I Hope It Rains Marshmallows ❤

Chapter Twenty-Five - Goodbye Kisses

~Cole~

“I-I’ll go…don’t hurt my family.” I spoke, my voice a little shaky as I forced down tears that were forming at the brim of my eyes. Pictures of my smiling family members raced across my mind, I couldn’t bear to be the one to wipe that smile of their faces. They couldn’t, wait—they shouldn’t suffer because of me.

“Now that’s my good boy.” My mum sneered, her voice sounding so menacing I wanted to squish her head off with my two fingers.

“Give me a month, to say my goodbyes and to pack up.” I murmured, keeping my voice low and stern, but it just came out more like a frightened whisper.

“A month? Oh no, that’s too long. A week, that’s all you got. I’ll send you money monthly, and you cannot contact Alyssa and your whatsoever friends and family. You’ll start fresh, and I’ll give you an apartment to stay in, so just forget about the life here, and concentrate on your studies there. Is that good enough?” She interrupted, sounding a little impatient and rushed.

“Wait no, I—“I hurried to refuse her stupid commands, but next thing I knew I was talking to the dreary dial tone.

“Argh!” I hurled my phone across the other side of the room, banging my fist onto my table, blinking away the hot tears. Why? Why must this be happening to me now? WHY? I messed up my already untidy bed hair and bit my tongue hard to stop the tears from flowing.

One week? How was one week enough? That’s not enough time, I’m not prepared to say goodbye to everyone, and to say goodbye to Alyssa.

I thumped my forehead onto the table and just stayed there, stoned. Just then, something fell right in front of me. I lifted my head slightly, and it was a paper airplane. Huh, how long had Alyssa and I not conversed this way?

I carefully unfolded it, and in small font, she wrote:

So, have you decided to go?

I looked up at her and found her leaning her head against the windowsill, looking composed and relaxed. A small smile crawled up her face when her eyes met mine. She beckoned me to answer.

“D-do you want me to?” My lips parted as I asked her softly.

She paused and furrowed her eyebrows together, breaking eye contact. Then, hesitantly, she raised her head again and replied. “Well, uh sure, if it’s a great opportunity for you, you shouldn’t miss it for the world.” She gave me a reassuring smile but I just felt my heart plunge down. My face fell. She didn’t want me to stay? She wanted me to leave?

“B-but I also don’t want you to leave…” She continued brusquely, as if she could read my thoughts, her eyes darting everywhere but at me. Her voice was so soft but I could hear every word so clearly.

Immediately, my lips were tugged into a slight smirk as I felt my heart do a little cheerful dance. She wanted me to stay?

“Why? Formed feelings for me?” I joked, but deep down I was relieved.

“No!” She quickly snapped back, her face twisted into a bewildered expression. “I mean pft!” She swatted her hand at me. “I don’t have feelings for you! You’re my brother! I…I’ll miss you. Like how everyone else will too.” She cupped her face with her two hands, her eyes glinting with sadness.

“I’ll miss you too.” I turned my head away from her, biting my lips real hard. My eyes slowly trailed down to the piece of paper that had multiple creases with the handwriting of Alyssa nicely imprinted on it. With unsteady hands, I reached for my pen and quickly scribbled down something. I gripped my pen so tightly my knuckles turned white. I couldn’t bear to leave Alyssa, my friends, my family. I was going to miss them a whole lot. A wobbly sigh escaped my lips as a tear trickled down my cheek and splattered onto the paper.