1 - It's Not Greenview

It was an uncomfortably hot Sunday, which usually meant that the flea market was empty, but today it was surprisingly busy.

I guess with summer arriving in the next few days, people wanted to spruce up their houses and yards. The brightest people knew the best place to do this was at the monthly flea market.

I ran my hand across a newly restored dresser. I love how much care people put into these projects. How they choose something already beautiful in their eyes and they make it shine again. That was the other great thing about the flea market. You get to meet the people who made each piece.

"This will be the perfect piece to add to my collection," my dad shouted from around the corner. He always got louder when he got excited about something.

Just moments ago, he had been happily chatting with my mom about how this other perfect piece would make a great centrepiece, but he was doing it at a reasonable volume. Now, I knew he was about to make a purchase because he was practically shouting.

Looking over at the large desk that he was raving about, I wondered where in the world he thinks he is going to put it since there is no more room in our house.

Sighing, knowing we would be here for a while, I tuned out the noise and leaned against a soft recliner, venturing into my daydreams about the novel that I finished last night. Another handsome saviour and strong woman fell in love, despite everything. I always liked the "despite everything" because it proved that love does conquer all. My friends liked to make fun of me for being a hopeless romantic, but I always believed that when you found the one, that was it.

You would look into their eyes, and everything would just click, and you would find yourself drawn to that person despite everything. I know that is entirely unrealistic, but a girl can dream about having that perfect love. I sighed, thinking of Mike again. How could I turn that goofy boy who barely notices me into that handsome saviour?

During my daydream, my parents had travelled closer to me and had found me against the recliner. I was shocked out of my state when my dad carelessly shoved me off of the chair and sat down, sinking into it.

"This will be perfect for the new shop!"

Jeez, how many more things does he think he can fit into the house? I giggled at his ridiculousness before I noticed my parents staring at me with worried expressions.

What? I know they think I am a bit off in my own world sometimes; however, they usually don't stare at me with such apprehension.

Wait. Did my dad just say shop?

I turned; my voice was soft. As it always was. "Sorry? The new shop?"

My mom hit my dad on the shoulder, and he glanced down. I almost laughed. If they didn't want me to notice, they should have continued their conversation normally. Obviously, this had been something they were planning to hide from me for a little bit longer.

"Oh," my dad said, "I didn't think you were listening."

I giggled, "I wasn't, but you have to tell me now!"

My mom looked nervous. "Well, your dad and I finally bought a shop for your dad's business. It was the perfect location at a trendy strip mall, and we couldn't pass up the opportunity!"

Why would she be looking so worried? This was great news! I grinned, my dad had wanted a shop for so long. He restores old pieces like the ones at the flea market. Usually, he had his pieces here, but today had been different.

I had not questioned it until now, but maybe he wanted to save his pieces for the new shop. I leaned over the recliner's armrest, pulling my dad into a big hug. They should know I would be happy for them, why was he acting so hesitant? He almost didn't hug me back.

"Dad! A shop! This is so exciting for you! When it opens, could I help? I am so excited! Which mall is it?" The questions spilled out of me. I wanted them to know how happy for them I was. I always took a considerable interest in dad's business. Why else would they think I would come to the market with them month after month?

My parents still didn't say anything, and I faltered. "Don't tell me its Greenview... Dad, that one is so far away!"

"It's not Greenview."

My heart began beating faster. I did not panic often, but my parents were usually very open to me. What was so bad they couldn't tell me?

I backed away from my parents slightly, and I looked at my mom. She was always braver than my dad. Both my parents were extremely kind, but my dad was a huge softie, so he always avoided telling me the bad news. My mom was a nurse, and she was a little bit better at bad news.

"It's actually in New Mexico. We have to move, sweetheart; I'm so sorry." She spoke slowly, but everything felt like it was coming at me at a rapid speed after that moment.

My heart dropped into my stomach, and I felt dizzy. The dreams of the perfect summer before my junior year flew away before I could even grasp on to the first moments. Any ideas of my first kiss, lake days with friends, adventures that we had planned, it all just vanished.

The world suddenly seemed too big, and I had to get to a familiar place, or I was going to break down in the middle of a flea market. It probably wasn't smart for me to run away from my parents, who were calling me back to talk, but it was the only thing I could do.

I wasn't a fighter. In a fight or flight situation, I was the first one to get away. The flea market was close to my school, which meant I had many options, but I knew only one place where I would feel safe, where I could get my wild emotions back in check before I talked to my parents.

So, I ran to Carla's house. I wasn't much of an athlete, but my adrenaline carried me there much faster than I thought possible.

I think my dad had chased after me for a few minutes but stopped when he could no longer overtake me. Or maybe he saw where I was heading.

Carla had been my best friend since diapers, and at this moment, I needed her more than I ever had. She was the one friend that I could always count on, and even though we had grown since then, our friendship had mattered more to us than any changes in our lives.

Carla's mom was at the door when I arrived on their lawn. She must have seen me running from the kitchen window, where she always was. I collapsed into her arms, and she held me tight as a mother would do for her daughter.

They had always treated me like family here, and even now, when my world was suddenly falling apart, I felt like I was home the minute Carla's mom brought me inside.

My mind felt blurry, but it got a bit clearer when I started to help with dinner. Okay, I was used to this; this was normal. Then I stayed for dinner, eating with Carla's mom and little sister, Sadie. Then Sadie and I made their families special homemade pudding that smelt like my childhood.

Carla had still not come home, and I was not sure where she was, but I would sit and wait for her because I could not stand the thought of talking to my parents. Not without talking to Carla first. I was always the emotional one. I thought with my heart and not my head, Carla would tell me. I needed her to ground me before I went and had a discussion about moving.

A little after Sadie had gone to bed, Carla's mom sat me in the living room and took my long blonde hair out of the ponytail that I always had it in. She braided my hair like she had done when I was little, and I told her about how we were moving.

I had a feeling from her reaction that she knew, but that didn't stop her from crying with me. She was a second mom to me, and even though missing out on my last two years of high school with my friends would make me incredibly sad, losing this may be just as bad.

My tears had dried up when Carla got home, but my eyes didn't stay dry for long.

"You're moving?" Carla repeated, her voice thick with emotion.

I nodded, letting it sink in as well.

"I only found out this afternoon. I don't even know when or where, but I'll be two states away. I came straight here, I didn't know what else to do," I croaked, the tears fully back.

We hugged tightly and cried together. When the tears would dry for a few moments at a time, we would spend time reminiscing about all our favourite adventures together, and even though I did not know when I was leaving, we still made a bucket list of things to do this summer.

"We will have a perfect summer!" Promised Carla. I wasn't too sure if I felt the same way, but I agreed.

Later in the night, I cried about my lost love with Mike. "I guess that dream is over!" I had a feeling it would be hard for me to get over Mike, considering that I had been crushing on him for at least the last six years. Even though I had not done anything about it yet, I had just turned sixteen, and I felt that this summer was going to be it.

I felt I was finally ready to put myself out there instead of hiding behind the romances in a book.

I noticed Carla's face got beat red. "I guess so." Her face only got that red when she was lying or hiding something. My stomach started to churn at ideas of where she could have been.

"Hey, Carla, where were you tonight?"

She sighed. "I guess it doesn't matter anymore! I was on a date with Mike. But it doesn't matter cause you are leaving anyway, so it's no big deal, right?"

My eyes felt like they were going to bulge out of my head.

"I just don't get it, Betty! Your life is fashion and modelling and photography, and for god sake, you're confident in everything you post and wear, but you never made a move! Not once!"

I am not sure if she was trying to convince herself or me that it was fine that she went on a date with Mike tonight. Either way, I felt betrayed. Sure, I couldn't stop her from doing what she wanted, and sure, I had never acted on it, but Carla knew I liked him! She knew the whole time.

"What?" I asked, my voice breaking.

"Oh, don't give me that look! You always know how to look like a puppy that I just kicked! I'm sorry, Betty! I am, but he asked me, and I like him too. I have liked him for a while now, but I was too scared to tell you because you liked him too."

"Oh," I said, gathering my things. I needed to go home. This was too much. Too much for one day.

I knew I should be happy for Carla, it was her first date, but I just felt betrayed.

"Betty, stop it, I know you love those romance novels, but life isn't like that! You're not going to find your Prince Charming chasing after a guy who never gave you the time of day. He gave ME the time of day, though, so I pursued it. This is not my fault."

I walked home.

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2039

"Yeah we

Could've, should've, would've been falling in love right now

But you're not here, and I'm not there so I'm thinking how we

Could've, should've, would've been" - brigetta

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