"Pj's all day 😌"
"Weirdo"

I glance up from the box I'm packing, hearing a knock on my window. I raise an eyebrow as I head to open the curtains and see what's going on. Maybe it was a bird?
"Clyde!" I wave, knowing he'd only barely be able to hear me, if at all.
I slide the window open and he glances past me.
"What can I do to help?" Clyde asks.
"You can..." I trail off, glancing around, "take stuff off the walls," I shrug.
"Yeah, I can do that," Clyde nods.
I step out of the way, allowing him to haul himself in through the window. Once he's in, he wanders over to the nearest poster.
I begin packing my dresses into boxes. After a moment, I glance over as Clyde unpins the picture strip of Homecoming last year. He takes a moment to look at it and I can see a smile cross his face but it fades as he sets it on top of the pile of posters. He moves onto the rest of the photo strips with a sigh.
"You gonna have space for all this in your new room?" Clyde asks, seemingly trying to ease the tension.
"I think so-" I shrug, "the pictures definitely, the posters maybe not-"
Clyde laughs, "I'm sure you'll figure it out."
"I'll use the ceiling if I have to," I laugh.
"Good plan," Clyde nods.
We keep talking and I move onto packing the last of my stuff from my bedside table.

After a while I hear a faint knock on the door before Shrek pops his head in slightly.
"You ready to load it all into the Jeep?" Shrek looks at Clyde for a moment, then seems to decide not to ask.
"Yep," I nod.
We each grab a box and start walking them out to my Jeep.
Shrek would be leaving tonight and driving my Jeep to Wisconsin in order to take it and most of my things there. Persia and I would fly by plane so that the Jeep could be as packed as possible.
After I shove my first box into the Jeep I turn around to see the Twins each struggling with carrying a box. Clyde gets to them before me and takes the boxes from each of them, stacking on on top of the other as he carries them to the jeep.
"Thank you," Becca says, shaking her arms in front of her.
Kelly waves her arms a little then waves for Becca to follow her back into the house.
I start to walk towards the house but Daisy steps out in front of me and nearly trips me.
"Walk on your own paws Daisy!" I laugh.
"Why would she do that?" My mother laughs as she walks past me towards the Jeep.

Eventually Clyde and I head back to my room to double check that all the boxes are in the Jeep. All I'll be taking on the plane is a day bag with my pillow, a book, my ear buds, and my phone charger.
We look around the room and into the closet and find nothing.
"That should be everything then," I shrug.
"Yup," Clyde nods and I can hear the sadness creeping back into his voice.
"I'll see you tomorrow," I wave as Clyde heads toward the window.
"Yep," he sighs.
I look around my room, almost completely empty except the furniture and my bedding. It's so empty...
I climb into my bed, pulling the blankets around me, and plug my phone into the charger still plugged into the wall.
I flinch for a moment, surprised as Scales jumps up onto my bed. I reach out and pet her soft grey fur and scratch under her chin.
"I'm going to miss you girl," I give a small smile, fighting back the tears forming in my eyes.
My phone vibrates beside me and I use my open hand to check it, still petting Scales with my other hand.

Ash: how goes?
Me: good, good
Me: just got into bed
Ash: nice!
Me: wbu?
Ash: good
Ash: just vibing
Me: nice!
Me: I'm probably gonna turn yt on and listen to some music
Ash: ok!! Have fun!
Me: I love you
Me: good night
Ash: I love you too!! Goodnight!
Me: ❤
Ash: ❤

~•~•~•~•~•~•~

"Goodbye," I hug Clyde tightly.
As i stand there saying goodbye to Clyde my family is waiting in the car to take Persia and I to the air port.
Clyde nods and squeezes back, "come visit."
I nod and burrow my face into the hug, "I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too," Clyde's voice breaks.
The hug goes on for a moment longer before we break away and I give a small wave, sniffling as I start to turn to get into the car.

Persia puts her bag into the overhead and sits beside me on the left.
I look to my right and see a beautiful sky. The sun had started to set a bit ago so it was filled with streaks of pinks, blues, and purples with slight hints of oranges and yellows down where a sliver of sun still shows.
As the plane begins to take flight, I can't shake the ache in my chest as I watch California get smaller and smaller. I'm so excited to get back to Wisconsin, I tell myself, but that means I have to leave this behind...