A HIGH SCHOOL LOVE AFFAIR

It is official, we are moving out today, and my groaning and slow movements are not going to help me pack my boxes. I knew my mom was not joking when she said I had only thirty minutes left before the moving agency starts loading our belongings into the car. This house is where I grew up, and it holds countless cherished memories. I did not want to let go, but it seems that today it all ends because I literally do not have a choice.

Honestly, I don't blame my dad. It's not his fault he got transferred to the Florida branch. I should be happy about his new promotion, but I feel so sad. As my role model, my dad has always been the pillar of our family, taking on the worst jobs to ensure our survival.

As an architect, he rarely earned millions of dollars, but he made sure we lived a great life here in Texas, and all of that is going to change today. Being the only girl and the youngest among my siblings, I guess I have been spoiled and pampered a lot by my dad.

"Hey, Milly bear, you better not get on mom's nerves today. She's already pissed as hell that she has to let go of that generational and legacy sofa because the moving service says it looks old and reeks of mildew," my elder brother Chad said, peeking through the hole in my door. I couldn't help but laugh. Chad was the type of person who always gives you a heads up when there's trouble. That sofa had belonged to my great-grandmother, and my mother won't just let it go. She claims it brings luck when you sit on it first thing in the morning.

"Where's Miles, by the way? I didn't see him at breakfast today." Miles was my other brother and the most annoying one among us. I looked behind Chad, hoping to catch a glimpse of Miles. "I really don't have any idea about his whereabouts, but I guess he's also packing," Chad replied with a shrug.

"Can you help me with these boxes?" I pointed towards the pile of boxes containing my belongings, ranging from clothes, bags, shoes, cosmetics, and, of course, my favorite books I handpicked from the public library. "Always the spoilt brat, huh?" Chad said with a chuckle. "But you love me," I replied with a wink, and he laughed. That's so typical of him; he really has a soft spot for me. But Miles was a different story. Let's just say he's the naughtiest in the family, always getting into one trouble after another.

I carried one of the boxes down the stairs, only to catch sight of my mother giving a series of orders to the moving crew. I added mine to the already piled-up boxes in the hallway and decided to sneak back up. Unfortunately, I collided with my mother halfway up the stairs. "And where do you think you're going in such a hurry, young lady?" I fidgeted with my fingers, a normal thing I do when I get caught doing something wrong.

"I need to move the rest of my boxes," I replied, wanting to leave immediately because the boxes wouldn't move themselves. "I will have your brothers handle that, but your father and I have a surprise for you outside," my mother said with a smile. "Are you sure?" She simply nodded and walked towards me. "I know what you are going through, my princess. You have just finished middle school and wished to attend the same high school as Daisy, your best friend. But it is for the best, my dear. You will make new friends, and life moves on, sweetie," she explained while giving me a hug.

"But I don't want new friends," I said with teary eyes. "You always want everything to be about you, Millie. You can be really selfish sometimes. I wonder why I got you as my little sister." Out of nowhere, Miles decided to grace us with his presence. We never got along. We were like a cat and a dog, constantly arguing. Sometimes, I wish Chad was my only brother.

"Choose your words wisely, son. Millie here is your younger sister, and it's your job to make sure she feels protected," Dad spoke with a wink. My father was a man of few words. Miles looked annoyed and stomped off. He's so childish sometimes. "Baby, did you tell her about the surprise?" Dad asked, and Mom nodded in response.

"Come with us, princess," Mom said, pulling me down the stairs together with my dad. They dragged me all the way to the terrace outside, and I couldn't see anything surprising other than the seven moving vehicles in front of our house.

"Millie..." I heard someone call my name and looked up, only to see Daisy running towards me. I'm really a bad friend. I can't believe I forgot about Daisy. "Is she the surprise?" I looked at my parents who winked and left me with Daisy.

"Were you going to leave without saying goodbye to your best friend?" Daisy accused, and I felt bad about myself. "I'm sorry, Daisy, but this is just too much to handle and overwhelming, and I don't really know what else to do."

"I forgive you, Millie, and I understand. My parents explained why you're moving with your family, and I don't blame you. But you have to promise that we are going to stay in touch with each other."

"I promise you, Daisy." With a tight hug, that's how I officially said goodbye to my best friend of fourteen years. Daisy and I have been best friends since our pre-school days.

I was playing games on my phone while Mom sat in the passenger seat, with my dad driving closely behind the moving vehicles. We had been on the road for more than five hours, and I was thankful that Mom stocked the car with our favorite snacks, which kept us reenergized.

Chad was fast asleep, while Miles was leaning in his seat with his AirPods plugged in, listening to his boring rock 'n' roll music. I rolled my eyes at him, and he showed me the middle finger to signal me to leave him alone.

We stopped about three times to refill the car's tank and grab more food. I scrolled through my phone, wanting to finish the story I had left unattended. While deeply engrossed in my phone, I received a message from Daisy asking whether I had reached our new place and how I liked it. I ignored the message and continued reading the story.

I don't literally know how I fell asleep along the way, but it was Chad's constant tapping on my shoulder that woke me up. "We are here, sleepyhead," Miles retorted, and I gasped as I saw the massive building we had pulled up in front of. My father really outdid himself this time. I had to adjust my glasses to get a good view of the house.

"Welcome to our new house," Dad said with a proud smile.