Chapter 8: The Farewell
I tried to calm my mind, but the thought of Oli leaving in just two days wouldn't leave me. She wasn't just a friend; she was my childhood friend, someone who had been with me through every moment of growing up. We were inseparable, closer than anyone else, even my mom. As I lay there, staring at the ceiling, the doubt crept in: would I ever be as close to anyone else as I was with Oli?
Frustration built up inside me. I grabbed my pillow, buried my face in it, and punched it a few times, hoping that would make me feel better, but it didn't. The more I tried to calm down, the more restless I became. Sleep, I thought, maybe if I sleep, my mind will quiet down. But no matter how hard I tried, sleep wouldn't come. This only made me more frustrated.
Feeling like I had no other choice, I got out of bed and went to the terrace. The night air was cool, and the sky was bright even though it was only a half-moon. For a moment, I thought the fresh air might help me clear my head, but my thoughts still circled around Oli. I took out my phone and opened my gallery. As I scrolled through the photos, I realized that almost every picture was of me and Oli. From when we were kids to just a few days ago, there we were, smiling, laughing, sharing every moment together.
I had always considered myself an emotionally strong person. I rarely cried. But now, looking at these photos, I could feel the sadness bubbling up inside me. I quickly shut my phone and closed my eyes, but it didn't help. The memories of all the happy times with Oli rushed back. Tears silently started pouring from my eyes. I tried to hold them back, but it was no use. The weight of her leaving was too much to bear.
After some time, I returned to my room and lay on my bed again, staring at the ceiling once more. Eventually, exhaustion took over, and I fell into a restless sleep. In my dream, I found myself sitting in a park with Alaric. We were eating, and he was smiling—a strange sight because I rarely saw him smile. For a moment, it felt peaceful. But then the dream shifted. In the next part, I saw Oli. She had already gone to Japan, and when she returned, she didn't remember me. It was as if all the memories we had shared had disappeared from her mind. I groaned in my sleep, feeling a deep sense of loss even in the dream.
When I woke up the next morning, the events of the previous day came rushing back to me. I sighed deeply, my head falling into my hands. "Please, Oli, don't leave me," I muttered under my breath, though I knew it wouldn't change anything.
Mom's voice called from outside my door. "El, are you awake?"
I took a deep breath and tried to shake off the lingering sadness. "Yes, Mom. I'm coming down in a bit," I replied.
I went through the motions of brushing my teeth and getting ready for the day, but my mind was somewhere else entirely. I couldn't stop thinking about Oli, about her leaving. I wanted to call her, to hear her voice, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I wasn't ready for that conversation. Instead, I left my phone on the table and headed downstairs, feeling a heavy weight in my chest.
As soon as Mom saw me, she frowned. "El, you've got dark circles under your eyes. Did you not sleep properly?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.
I didn't respond. I wasn't sure what to say. Everything still felt so raw.
Seeing my gloomy expression, Mom came over and pulled me into a tight hug. "Don't worry, El. Everything will be all right," she said, her voice soft and comforting.
I rested my head on her shoulder, feeling a slight sense of relief from her warmth. "Mom, what will I do without Oli?" I asked quietly, my voice barely above a whisper.
Mom gently patted my cheek and looked into my eyes. "El, things don't always go the way we want them to. People come into our lives, and sometimes they have to leave. It's hard, but it's something you'll learn to handle. You'll have to find a way to move on, even if it seems impossible now."
I didn't say anything, but her words stuck with me. I knew she was right, but that didn't make it any easier. I sat down at the table and tried to eat breakfast, but I wasn't very hungry. I managed to eat a few bites, though, and surprisingly, it did help calm me down a little. I headed to the door to put on my shoes, and as I tied my laces, I noticed that Mom was watching me. I usually didn't tie my laces myself, so she looked a bit surprised. I guess even small things like this were starting to change.
On the way to school, my thoughts were filled with one thing: how would I say goodbye to Oli? Could I ever truly forget her? The questions kept swirling in my mind, but I couldn't find any answers. Before I knew it, I was standing in front of the school. The bell had already rung, and the ground was empty, but I hadn't even noticed. My mind was too far away.
When I entered the classroom, the teacher hadn't arrived yet. Oli rushed to me as soon as I walked in. Her face was as sullen as mine, and I could tell she hadn't slept well either. We stood there in silence, not knowing what to say. Finally, Oli broke the silence. "I'm sorry, El," she said softly.
I wanted to cry right there, but I held back. "Don't apologize, it's not your fault," I mumbled. I swallowed hard and asked the question that had been weighing on my mind. "When are you leaving?"
"My flight is at 10 in the morning tomorrow," Oli replied, looking down. "But I'll be leaving for New York today after lunch. The flight's from there."
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. She couldn't even look me in the eyes. Before I could say anything else, the teacher arrived. I glanced around the classroom and noticed something surprising—Alaric was sitting on the second bench today, quietly studying like always.
I sat down at my desk, barely hearing the teacher greet the class. Alaric turned to me and said, "Good morning," but I could only manage a mumbled "Morning" in return.
The next couple of periods passed in a blur. I didn't hear the attendance, and I had no idea what the teacher was talking about. My mind was somewhere else, lost in thoughts of Oli and how everything was changing so quickly. During the breaks, Oli didn't come to me, and I didn't have the courage to go to her. A few students came up to me, knowing Oli was leaving, but they didn't say much when they saw my expression.
Finally, the lunch bell rang, snapping me out of my daze. I stood up, ready to face what I had been dreading all day. Just as I started to gather my thoughts, a voice came from the door.
"Excuse me, ma'am, I'm here to take Olivia," someone called out. It was Oli's mom.
My heart skipped a beat. Oli was leaving. I turned to her, and she looked at me with a forced smile. "Goodbye, El," she said softly, her voice trembling.
I couldn't hold back anymore. I hugged her tightly, and a single tear slipped from my eye. I tried to hide it by pressing my face into her shoulder. "Goodbye, Oli," I whispered, my voice cracking.
The entire class was silent. Everyone knew how close we were, and they could feel the weight of the moment. Oli gave me a small smile, then pulled away and playfully tugged on my nose. "Take care of yourself," she said gently. "And don't get into any more fights, okay?"
I managed a weak smile in return, and then, just like that, Oli left.
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