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We walked in sync towards the large doors of Collinsville High School, me, Brittany, and Nathaniel. Nathaniel and Brittany seemed to be having the best conversation about the color of Brittany's dress for the then upcoming Summer Bash. I had about enough of listening to the color purple, and what would go well with it. So I simply turned on my heel and stomped off, calling over my shoulder, "I hope you three are very happy together!" I didn't think it was very funny, but Nathaniel started cracking up, yet Brittany held a look of, "She's retarded." stamped on her face. My over-sized lips turned to the side as I turned my gaze forward, nearly bumping into a gorgeous, all-perfect-yet-cool, Alexis Cundiff. Her short curls bounced as she pivoted on her heel away from me, shooting a smile back towards my face, which seemed to be plastered in a look of "Yo, back off." The moment ended quickly, and I kept moving towards the doors. It seemed to take forever before I got to my locker, since everyone was stopping me every few steps to mention how great that summer was going to be, blah blah blah. I just nodded and quietly mumbled a few words of greatness, "Yup, totally." Eventually I seemed to escape the crowd of summer lovers when I felt a disturbance behind me. I slammed my locker and turned over my right shoulder so slowly, and you could almost hear the drum roll. In front of me stood Nathaniel's cousin Owen. Owen was at least four inches shorter than me, with a fake southern accent. He smiled at me and opened his arms for a hug. I was unmoved and nodded towards him, only admiring his presence slightly. Owen frowned and dropped his arms, though of course he didn't just give up. He snapped his fingers across his chest and then winked at me as he said, "Lookin' good today, Co." I chewed on my cheek and let my face read how bored I was. I raised my right hand above my shoulder as Owen waited patiently for either a slap or a wave. I stood there with my hand raised for a moment or two, considering my next move. Owen was just about to flinch away from me when Nathaniel walked up beside me and tugged on my forearm with a slight nod over to Brittany, who mouthed, "GET. OVER. HERE." very dramatically. I blinked and then nodded, then used my raised hand to wave at Owen. "Later, kid." I say softly before turning towards Nathaniel, who was pulling me towards Brittany. He was mumbling under his breath about his cousin as we made our way to the goddess that was Britt. "He totally loves you." Brittany said in my ear quietly before she turned to stare intensely at Nathaniel and I, "Hm?" I heard sound the from my mouth, and Nathaniel made a gesture to go on. Brittany sighed and then kicked on of her high heels back with a slight squeal, "I'm moving to Texas!" she said, making Nathaniel's breath catch. My jaw didn't drop, and I didn't move at all. Not too stunned, since her father was a businessman and switches locations every few years. I stepped towards her and placed a small hand on her shoulder, "When did you get the bad news?" I said sarcastically. Brittany giggled and said, "Just now, actually! My mom called and said that my dad was being transferred." Nathaniel just stood there, in complete shock. "When are you leaving?" he said with a few blinks, his eyelashes cast shadows across his cheekbones. Brittany smiled and said, "As soon as I pack my stuff. I'm sooooo excited, I've always wanted to go to Texas! I mean, I've visited before, since my a lot of my family lives there, and it was always so pretty and it's so. big-" I cut in immediately, "That's what she said." Nathaniel's shocked expression broke as he laughed quietly, and Brittany rolled her eyes then continued, "But all of my family is out there, and so many people I miss, I'm so excited!" Then her perfect face fell into a perfect sad face as she said, "The downside is that I'll miss you guys. A lot. I mean, what will you do without me? I can't believe I'm just going to leave you guys hanging like this! I'm such a horrible person..." You could see that she really didn't mind that terribly much, but I knew she did mind at least a tad, and that was an entertaining thought: Her caring. Nathaniel frowned and slid an arm around her torso, hugging her to his side. "We'll be fine." he said quietly as he glanced up at me. I shrugged while Brittany was distracted by his omg-so-strong-arm was around her. Maybe we would be fine, it didn't really matter. It's not like we were all that best of friends, me and Nathaniel. We only hung out when Brittany was there. We would forget each other the moment school ended anyway. After Brittany dropped the bomb, we all made our way through our half-day of school without speaking much. We all had the same classes then, but I usually sat in the front. They always drifted towards the back of the room. By the time school was over, everyone was jumping with excitement. The bell rang loudly, exclaiming the entire high school's freedom. I was excited for summer, but I just didn't have anything exciting planned, so I wasn't all that buzzed about it. I was the only person that seemed to be walking slowly down the halls of CHS, grasping at my jean backpack like it was my life. I had cleaned out my locker and dumped everything in my bookbag, which Brittany thought was very uncleanly. I shrugged her off as usual and Nathaniel stood there, silently. Anyway, the bag was weighing down on my back, so I had to stop and slide over to the wall of orange lockers and sit down. Nobody noticed me, since everyone was too busy calling and texting and jumping and singing and screaming and laughing and smiling and exclaiming that finally, the summer was here. And as everyone around me moved full speed ahead, I stayed put and thought to myself, They do know that the actual season doesn't start till like the middle of June, right? I gazed up at the short shorts and tanky tops that everyone was wearing, and shook my head. Of course not. I thought with a sigh. After the halls had mostly cleared out, I stood up and began my trod down the stairs and outside. I passed a few nerds, gave a few high-fives to people that I didn't know, and smiled at everyone that passed me. Even though I couldn't have the summer of a lifetime, I might as well let everyone else have a good start, right? After a long struggle throughout the campus, I noticed that Brittany and Nathaniel waited for me. I had let out a small burst of hope that maybe the summer won't be too bad, with my friends - but then the thought vanished. Brittany was leaving for Texas, and Nathaniel was probably going to awesome camp or something. I didn't know, but I kept the weight of sadness on my shoulders as I pushed into Brittany's small Mercedes Benz. Brittany and Nathaniel seemed to hold onto this tense feeling the entire ride to Brittany's house. I left my bag in her car, I couldn't bare to hold it anymore. Nathaniel was too quiet, and Brittany was talking too much. I could tell they had spoken about Brittany moving, and they were either both sad or pissed. Or both, maybe sad about her leaving, pissed about her leaving, or whatever. I ignored it and fell onto Brittany's large, purple comforter, and Nathaniel sat cross-legged in her green fuzzy chair. Brittany held up a finger for us to wait a moment as she practically leaped out of her room and down the stairs, and left us with the feeling that we might have had all summer, of her being gone. Then, suddenly, she zipped back in the room, arms full of bags and her hands held two suitcases. Her mom soon followed in behind her with multiple boxes. I stayed put as everyone else shoved things in boxes so everything will fit, and Brittany mumbled girlishly about all of these clothes she probably won't wear in Texas, because she'll be a new person in Texas, and that Texas is where her life will start, and Texas Texas Texas. Finally, after they were done, and they stopped complaining about me not helping, I made my way outside and pulled my bag from Brittany's always unlocked car and waited for the goodbye that was about to come. Nathaniel filed out with Brittany, and her mom stayed back, packing box after box of their belongings. I let my eyes wash over their house, perfectly yellow and perfectly perfect looking, and frowned. That morning, if you would have asked me what my plans were for the summer, I would have said, "Hanging out with my friend Brittany and swimming constantly - with my friend Brittany." Thinking back on it, it's so sad that I relied on my friend that much. I snapped my head to the side, seeing Brittany walk towards me with tears in her eyes. I flinched and turned towards her, ignoring Nathaniel, who appeared from behind her with-probably Brittany's-lipstick smudged on his upper lip. Me and Brittany hugged each other tight, Brittany whispered to me.."Colette, you will always and forever be my best friend. I know we are different people and that we've always had our differences, but I know that in the end, you're the one that is there for me. I love you, girl." I didn't fight back tears, they never came. But she, well... she was soaking my tiny shoulder. I replied quickly before letting go of her small figure, "Stay gorgeous, alright?" Somehow, as I stood there in front of my former best friend and her boyfriend, staring at their broken expressions, I noticed that I didn't mind if Brittany left-or Nathaniel left. Brittany nodded to me and smiled, wiping at her eyes, then she kissed Nathaniel one last time and moved in to the house fast. It was like ripping off a band-aid, you had to do it now or never. Nathaniel was facing me, his eyes locked on my face when I looked up at him. "What?" I said quietly, regretting the slight squeak in my voice. He took a deep breath and let it out, and I smelled his toothpaste. "I'm not going to miss her." He said in the most steady voice I've ever heard. My eyes widened and I turned toward him completely, giving him my full attention. "'Heh?" I whispered, "Nonono!" he said, raising his palms to the skies. "She's perfect, she's soo perfect, and of course in.. some sense I will. But not really, not completely." I blinked and waited for a better explanation before I realized the look on his face. True, like he had let something go that he had wanted to forever. He wasn't going to miss her, of course not. She did horrible things to him, and I never blamed him. So I nodded and puffed out my cheeks, took a few steps away from him, and pointed down the road. "Onward." I mumbled. I turned on my heel and pressed forward, grabbing at my backpack so tight I was afraid of it com-busting. Nathaniel didn't follow. But I heard, among the spring wind, him whisper very softly, "Onward."
I didn't go home. I thought I was, but I ended up turning away from my street and heading to the park.
