The sound of my dreadful alarm began to blare into my ears. Groaning, I covered my head with my warm blanket that kept me cocooned from reality and school. I would've stayed under my sheets forever if my mother's frantic packing and decluttering didn't wake me completely from my sleep. Who starts to pack two weeks before moving or at 6 a.m.! My feet slid slowly out from under my warm and comforting sheets onto my faux fur rug at my bedside. I yawned and stretched my arms behind my head as if I had just woken up from a century-long nap. Forcing myself to stand, I walked over to my vanity. Cracking my tired eyes open, I looked at the rats-nest on top of my head. My brown hair knotted itself in places that didn't even make sense. I tried to brush my hair as much as I could, but with every pull, it just caused more and more pain. I began to get annoyed, so I just threw it up into a messy bun. " I guess this is gonna be a 'bum' type of day." I grabbed my high school sweatshirt and some basic black leggings out of the rustic dresser placed across from my bed. I won't even bother to put on some makeup. I glanced at the mirror on the vanity and paused. I guess some mascara won't hurt, though. I grabbed my four-year-old backpack that still had the iron-pressed butterfly on the center pocket and slipped on some basic brown UGGs. I stopped at the white-painted door and glanced at my desk. The magazine article on "How To Make Bourbon Chocolates For That Special Someone" was sitting there taunting me. Knowing good and well there was no hope for us no matter how many chocolates I baked. I turned back to the door and opened it up to the hallway being filled with skeletons of boxes that will soon take my life away. My mood suddenly declined, even more than usual. The walls suddenly became empty. There were no more family photos, no more portraits of mom and dad's wedding, and no more hope. I looked back at the ground and headed down the wood-stained stairs. I was greeted by a living room full of packed boxes and in the middle sat my mom. Her hair was also in a messy bun, but she had a sort of perfect aspect about it. She wiped her sleeve across her forehead and saw me standing at the stairwell from the corner of her eye. She turned from the boxes and smiled hard enough to show her dimpled cheeks.
"Good morning sweety! How did you sleep?" She stood up from the small chair and maneuvered her way around the fortress of boxes she piled around her.
"I slept alright. I would have slept more, but it sounded like you were having so much fun down here, I decided to come to check on you." I obviously had some sarcasm behind that sentence and she knew that I was never a morning person, to begin with, but she just laughed along.
"Well, I'm glad you got up though. It's almost 6:30 and you know Dylan usually comes to pick you up at 6:45, so he can get to practice at 7."
She was right, but I hate that she talks about him as if he's just an asset. She knows we will most likely split up because of the move, but you know what she is doing? Packing two weeks ahead of time, that's what. I guess the silence got to her, so she just began talking again.
"I made breakfast if you want any. It's nothing special, just some waffles and toast since I wanted to get started pretty early." She giggled to herself. "You won't imagine how much stuff we have in storage! It's crazy..." She laughed again, but it soon came to silence once more. After a few seconds of awkward silence, I finally spoke, "Yeah mom, I'll grab some toast before I head outside." She smiled at me and went back to her spot in the fortress of boxes.
I walked outside and sure enough, there was Dylan leaning against his white Jeep. If only I could wake up every morning.
"Took you long enough, Fawn! I thought I would have to leave without you!" His voice broke my gaze. I walked over to him and wrapped my hands around his broad back inside his jacket. This is just where I want to be.
"You wouldn't leave without me." My voice was muffled, but I know he heard me because his hands came out of his pockets and around my waist.
"I guess you're right, but please don't make your boyfriend run laps in this cold weather… It really does suck."
We both laughed and climbed into the warmth of the Jeep. He glanced over at me and gave the signature goofy smile and placed his big hand in mine. It was so warm and I really hate that soon I will never be able to hold this hand again. Before I knew it, we were pulling into the student parking lot. The time with him has started becoming so short. Where did the time go? Our walks in the warm park filled with fields of flowers have become sheets of cold snow nipping at our memories. The sound of the Jeep cutting off made me realize his gaze on the side of my face. I looked up from his hand and met his eyes. He looked concerned and worried about me. I can't be sad because if I'm sad, he will start to become sad and I don't want that. I smiled at him, but his expression didn't change. His grip got tighter around my hand.
"How about he go somewhere on Saturday?" His voice sounded a bit shaky but firm.
"I have plans with my mom that day. We are having a dinner party with our neighbors before the move."
"Then we can go on Sunday morning! I don't have practice until that evening, so we can go to town or see a movie, maybe?"
"Sure." My smile felt forced.
"Okay great! I will see you after school then!" Dylan grabbed the same old duffle bag from the back seat and ran towards the soccer field. I sat in the Jeep which soon became cold. The smell of Dylan illuminated the air along with the smell of leather seats. I grabbed my bag and left the Jeep. Today I just wanted to drown in the sound of Math, English, Physics, just anything to stop me from thinking about this move.
Sure enough, 3 o'clock came faster than I wanted it to. As the bell rang, Dylan immediately stood up and came to my desk. This boy is like a whirlwind. You never know when he will blow down all the walls you so carefully put up to stop him, but he never fails to surprise me. He came up behind me and wrapped his muscular arms around me. He leaned on my shoulders while he rested his head on my head.
"Do you have to lean on me so much? You're heavy!" I pulled to the side, but his head just fell onto my shoulder instead.
"Awe, you don't have to be in such a sour mood. Is it because you couldn't brush your hair this morning?"
My expression became shocked, "How did you know I couldn't brush my hair out?"
He grabbed my bun and laughed, "You never put your hair in a bun unless it was untamable in the morning because you hate exposing your forehead."
It is insane how well this man knows me. I have never felt this strongly about someone ever in my life. He is my everything and the fact I have to let go so soon is killing me slowly. His eyes never broke from my face as if he was studying every detail about it. He then stood up and walked around to the desk in front of mine and turned the chair around to face my desk. He placed his elbows on my desk with his hands resting under his chin and gazed at me sternly.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" My voice definitely sounded anxious.
"Where is it?"
"Where is what?" I knew exactly what he was talking about, but I played dumb. I don't want to talk about Valentine's day.
"The magazine with the bourbon chocolate recipe?" his voice lowered and his eyes became menacing.
Turning my gaze elsewhere, I tried to answer like I no longer had it. "Oh, you mean that… I guess it got thrown away because I don't have it."
His gaze didn't falter. "You're a horrible liar, you know that right?"
"Okay! I still have it, but I don't know if I want to celebrate Valentine's this year." I broke. Why can't I ever lie to him? He always sees right through me no matter what I do. His grin suddenly fell. I could tell he was sad, but if I give him that chocolate I don't know what I would do. It will really feel as if it is over. I'm sorry Dylan... please let me keep these last few weeks like nothing is happening before I have to finally come to reality and break up with you.
"Okay, that's fine if you don't want to. We can always celebrate another year!"
You know that won't happen.
"Well I have to get to practice or the coach will get mad at me again. Remember our Final game is on Valentine's Day, so instead of celebrating that we can celebrate my win!" He flexed his arm and grabbed his bicep smiling as big as he could. I laughed at him.
"Let's hope so, big shot!"
He picked up his bag and smiled at me again. He then leaned in and kissed my forehead. The warmth of his lips was everlasting.