I Belong to Them

"That is so totally awesome for you!" Lily, my best friend of three years, gave me her brightest grin. "I mean, Crystal," she started, with the pretense of a movie director from L.A. "-honey. Chris, can I call you Chris? Yeah, I'll call you Chris. This is a new up-look for you. I mean, it's not everyday a teenage Floridian gets a free ride to New York. Look on the bright side! You'll have a chance to decorate your own room."                       "Is that all you got?" I asked her dryly.                       "Yeah, pretty much. You are going to have to deal with all the new stuff. New school, new apartment, new job, new climate-" She looked up at me pointedly. "Do I need to continue?"                        "No, thank you. I've had a week to do that on my own. "                        All was quiet; silence dominated the room until Lily broke it.                       "What do you do now?" Her voice was the softest that I have ever heard from her.                         "I just sit here and wait," my voice cracked. I felt the tears coming. I blinked quickly a few times so they wouldn't fall. To distract myself from the upcoming departure, I looked around my soon to be ex-room. I've done this umpteen times already. Three stuffed suitcases stood near the door of my small room. The house that we lived in for the pass three years was rented. Thank God for that, because packing furniture would just be another headache for mom and me.                          I stood by the window, one last time, looking out at the road. Two yellow cabs came into sight and stopped in front of the house. One of the drivers started honking, and I knew that it was time to go.                           I looked at Lily and said, "Well, that's my ride."                          I rolled two of the suitcases to my exit, with Lily bringing the last one with her. We got out of the house and walked to the cabs. Mom was already outside, stuffing her luggage in the trunk of the cab, with help from one of the the cab drivers. The other driver dashed around his yellow car and opened the backside of it. He helped me put my suitcases in the trunk, and in return, I offered him a "thank-you." I turned to the best and only true friend that has stuck with me through everything the last three years have brought.                         "So this is it, huh?" I said, trying not to break down in tears.                         "I guess it is," she replied as a tear slid down her cheek.                         I opened my arms widely and gave her a hug.                        "Crystal, it's time to go. The plane leaves at 10:10 A.M., and it's already 9:00 A.M. Bye, Lily. Stay in touch." Mom said all of this as she got into her cab. I opened the door of the car next to me and lowered myself in. I sent a final wave to my friend and closed the cab's door. The tears fell in waves and waves of fresh sorrow. The cab started and gained speed as it went. I watched as Lily became smaller, and smaller. I watched up until the point that I could't see her anymore.                        "Goodbye, dear friend," I whispered to myself.