When we all got home the town is decorated for the win, with signs in every window saying congratulations to the team.  They are like movie stars in our small town.  The mayor put on a parade the next weekend and a huge potluck party in the school gym.

I love our small town and everything that represents it.  That’s why the summer before we would enter junior high I was devastated when my parents told me we were moving out of state.  My dad had gotten a new job in Michigan and we were moving there after the summer.  When I told Mackenna we cried together for two hours.  My brother was leaving for college so he wasn’t affected by it.

It is the happiest I have seen my parents in years so I thought maybe this would fix their marriage and we could be a happy family.  I don’t want to leave my friends but if it is going to make my family better it will be worth it.

The day of my move Trent, Bryan and Mackenna sit on the driveway with me watching all my stuff get loaded in the moving van.  Bryan puts his arm around Mackenna as she cries and I stay firm not letting the boys see me cry.  Trent is quiet keeping to himself.

Doug, Gabe and the other teammates throw a ball back and forth with my brother in the front yard.  Jack doesn’t care, he is leaving for college in a couple weeks.  Since almost all of his friends are attending State he will see them soon enough.  Not me though.  I am saying good-bye to my friends forever.  I am moving six hours away and I am only twelve.

After the van is packed up we all watch it pull away from my now empty house.  I think of the new family moving in and if they have a girl my age.  Would she take my place with my friends?  Would they accept her after I am forgotten?

“Jack, Maddy?  It’s time to go.”  My dad announces at the car.

Bryan walks over first embracing me.  He squeezes me tight.  “I’ll miss you Maddy.  Good luck in Michigan.”  He says in my ear.

Next is Mackenna “I don’t know what I am going to do without you.  Take this but don’t open it until you get in the car.  I did it for you last night and it’s perfect.”  She hands me a piece of paper.  She crashes into me throwing her arms around me making me step back.  I giggle a little.  “I love you Maddy.  Write me and call me every day.  You hear me?  Everyday Maddy.”  She says between sobs.

I can barely breathe at this point.  It is all I can tell her. “I promise Kenna.  I love you too.”

She turns walking away from me and Bryan leads her down the driveway a bit consoling her.  I stand there wiping my eyes and I see Trent.  We both know it is his turn to say good-bye but we can’t do it so we stand there staring at each other.  This boy has turned into my best friend over the past year and I don’t think I will ever find someone like him again and I don’t want to.  Suddenly big arms surround me and I look up to see Doug hugging me.

“See you later Maddy.  You will have a great time in Michigan.”  He pulls away.

“Thank you Doug.”  I say as he walks towards my brother again.

“Bye Madgirl” Gabe hugs me next. It’s so tight my ribs start to slightly ache.

“Take care of him Gabe, ok?”  I tell him.  He knows who I am talking about.

“I will, I promise, he’s going to miss you like crazy though.” He whispers in my ear.  “We will see you soon.”  He gives me another tight squeeze before he steps back.

That leaves me and Trent and I so don’t want to leave him.  He starts walking toward me and I shut down crying.  I put my head down seeing the tears falling to the concrete ground.

“Maddy, I don’t want to say good-bye.”  He says and I see the water in his eyes.

“I don’t want to either.” I shake my head back and forth.

He wraps his arms around my waist and I wrap mine around his neck.  We can’t get close enough to each other.  We are pulling each other toward one another and I don’t want to let go.

“I’m going to miss you.  There will be boys in Michigan that will go crazy over you but I want you to remember that no boy will ever love you like me.”  He whispers in my ear.

I melt into him, burying my head into his neck.  He finally became taller than me this past year.  I can’t say anything, I feel the same way about him but I can’t open my mouth.

He inches away from me and puts his lips on mine.  We stay that way for a couple seconds until we hear the Bigs whistling.  He pulls me into one more embrace.

“I love you Maddy.”  He says.

“I love you too.”  I whisper back.

Chapter 4 – Present Day

Ian and I make our way back towards town.  I am dreading going back to my mom’s house but I know I have no choice.  If I didn’t stay with her she would throw a fit.  Sometimes it feels as though I am the mother and she is my child.  I don’t understand how my brother stays around here with her, I can barely handle her calls twice a month.

We round the bend where the town starts and I see the cemetery.  I look over and I can’t see the tombstone from the street, which I am thankful for.  I know I will have to visit while I am here but today is not the day.  I fear if I go now I will leave this town faster than I did the last time.

I pass the high school and grade school noticing that hill I walked up so many times with the other Little’s.  I forgot how many memories I have with every inch of this town.  The square is exactly how I remember with the white painted gazebo in the middle.  I am sure Jack and Lindsey will get wedding pictures taken there like everyone before them.  The library is on my right as we head out of downtown Belcrest.  I remember all the days after school Trent and I would hide out from everyone there.

I knew this was going to be bad when Jack told me he was getting married here but what choice do I have, he is my brother.  He has been by my side my whole life when people I love abandoned me he stuck by me.  It is my time to be there for him.

We pull down my street and automatically I get a nauseous feeling, like I am going to throw up.  Ian must notice my sickness because he reaches over putting a hand on my leg.  I look over at him and he smiles letting me know he is there for me.  I never told Ian the whole story of why I hate this town now.  He never pushes me for details always waiting until I am ready to tell him, that’s why I love him.

My house is the same brown brick ranch I remember.  I assume Jack is keeping up the landscaping for her.  Appearances are everything in this town.  There are no cars in the driveway so I don’t pull all the way up stopping at the walkway to the house.  I don’t get the warm welcoming Gabe does, no one is coming out to see me.  I put the car in park and sigh with my hands in my lap.  I look at the older but kept up house and more memories flood my mind.  The problem is they are bad memories, the reason I hate this town, the reason I ran away from it.

Ian is already out of the car banging on the back door telling me to unlock it.  I shake off my thoughts looking for the unlock button.  After I click it, the back door opens and Ian starts pulling out the bags.

“It’s like a band aid Maddy, just tear it off.”  He says from the back.

“I’m fine Ian, thank you.”  Lying to people has become second nature lately.

“Let’s go, it’s hot.  Please tell me your mom has air conditioning.  I think my hair is already falling.”  Ian complains.  There is no way his hair could fall with all the gel, mousse and hair spray he has in it.

“Of course we have air conditioning.  Where do you think I took you?”  I say reaching around to grab my one bag.

“I’m just saying.  It’s hard looking this good.”  He has three bags hanging from his arms and pulling one behind him.

“Hard huh?” I laugh.

“You know what I mean Madeline” he is out of breath carrying all the bags to my doorstep.  He only uses my full name when he is agitated with me.