Where The Time Has Gone || UNEDITED

|01|

"Embrace the glorious mess you are."
- Elizabeth Gilbert

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1. Prologue

"That should be it." Dad shut the trunk of my mother's car, after placing the final box of my stuff on the dirty asphalt road.

I walked over to the passenger side and leaned into the window. Staring at my mom. Her dark brown hair matched mine perfectly, except hers was up in a crown braid (she's a hairstylist downtown). She glanced over at me and smiled, revealing her two tiny dimples that also looked like they were smiling. She kept her freshly manicured hand on the steering wheel.

"Be a good girl Jules." She told me. "I don't want any phone calls home from this new school."

I chuckled slightly. "That's quite impossible. Rebecca won't be there."

"Don't worry, I got this all under control." Dad popped his head into the window.

Mom's smile dropped as she stole a glimpse at dad. "That's what I'm worried about."

"Goodbye, mom." I waved. Breaking into the tension that filled the air.

"Be responsible." She called.

That was it. She drove off, out of the small apartment parking lot. Leaving me behind with all the memories of the year prior.

I was close to both my parents, but if I had to pick where I would like to love; it definitely would be my mom's. Unlike dad, she actually owns a pretty decent sized house. Yeah, it's because we moved in with my step-dad, Chance, but he isn't too bad. She definitely the stricter parent out of the two, but not in an overly protective way. She has her moments, but unlike my dad; her punishments are way worse. Dad, on the other hand, has a personality similar to mine. Both of us, being artist enjoy the peace and quiet. We don't care if the house is messy because we still remember where everything is. He a lot more accepting than mom too. Doesn't automatically jumps to the worse possibility in the world. His only rule is no boys over without some else being there. Not too bad since I don't really have a guy friend anymore.

I hauled my last box up the apartment stairs to our front door. Second level which in my words is the worst level. Not only do you hear the people above you, but you gotta be careful cause there are people below you too.

His apartment wasn't small but wasn't large. It was cozy enough to fit maybe a small family inside. The main room was split into three different sections than there was a hallway leading into the rooms and bathrooms. On my right was the living area which held a black sofa that looked like it came out of a movie set. A flat screen TV hovers in over a glass coffee table which held chargers of some sort. I noticed an art easel sitting on the balcony, overlooking the small river that was behind this place. A painting (must be one of my dad's) hung over the couch. The beautiful mix of purple and blue in an ombre just pulled this entire room together.

Now right behind the living area, separated by a half wall of some sorts, was the dining table. It was simple, just a plain black table with different colored pastel seats around it. A floor lamp was in the corner, sitting next to a floor plant of some sort. Nothing new there.

The kitchen was right across from the dining area and living room. It's dark brown wooden like counter tops looked perfect against the pure white cabinets. Other than that, it was just an ordinary kitchen with ordinary appliances. Except here there weren't any coffee machines which thank god. I hate coffee.

My room wasn't anything special either. In fact, it literally had nothing in it. Just an empty room waiting to be used.

I sat the box I was carrying down in the corner, next to the rest of my stuff I packed up.

"You know." Dad's voice called from behind me. Making my shoulders tense up. "I was thinking we could go out to eat somewhere."

I turned to see him. His gray hair was way more obvious than the usual black strands. In all honesty, besides his hair, I looked more like my dad. We both had circle face shapes with small noses and larger dark brown eyes.

"There's this new café down the street, we could stop by-"

"That sounds great dad." I smile.

His smile made the stress wrinkles disappear from his head. The divorce was really hard on him, then again it was hard for everyone. Mom is the only one that doesn't seem that much affected by it nowadays.

"I'll meet you in the car." He told me.

Smiling slightly, I walked inside my room. I could hear the car keys hitting metal when he grabbed them. I took a deep breath in, taking in as much as I could before I followed the distant footsteps of dad.

When he said the café was just down the street. He wasn't kidding. Oh and get this, it was actually called café, congratulations to whoever created that one. You're a genius. I hope you are successful. Everyone will remember café which is literally just a plain old cafe.

I found us a seat while he went to go order. Waiting patiently, I pulled out my phone to check the time.

11:27 P.M. Rebecca should be landing in Italy in a couple of hours.

I really do miss my best friend and the eight hour time difference from here to there, isn't the best thing in the world either. At least she is fulfilling her dreams while I'm stuck here. Still, have no idea what I want to do.

Dad handed me my grilled cheese sandwich while he took his seat across from me. Taking a giant bite out of the ham and cheese sandwich in front of him.

"So I was thinking." He says in between bites, making me laugh slightly as his adultness. "After school tomorrow, I can take you shopping."

"As long as you don't make me wear a turtleneck for the whole school year," I add. Rethinking the moment that mom was terrified of a flu outbreak and she made me wear layers of turtlenecks​ and coats for the whole winter season. In the end, I still got sick with it.

He smiled before laughing. "God no."

"Good." I join his laughter.

"I'm fact. I want you to know I was totally against that idea." He smiled. "In fact, it was all your mothers."

"Yeah, I don't think I could ever make up that embarrassing time," I add.

"The dark ages." He says like he's heard a couple teens say it before I showed up here.

"The dark ages." I smiled. Taking a huge bite from my grilled cheese.

I didn't want this day to end. I wanted to stay in this moment forever, but that's not possible. Not yet at least.