Page 7 of Along Came Summer

God, this really fucking sucks.

I stare at my dad, my brows fused so tight in agitation my temples start throbbing. One year is better than indefinitely, I suppose.

“Fine.” I grunt in response, making my displeasure over the whole thing damn clear to both of them before I turn and walk out of the living room.

“You might want to start packing, love!” My mum’s voice calls out after me as I make my way upstairs, stopping at the window at the top of the stairs overlooking the street. I look at Mira's house opposite ours and sigh.

Why does the thought of never seeing Mira again upset me more than everything else?

I walk to Devin's bedroom and see him sitting on the floor, knees up, his back resting against his bed, his head in his hands. There's an array of boxes scattered in his room, some empty, some half-packed, and others sealed. “Hey.” Devin lifts his eyes to look at me. He’s a fucking mess. He doesn't say a word, only nods in acknowledgement. “You alright?”

Devin shakes his head and briefly looks over at his window, “No, I’m not alright. This is bullshit, Levi. This is our home. Everything I know, everyone I love is here. How am I supposed to say goodbye to…” Devin carps irritably and shakes his head, swallowing the rest of his sentence. I can hear the heaviness of his emotions laced in his tone. “Everyone.” By everyone, he means Mira.

If I feel this shit, I don't even want to imagine how he must be feeling being much closer with her. Fuck, truthfully, I’d be devastated.

Sighing I lean my shoulder against the doorframe and nod meekly, “Yeah, I know bro, and as much as it pisses me off, I know they wouldn’t have taken a decision like this willy-nilly. They're doing what they believe is best for our family.”

Devin picks up a photo frame on the floor beside him and looks at it morosely, “No, they’re doing what’s best for them. They're selfishly ripping us away from our lives. I don't want to go to college in a foreign country and start all over. I want to stay here with my friends.”

“Devin, this is their home, they’re giving up a lot and leaving behind people they love too. What's the alternative? Dad moves out there and leaves Mum behind. Yeah, it might be fine for a little while, but eventually the travelling back and forth, the distance will become too much for them. Dad will come home less frequently, and they'll wind up divorcing. Is that what you want? Because I don’t.”

“Of course I don’t!” Devin snaps, lifting his heated gaze to mine. “Oh, but it’s easy for you to stand there and defend them isn't it? You only need to go out there for a year at most, and you can come back, but I can't. I’m stuck out there till I’m at least twenty. That's four fucking years!” Devin shouts, throwing the photo frame in his hand across the room. The glass shatters as it hits the wall and the frame falls to the floor in pieces.

Wincing I walk into the room and sit at the end of his bed and place my hand on his shoulder and squeeze it affectionately. “I can't imagine waking up every morning and not seeing Mira.” Devin confesses, his head falling back against the bed.

I look down at Devin, my jaw tightening. What am I supposed to say to comfort him when I can’t seem to find the words to pacify myself. How do I tell my brother that I’m feeling just as wretched over that same thought. That my life will lack the warmth and light her smile engenders. “Lucky for you we don't live in the dark ages. You see, we have this remarkable piece of technology called aphone,where believe it or not, you can talk to people all over the world whenever you want.” Devin’s eyes flutter open and he glares at me, clearly not amused by my snarky statement.

“It’s not the same as seeing her every day is it, dipshit. Tinks has been in my life since I've known myself.”

Yeah, mine too.

I only wish I could go back to a year ago when she was just the girl next door, nothing more than a friend, and my brother’s best friend. Back to a time when my eyes didn’t yearn to see her, or my fingers didn't itch to reach out and brush away that one stubborn strand of hair that keeps falling into her eyes.

I would give anything not to have these feelings.

Standing up from his bed, I step over the boxes strewn about his bedroom floor. “No, perhaps it’s not, but at least you can still talk to her. It's better than not hearing from her at all, right?”

Devin stares at the wall opposite, his mind drifting off someplace else. There’s a look on his face that I can’t read, and honestly I don't have the energy to try and figure it out. And I sure as shit don’t want to listen to him jabbering on about Mira, so I leave him to his brooding and go to my own room to start packing. I can't believe that this time next week some stranger will be occupying my room.

* * *

At precisely 1:46 PM, two days later, the moving truck and transport to the airport roll upto the house. As I roll my suitcases out the front door, I gear myself up for heading over to the Evans’ to say goodbye to Mira. I’ve put it off long enough and I can't leave without saying goodbye to her. Across the street I spot Ayla, Mira's older sister, leaving the house and walk over to her.

Uncle Noah and Aunt Kate are helping my parents shift the last of the boxes into the truck to be shipped over to Singapore.

“Hey, Levi.” She greets me, her eyes shifting from me to look over at the moving truck.

“Hey, Ayls.”

“Wow, this is happening, huh? You guys are really leaving.” Looking back over my shoulder at the moving truck and our suitcases being piled into the taxi, I nod.

“Yep, it sure looks that way.” Ayla offers a sympathetic smile when I turn my attention back to her.

“It’s going to be weird not having you guys around. Even weirder to see other people living in your house.” I don’t know how I managed it, but I force a smile on my face. Ayla pouts, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Who's going to steal my dad’s fancy wine and sneak off to the promenade in the middle of the night to get drunk with me and then go TP my ex’s houses? Or give me shit over dating fuck boys who only wind up breaking my heart?”

Laughing, I stuff my hands into my pockets and shake my head, “Shh, we took an oath to keep that between us, remember? Though, you do have shocking taste in boys, Ayls. But hey, I'll always be one call away if you ever need me to give you shit, alright?” Ayla chuckles and steps in to hug me when I hold out my arms to her. “You deserve someone who will move mountains for you, don’t you go letting anyone convince you otherwise, you hear?”

Ayla nods, “I’m really going to miss you, Levi.” I hear her mumble against my shoulder.

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