Not Goodbye, But See You Later

Chelsea

"Chelsea we need to talk to you," my dad said as we are our lunch in the restaurant overlooking the beach.

"Are you getting divorced?" God, no Chelsea," he assured me quickly and took hold of my mum's hand for emphasis. My mum smiled at me but I could see the tears building in her eyes.

"Then what?" I asked. Slowly getting irritated, my dad slowly leaned back on his chair.

"Your mum has been upset with my job, Chelsea, not with me." I was completely confused, until he said, "They are transferring me back to Oslo, Chelsea. The company has hit a glitch there and I'm being sent back to fix it."

"How long for?" I asked. "When will you be back?"

My dad ran his hand through his thick short blonde hair, just the way I did. "Here's the thing, Chelsea," he said carefully. "It could be years. It could be months." He sighed. "Realistically, anything from one to three years." My eyes widened, "You're leaving us here in Georgia for that long?"

My mum reached out her hand and covered mine with hers. I stared blankly at it. Then the true consequences of what dad was saying began seeping into my brain. "No," I said under my breath, knowing he wouldn't do this to me, couldn't do this to me.

I looked up I saw guilt wash over his face.

I knew it was true.

I understood now, why we came to the beach, why he wanted us to be alone, why he refused Sophie's company.

My heart was pounding as my head spun in circles.... they wouldn't..... he wouldn't... I wouldn't.

"No!" I spat out, louder, drawing stares from other tables. I'm not leaving her."

I turned to my mum for help, but she lowered her head, I snatched my hand from hers. "Mom?" I pleaded, but she slowly shook her head.

"We're a family, Chelsea. We're not been split up for that long. We have to go, we're a family."

"No!" I shouted this time, pushing my chair back from the table. I got to my feet, my fists clenched at my sides. "I won't leave her! You can't make me! This is our home. Here! I don't want to go back to Oslo!"

"Chelsea?" My dad said softly, standing up from the table and holding out his hands. But I couldn't be in this closed space with him, turning on my heel I ran out from there and headed onto the beach. The sun had disappeared behind thick clouds causing a cold wind to whip up the sand, I kept on running heading for the dunes, the coarse grains hitting my face.

As I ran, I tried to fight against the anger ripping through me, how could they do this to me? they know how much I need Sophie.

I was shaking with anger as I climbed the tallest dune and dropped down to sit on its peak. I lay back staring at the graying sky, and pictured a life back in Norway, without Sophie. I felt sick, sick at the thought of not having her by my side, holding my hand, kissing my lips......

I could barely breathe.

My mind raced, searching for a possible solution. I thought and thought and thought but came up with nothing, but I knew one thing for sure, whenever my dad makes up his mind I'm something then it's final no going back. They were taking me from my girl, my soul.

And I couldn't do a damn thing about it. I bet someone climbing the dune behind me and I knew it was my dad, he sat down beside me, I looked away staring at the sea. I didn't want to acknowledge his presence.

We were silent, until I cracked and asked, "when do we leave?"

I felt my dad stiffen beside me, causing me to glance his way. He was already watching my face, sympathy in his expression. My stomach sank further.

"When?" I pressed.

Dad dropped his head.

"Tomorrow."

Everything stilled.

"What!" I whispered in shock. "How's that possible?"

"Your mum and I have known for about a month now. We decided not to tell you until the last minute because we knew how you would feel. They need me in the office by Monday, Chelsea, we've organized everything with your school, transferred your transcripts. Your uncle is preparing our house in Oslo for our return. My company has hired movers to empty our house in Blossom Grove and shift our belongings to Norway. They arrive tomorrow shortly after we leave."

I glared at my dad. For the first time in my life, I hated him. I gritted my teeth and looked away. I felt sick with the amount of anger coursing through my veins.

"Chelsea?" My dad said softly. Putting his han on my shoulder. I shrugged off his hand, "Don't!" I hissed, "Don't ever touch me or speak to me again." I snapped my head around. "I'll never forgive you for taking her from me."

"Chelsea, I understand---" he tried to say, but I cut him off.

"You don't, you have no idea how I feel m, what Sophie means to me. No damn idea. Because if you did, you wouldn't be taking me away from her. You would tell your company that you wouldn't move. That we have to stay.

Dad sighed, "I'm the technical officer, Chelsea, I have to go where I'm needed, and right now that's Oslo."

I said nothing. I didn't care if he was the damn technical officer of some failing company, I was pissed he was only telling me now. I was pissed we were leaving, period.

When I didn't speak, my dad said, "I'm getting our things together, dear, be at the car in five minutes. I want you to have tonight with Sophie. I want to at leanygive you that much." Hot tears built up in my eyes, I turned my head so he wouldn't see me, I was angry, Soo angry that I couldn't stop the damn tears. I never cried when I was sad, only when I was angry. And right now, I was so pissed and I could barely breathe.

"It won't be forever, Chelsea. A few years at most, then we'll be back. I promise. My job, our life, is here in Georgia. But I have to go where the company needs me," Dad said. "Oslo won't be so bad; it's where we're from. I know your mum will be happy to be near family again. I thought you might be, too."

  I didn't reply. Because a few years without Sophie was a lifetime. At this moment I didn't care about my family. 

  I was lost, watching the rhythm of the waves, and I waited for as long as I could before I got to my feet. I wanted to get to Sophie, but at the same time, I didn't know how to tell her that I was leaving. I couldn't stand the thought of breaking her heart.

 The horn sounded, and I ran to the car, where my family was waiting. My mum tried to smile at me but I ignored her and slid into the back seat. As we pulled away from the coast, I glared out the window.

 Feeling a hand on my arm, I turned to see Joshua clutching onto the sleeve of my shirt. His head was tilted to the side.

  I ruffled his messy blonde hair, Joshua laughed, but his smile faded and he kept glancing my way the whole journey home. I found it ironic how my baby brother seemed to understand how much pain I was in, way more than my parents did.

  The drive felt like eternity. When we pulled into the driveway, I practically dived out and sprinted to the Sullivan's house.

  I knocked on the door and Mrs Sullivan answered after only a few seconds. The minute you took in my face, I saw her eyes filled with sympathy. She glanced across the yard at my mum and dad, who were unpacking the car, she gave them a small wave.

 She knew too.

  "Is Sophie here?" I managed to ask, pushing the words through my thick throat.

 Mrs Sullivan pulled me into a hug. "She's in the cherry field, sweetie. She's been there all afternoon, reading." Mrs Sullivan kissed my head. "I'm so sorry, Chelsea. That daughter of mine will be heartbroken when you leave, you're her whole life,"

 She's my whole life too, I wanted to add, but I couldn't bring myself to speak a single word.

  Mrs Sullivan released me and I backed away, jumping off the porch, sprinting towards the field.

I got there in minutes, immediately spotting Sophie under our favorite cherry tree. I stopped, keeping well out of sight as I watched her reading her book, her purple headphones over her head. Branches filled with cherry petals fell around her like a protective shield, sheltering her from the bright sun. She was wearing a short white sleeveless dress, a big white bow pinned at the side of her long blonde hair. I felt like I had walked into a dream.

  My heart clenched, I have seen Sophie since I was five. Slept beside her almost every night since I was twelve. Kissed her everyday since I was eight, and loved her with everything I had for so many days I'd stopped keeping track.

   I had no idea how to live a day without her beside me. How to breathe without her by my side.

  As if she sensed I was there, she looked up from the page of her book. When I stepped out onto the grass, she flashed me her biggest smile, it was the smile she had only for me.

  I tried to smile back, but I couldn't. I trudged over the fallen cherry leaves, the oath so littered with fallen petals, that it looked like a stream of pink and white beneath my feet. I watched Sophie's smile fade the closer I got to her, I couldn't keep anything from her, she knew me as well as I knew myself she could see that I wasn't happy 

  I had teased her before, that there was no mystery about me, not with her. She was the only person who knew me completely

  Sophie stilled only moving to pull the headphones off her head. She placed her book beside her on the ground, wrapped her arms around her bent legs, and just waited.

  Swallowing I dropped to my knees before her, and my head fell forward in defeat. I fought against the tightness in my chest. Eventually I raised my head, apprehension was clear in Sophie's eyes, like she knew whatever was going to come frok my mouth would change everything.

   Change us 

   Change our entire lives.

   End our world.

  "We are leaving" I finally managed to choke out.

  I watched her face pale.

  Glancing away, I managed to drag in another short breath, and add, "Tomorrow Sophie, back to my hometown. Dad is taking me away from you. He's not even trying to stay."

  "Noo," she whispered in response, there has to be something we can do? Sophie's breathing spee up. "Maybe you could stay with us? Move in with us we can work something out. We can-----"

  "No," I interrupted. You know my dad won't allow it, they've known for weeks, they've already transferred my schools. They just didn't tell me because they knew how I would react. I have to go Sophie, I have no other choice. I have to go."

  I stared at a single cherry petal as it broke from a low hanging branch and watched as it fell to the ground and I imagined my heart falling slowly until reached the ground but unlike the petal it broke Into a million pieces