Lexi's In A New City

Chapter 2

Isaac's eyes filled with tears as he studied his bedroom. His bed was made, polished off with a forest green comforter and matching pillows. His large oak-coloured shelf from home sat nearby, and was full of textbooks and other odds and ends. His small closet was full of clothes and shoes, and his desk and chair sat not far from it. He was all moved in, but just the thought sent a shiver down his spine.

"Isaac?"

There was no response. Maybe if I ignore them long enough, they'll leave.

But that didn't work. His mother touched his arm, forcing his attention to her. He swallowed hard at her sad eyes. She still smiled with pride as she hugged her son tight. Tears slowly streaked both of their faces even after Isaac hugged her and his father.

"We love you, Isaac," his father said. He paused to collect himself. "Good luck, bud."

"Thank you, Dad. I love you guys."

Isaac's parents exited his bedroom, then the dorm itself, and finally the dormitory. Isaac spent a few minutes watching his parents drive out of sight. He stood there while the last of his tears stained his beige skin. He ran a hand through his short brown curls while he tried to digest what had transpired.

Well, this is it, he thought. I'm on my own.

A chuckle suddenly came out. He had been so excited to move out for months, but had cried when he and his parents had exchanged goodbyes. Then again, he knew that he wouldn't be the only one doing that today.

After a few minutes of pure silence, Isaac wiped his face and looked towards the door. His ears perked up when he heard the door to his dorm close. He was confused at first, but it didn't take long for him to put two and two together; Felipe's parents must've left. Isaac confirmed that when he looked back out the window to see a familiar red car drive off. It belonged to Felipe's father.

I hope he's okay, Isaac thought.

He waited a minute before leaving his bedroom. He tiptoed to Felipe's room to discover his best friend sitting on his bed, scrolling through his phone. His room was about the same size as Isaac's, with a royal blue comforter and pillows. He had two short, wide shelves positioned beside his desk that were filled with books, a laptop, and a small toolkit.

"Oh, hey," he said when he saw Isaac. He tossed his phone aside with a grin. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I just kinda lost it when I said goodbye to my parents," Isaac confessed.

Felipe nodded. "I get what you mean. It took everything in me to not cry. I almost did when my dad teared up. You know he never cries!"

"Wow...that surprises me."

"Tell me about it! Hey, wanna check out DeShawn's room? I think we both can use a distraction."

Isaac smiled. "Hell yeah! Let's go!"

The two friends were quick to exit their dorm for DeShawn's. They knocked on his door, and he answered moments later. He fist bumped them both before letting them inside. Isaac was surprised at how small DeShawn's room was compared to his and Felipe's.

"Man, this is tiny!" he exclaimed. "How'd you fit everything in here?"

DeShawn chuckled. "I didn't. My parents had to take some things back home, but it's okay. Most of what they took was crap I didn't need."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Felipe remarked. "I gotta admit, it feels weird to be on our own."

"It really does," Isaac said with a nod. "But I think we'll be okay. We've got each other to lean on. That's good, right?"