
