"Gurēsu o samashimasu (Wake up Grace).  It's time to get ready." my mother says softly, looking around my door into my room.

"Okay" I say, sitting up in my bed, "I'll go wake up Nick for you."

I walk down the hall to my older brother's room and crack open the door only to see him asleep with his guitar in his hands. I quietly step into his room and gingerly take the guitar from his grasp and set it on his desk, then begin setting up my final wake-up prank for the next weeks. It is our tradition to come up with terrible ways to wake each other up and it is finally my turn.  Thankfully, he is a heavy sleeper.

💠

I finish putting the last piece of plastic wrap in place and smile at my work.  I stand in front of his door, put my hands on my hips, and scream, "WAKE UP NICK! I'M LEAVING!" before ducking into his nearby sports closet.

"WAIT GRACE!" I hear him yell back, before unleashing a string of curse words as he begins to encounter the obstacles I set up for him.  I quickly duck into his sports closet, just as he emerges from his room.  After he passes the closet on the way toward my room, where I assume he thought I was going to hide, I slip into his room and plop down on his bed.  I know it is going to be a few minutes before he decides to return.  I realize then that I'm not just going to miss home, but all the little things that are inside.  I'm going to miss Nick's burgundy walls, messy closet, and constant guitar practice.  I'm going to miss my light yellow walls, my master bookshelf, and friends down the street. I'm going to miss our constant pranking and our neighborhood water fights (in which I am team captain for my block by the way).  I am going to miss so much. So much except -

"Shit I .... Fuck you!" Nick tells me as he walks into his room, covered in flour and other sticky products, to find me absentmindedly strumming his guitar.

"Oh Nick" I sigh, placing his guitar back on the bed, "I strongly disapprove of incest, no matter how attracted you are to me. I am flattered, yet disgusted."

He stops in tracks, mouth agape, trying to come up with a suitable comeback.  He sighs, rubbing the mysterious goo into his hair, "Ugh just fuck off. Leave."

I stand up so we can be face-to-face and bring my voice to a whisper, "You'll get your wish... You just better enjoy me while I'm here." I step around him and waltz out his door and down the hall to my room.

"Oh, and mama said wake up!" I scream before closing my door and pulling my half-packed suitcase from underneath my bed. 

💠

Less than an hour later, I find myself eating my last breakfast with my parents and brother for the next months. It feels just any other day, yet I also doesn't. Soon after we finish, I lug my fully packed suitcase down the hall toward the front door. Halfway to the stairs, Nick picks it up for me and carries it the rest of the way, leaving me to carry my black backpack. We say our goodbyes, consisting of a few tears and my brother carries my suitcase out to the street.

"I'm soooo glad you are going to be gone" he states as he hands the suitcase to me.

I punch his arm, "You know you're gonna miss me."

He pushes me toward the nearby park, one of the South-lake Camp bus pickup spots, "I can't believe I'm about to say this but... I'll be here waiting for you to come back, so take care of yourself."

"And if I don't?"

He smiles, "Then I won't have anyone to prank."

"Goodbye Nick" I laugh before heading towards the park.

As I walk down the street I decide to stop by Amethyst's house before I leave. Anyways, I need to pick something up from there. I stop in front of her purple house and ring the doorbell.

"Nē, shin'yū! (Hey, best friend!)" I say as she opens the door.

"Kon'nichiwa! I'm glad you stopped by before you left" she replies, leading me into her house to her room.

I chuckle, "How could I not?"

She shrugs, sits down on her purple bed, and pats the spot next to her, "What's up?"

I stand in her doorway and look up to see her staring at me with a questioning look in her eyes.

"Oh..... nothing" I say nervously as I absentmindedly walk over to her drum set and sit down on the stool.  Just now, I realize how selfish my original question would sound. 

"You came to ask for a pair of drumsticks didn't you?" she sighs.

I bite my lip, "You know me so well."

When she doesn't respond, I look up expectantly. We stare at each other until she looks away. I smile, I almost always win staring contests.

"Fine" she says, getting up from her bed.

"You don't have to give me new ones" I tell her, "Just give me the old ones I always use to practice when I come 'round."

She hands them to me, with my name written on them, "Why are you gonna need them? It's not like you have a drum set, especially since you haven't told them that you like to play the drums, and South-lake probably will not have one."

"We'll see. If not... I'll find something." I respond as I tuck the sticks into my backpack and pull out my gift for her. It was wrapped in the purple that perfectly matches her darker skin.

"Here" I say, handing her the little box, "Don't open it until you birthday."

She smiles wide and then her face falls.

"It'll be just like I'm here, while I'm not. I'm sorry that I can't stay... I really regret missing it... but you know-"

"-it is a really great opportunity" she says, finally looking up, "It will be really good for you... don't worry about me."

"Thanks." I smile.

I give her a goodbye hug and pick up my backpack and suitcase.  She walks me to her door and follows me to the end of the block.

"You better put those to good use" she says, pointing to my backpack, "And bring something back for me too."

"Of course." I say as I begin to cross the street to the South-lake Camp bus pickup spot.

"GOODBYE GRACEY!" she yells as she takes steps back towards her house.

"O wakare (farewell) PURPLE!" I yell back, before sitting down on the small park bench.

As I wait, I try to calm my nerves.  I have never been away from home in my life for this long.  I sigh and try to stop the tears from coming. The bus pulls up a few minutes later and I help put my luggage in the compartment before boarding.  I move toward one of the empty seats at the back, sit down, and take a deep breath. I turn to face the girl next to me...

"Hello, I'm Grace."

💠

Hello.

This is kind of a long one...

I really hope you enjoy this so far.

Please let me know if there are any errors, including grammar and translation.

Questions:

What do you think of Grace?

And don't forget to answer, vote, and/or comment.

ATCAgainstTheCurrent