We were at the airport, dropping off Arden. He got his bags; I wrapped my arms him, " I'll miss you so much."
He hugs me back and spins me around." I'll miss you too Bree."
I tried to hold back my tears.My brother is leaving to attend, our dad's wedding.
Arden started pushing me away, "okay okay , we will see each other in Seattle. It's just a few weeks."
I tighten my grip and answered back "few weeks, are too much."
Arden was going to stay in Seattle with me and mom till. He starts university, next year.
My brother gave up, and let his arms fall limp. I eventually let go of my brother. We shared a laugh.
"Hey how did Colton, react to you not wanting to go to Grandview University?" I asked him.
"He was mad, but he was extremely happy when he found out you and mom are moving to Seattle. Apparently it sounded like a fair trade to him. " He just shocked his head, while I laughed." I'm surprised he didn't reach out to you?"
I smiled, "No he did, he keeps telling me the places we should visit." I confessed.
I started to hear clicking of heels sounding louder and louder. "Son, I'll miss you so much." My mom kissed his forehead.
"Mom." He growled.
"You know Bree it's not too late. To board the plan with me. To support dad." Arden tried to convince me. I acted as if I was thinking about it.
"Nope." I answered him back, he wasn't really shocked at my response, but he didn't protest either.
He started to walk away than he turned around "One last thing." He rubbing his hands together  and he titled his head " You sure you want to drop out of the Dragon Ball."
I took in a breath and I nodded my head. "I have to live for me. I only did kick boxing to please your dad." I saw him wince at my the last words. "I know it might seem selfish, but once I left there was a burdened lifted." I continued with my speech.
My brother wrapped his arms around me. To give me a huge. That put a brakes to my words.
"Thank you for understanding." I whispered back to him. He walked towards our mom and gave her a kiss on the cheeks.
He picked up his luggage. Then looked at us one more time and said "Okay bye guys got to go." He waved us goodbye. We did the same.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We walked into our empty house. Our furniture was already shipped, to our new house in Seattle. My mom found us a place. She went to Seattle, with Arden to check out, these different homes. While I stayed back in Denver.
"I can't wait to leave, this town behind." I told my mom.
"The town or your problems?" My mom asked, as she followed behind me.
"Both."
"You've been in a better mood ever since, you exchanged words with Tolan. "My mom said. "Come let's sit in the living room and chat."
We walked towards the camping chairs. "How you feel about Lydia and Tolan."
I really sat there and thought about, from a neutral point of view. Not from the perspective of a scored person. "Well mom I belief it's a perfect ending, to a perfect love story. However the gage is it was never mine."
''What do you mean?'' My mom tilted her head as she questioned.
''Do you know the funny, thing about life is. The author's only intention was, for you to be a catalyst, in other people's life problem's. That was your role in their life, was just to be collateral damage. The story was not mine...... It's like you were placed in that, character's life to delay their destiny." I paused for a moment to suppress my tears.
"Even if you wanted it more, than the main character did. Here you were thinking you were the main chic.....I mean character , but you were the side this whole time. Here you are alone grieving and in pain.'' My mom pulled me in for a huge.
My mom butted in "Your not alone . I'm here." She reached for my hand.
A smile grew on my face, but I continued, "it's like the author never cared about you and you are damaged and you can't even console yourself. Hoping it blows up in their face, is your form of revenge. You watch some other character live, your dream and you must sit back and watch. The role, you auditioned for. That hurts it really does."
I know I sounded like a scored, person towards the end. Even so I can't help how I feel.
My mom rubbed my shoulder, " You feel better? After talking about it?"
I nodded My head "yeah very much. How do you, know that would help me? "
"Because you need to release yourself and not keep things bottled up." She stood up "So what, happened between you and Analia."
"Mom I'm going to see her later today. Plus is a long flight to Seattle." I started to go upstairs
"Baby I love you and you deal with all of this like a champ." She gave me a beaming smile " I would have been rushed to the mental asylum, if I were in your shoes." As soon as my mom said that I ran downstairs, and gave her a huge hug. We stood like that for a while.
"Don't forget to pack up all your stuff we are leaving 8:00pm for our flight." She said to me after our hug.
"Speaking of bottling things up? Can I ask you something?" I bite my lip. Trying to control my breathing. My mom nodded
"Are you disappointed that I didn't get through with the Dragon Ball." I crossed my arms in front of my body and leaned back.
My mom's shoulders slumped "It would have been nice to see you participate. My mom imparted "But I respect your decision"
I tucked my hair behind my ear "Mommy, I have to do this for me."Â My mom gave me a kiss on my forehead and gave me a tight-lipped smile.
"I know." She whispered. Stood up, and walked away.
It felt like I was walking around in a dark room wondering. Feeling for a light switch. The light switch WONDERINGÂ if I made the right choice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I haven't talked to Analia ever since our fight. I've been avoiding her. Plus she was doing the same. Now that I'm leaving this town. I have the courage to see her. As the uber parked in front of her house I saw a bunch of people.
Was this a party? but for who? and why? I walked into the house, my head swirling, looking for her. I should have called her. I mentally scowled at myself.
I was looking for her for over 15 minutes. It didn't take me long to realize it was a farewell, party for her. Finally, I spotted her blond head in the crowd, I walked towards her. She was dancing with Ace. She was laughing, I debated whether or not I should just walk away. But this has been my best friend since Forever.
I walked over to her and tapped her on her shoulder. Her eyes widened in shock, I leaned over to her and yelled "We need to talk!" She nodded her head. I just made eye contact with Ace.
She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. And I went off following her. We entered her room it was a bit quieter.
"Hi" she waves awkwardly, her smile a bit forced
"Hi, nice party, so glad. I got to find out about it on my own."Â I shot at her. Analia had a tightly lined smile.
"Look the reason..." She tried to explain, but I lifted my finger to stop her.
"I'm not here for conflict. I'm here to know where we stand with each other." I looked at Analia's face. I didn't want to beat around the bush. I needed to know, what she felt and where she stood.
She started to look quite like a kid caught, with their hand in a cookie jar. "I love you so much. But I LOVED the distance between us more." She paused "I've been so dependent on you, now that I'm not with you. I can figure myself out." She sat on the bed. "I will always appreciate, what you did for me. But I need to spread my wings, to see how wide they go."
I ran a hand through my hair, "I know, that's why you are having double dates. With my ex and his new boo." I was talking as in a matter-of fact tone of voice.
"Look, I didn't want to, but Ace forced me ...."
"It's fine I have argued enough over this month. Really I have." I leaned against the wall " Do what you want. Find yourself don't let me stunt your growth."
"I never said you stunted my growth" Analia defended
"But you implied it." I said in a calm voice "Look I'm going to leave, but before I go. I need to get this off my chest. This might not mean anything to you right now. But it will mean something in the future. I love and care for you because you were part, of the most important moments of my life. I don't love you anymore till the point. I would take a bullet for you, but enough to say you, meant a lot to me."
Analia stood up, "This isn't goodbye. Sure, I'm moving away. And I don't want us to be joined at the hip like we used to be. However, we can still have access to each other." She stood up and gave me a hug. ''Who knows maybe, when I come to visit my mother, we could hang out."
I wanted to tell her my mother is moving. And I'm moving with her. But then I thought to myself, the reason. I wanted to leave in the first place. To leave my past behind, forever was just the memories.
''Yeah maybe.'' I said, forcing a smile that felt more like a mask than anything real.
Deep down in my heart. This goodbye was painful because, I would never say hello to her again. This was final. I just knew it.
That feeling was right. That was the last ever time. I heard from her. No face time or text messages or calls.
However, I never regretted meeting her. She kept me sane. I just wish we would have lasted forever. But I respected her wishes.
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I sat in the airplane staring out the window, crying and laughing at my memories. I shared with my friends. Moving on is a simple thing, but what it leaves behind is hard. I will forever cherish the experiences, cause they gave me something to remember.
When I saw myself in the reflection of that window. I found the light switch.
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Author's note
This is the last chapter of the book. It was fun exploring these characters' stories.
When writing the end of Analia's and Bree's friendship. It personally made no sense to end it. In any other way. Because sometimes friendships run their courses. Not because it was toxic, but because they needed two different things.
And I respect anyone who is mature enough to admit it and for the other one to accept it
Please go check out my other book my book Thoughtful Thoughtless Thoughts