Page 21 of Surviving the Darkness

Fifteen years old

“Hey Mom, I’m home,” I yell out as I slam our front door shut. I slip out of my shoes and throw them to the side. I can worry about them later. Right now, I’m starving and need food. I hung out with Meadow, Knox, Aidan, and Phoenix today, and hanging out with the hooligans I call brothers, and the girl I have been obsessed with since we were children, always makes me hungry.

“In here, honey,” Mom yells back.

I make my way to the kitchen and find Mom sitting at the island with my father. Weird, he’s never home this early. The man is always working.

“Hi Dad, why are you home so early?” I ask.

“We have some news to share with you. Come sit,” Mom says.

I walk toward them, heart pounding, not liking the look in my dad’s eyes. He looks sad or something. I know I’ve never seen this look before, and I don’t ever want to see it again. Once I sit on a stool, I look at Mom, silently asking what's happening.

“So, your dad got a job offer in London. He took it, baby. The job is a really great opportunity for our family,” Mom explains.

“Okay... so he’s moving? It sucks, but I understand. We’ll go visit right?” I ask.

“No, baby. We are moving; all of us as a family. We leave for London at the end of the month. I know it's sudden and you have friends here, but this isn’t something we can pass up,” Mom says.

“No, I refuse. You can’t make me! I have a life here. How could you? Did you even think about me while making this decision?” I yell, my hands clenched into fists at my side.

How could they do this? I have a life here! Friends, brothers, the girl I’m in love with. I can’t just leave. I’ll ask one of the guys if I can stay at their place or something. I can’t leave; I just can’t.

“I know this comes as a shock to you, Ethan, but this is not up for debate. It’s final. You are coming with us. You need to stop spending time with Knox and those guys as it is. I don’t like you hanging around people associated with a gang. This is what is best for you, for all of us. Now, I’ll give you time to say goodbye, but that’s it. End of discussion!” My father yells, and I flinch.

My father has never yelled at me before, not like this. I freeze. Moving. I am moving. How will I keep in touch with the guys? How can I be with the girl I love from the other side of the world? This isn’t fair. I ask to be excused from the room and head to mybedroom. I’m no longer hungry. When I get to my room, I slam my door so hard a picture falls to the ground and breaks, just like my heart. Shattered into a thousand pieces. I walk to my bed and lie face down, hiding in my pillow, screaming into it to muffle my pain.

How do I tell the guys? How am I going to tell Meadow? God, I don’t want to see her face when I tell her I’m moving. Fuck! Why is this happening to me? Sure, Knox, Aidan, and Phoenix are in a gang, but they aren’t bad people. It’s not their fault that they were raised in that life. I can’t believe my parents judge my friends based on their parents' actions. How fucking rude is that?

A little while later, I drag myself out of bed and head downstairs. I need to see the guys. I don’t care what time it is. I need to tell them. “I’m headed out! Be back in a little bit,” I called out to Mom before leaving.

They can fuck off if they expect me to stay home right now. I need to go see my family. I bike to Knox’s house and knock on the door. I hope Michael isn’t home. He gives me the creeps. When Knox opens the door, I’m relieved until I see that he has a black eye. What the fuck? He didn’t have that when I left him a few hours ago. What happened between then and now?

“What the fuck?” I whisper-yell at Knox.

“Shh, keep your voice down, will you? Come in, but be quiet,” Knox says.

I do what he says and enter the house. We walk to his room, neither of us speaking until he shuts the door behind me. We both take a seat on his bed, and he tells me that Michael wasn’t happy with something he did, so his father beat him up. It makes me sick to know that Knox has to deal with this. But how can I help when I’ll be thousands of miles away?

“I have to tell you something,” I tell him after he finishes talking about Michael.

“Okay, what is it?” Knox asks.

“I’m moving,” I whisper, wishing it weren’t real.

“Okay, where?” Knox asks again.

“London,” I respond.

“What the fuck do you mean London?! Like London, England?? No!” he spews out.

“I know, dude. I don’t have a choice. We move next month. Apparently, Dad got a job that he can’t pass up,” I bite out.

“This isn’t fair. You’re my brother. You can’t move that far away. No!” Knox spits, sounding pissed.

“Trust me, I’m aware, but I can’t stay. They won’t allow it. I just don’t know how to tell Meadow. I love her,” I say, my voice breaking.

“Fuck… I hadn’t even thought of that. I know you do; we all do. I promise that we will take care of her if that makes things any better,” he says.

---