Chapter 12: Chapter 12

I hated moving, it frustrated the shit out of me. I had to pack up the little stuff I could call my own, and move to a new place, simply because my mother wanted me to. I couldn't even say no to her, I didn't want to see the other side of her.

"Have you moved everything into the car?" Lucy asked smiling broadly. And because of that smile, I can't say anything sarcastic or rude, she was happy, I could not do anything about it. I put on the fakest smile I could muster at that point.

"Just a few more things, and I'll be done." I tell her. But truthfully I already packed everything, I just wanted a few minutes with the place I had lived for five years already. It had memories, despite how tiny and cramped it was, it housed many memories. Like the time I just started puberty, and when I had my first love, when Lucy got bonuses for the holidays from her work place, we celebrated here. When Dad was still here, he planned to take us on a family outing here, and when he saw the prices for each plate, he decided to order it home, and let two people share one plate. To some, it might not be anything, but for me, it was everything.

I walked through the kitchen, the cupboards were empty, almost like when we had little, but it was different this time, Lucy would not be making food here anymore, she wouldn't be making jokes, from across the tiny counter ever again. I took a deep breath, placing the memories deep inside of me, not wanting to forget it soon.

"Hey! Do you think we got all day?? Why the fuck are you standing there moping?" Mom sneered at me from the door. I blinked, I almost thought she had stopped swearing, but I guess it is not happening anytime soon.

I walk out the door, my little garden I had nurtured all by myself, till this day. I loved the plants like they were my babies. I decided to sell the flowers days back, to have extra cash on me. It was deviod of the beautiful flowers it was known for, I hadn't sold it before, it kind of hurt.

"I promise there is a space for gardening at the new house." Lucy tells me.

I look over at her, she nodded again, affirming what she said earlier.

I looked around, my friends had already said their good byes last night, and couldn't make it here because of their tasking jobs. I understood that, we were all trying to make ends meet, if they come, they'd risk getting fired, and that is not what they want right now. Jobs were pretty scarce out here.

I got into the front seat of Lucy's tiny car, she got it at a garage sale, she loved it like it was her child. The leather seats were peeling, the heat vents never worked till you smacked them, and it took a few tries to get the engine running. Despite all this, Lucy was damn proud of the car, when she got it, she brought it straight to my school to show me. Blasting the horn for everyone to hear, and the horn sounded like a dying cat. That was the second most embarrassing thing to ever happen to me.

Mom was muttering things under her breath, I don't know what she was saying, but I could guess it was about the luggages that sat with her, as the boot of Lucy's car was jammed shut, we had to compromise.

"Are you sure it has enough gas?" I asked her, she was calling it all kinds of sweet names, petting it and trying to start it. Another frustrating thing.

Suddenly it coughed and roared to life. Lucy clapped excitedly. I rolled my eyes, and plugged my headphones in. Trying to drown the world around me, and dive into the playlist I created for the purpose of the journey.

"Hey Joseph! Wake the fuck up sleeping beauty!" Mom's voice urged me awake.

I opened my sleepy eyes, trying to discern my environment. I guess I slept off.

"Where are we?" I asked, I noticed it was dark, and Lucy was out of the driver's seat, and outside, her phone in her hand, and she sounded frustrated. Lucy was almost never frustrated. I got out the car immediately,

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

She grunted.

"Turns out Pea can't move long distance. She suddenly smoked and won't move!" She exclaimed. For a second I was confused, until I remembered, she named her car, Pea.

"Have you called the towing company?" I asked calmly. I should have known 'pea' won't take us to our destination.

"Yeah, they are taking forever.. and we have to get there before tomorrow, I have to go to work and you have to go to school!" She exclaimed, not in excitement.

"Stop stressing, it'll be fine, I'm sure they are on their way as we speak. Then you called a moving company?" I asked her.

"Yeah, they are on their way, but I have to see Pea in front of us before I can leave, I can't leave her here, she'll be cold." She said casting a longing glance at the car. I took a deep breath, because it was really just a junk metal pieced together.

"If the towing company doesn't come early, we'll find a way to tie Pea up to the moving truck, then we'll go." I proposed, like I knew the minds of the movers.

She brightened up immediately, and I released a sigh I didn't know I was holding.

"Is anyone getting us food or what?" Mom asked.

The tying of the car wasn't such a bad idea after we paid extra to them. We cramped ourselves at the back, while I tried to eat my sandwich, mom snored heavily beside me, making my earphones useless. Lucy was wide awake, turning back once in a while to check her car, since it was tied behind us, she imagined it was going to slip away.

We finally got there at three in the early morning. It was dark, I couldn't awe at the house, but it seemed like a rich people neighborhood.

"Our new home." Lucy whispered softly beside me.

"Lucy this must cost a fortune." I tell her seriously.

She smiled,

"If you have to move impromptu, the least I can do is keep you comfortable." She said stretching. At the moment, my heart doubled it's size.

"Thank you." I whispered.

I could tell she heard, because her smile widened.

"The fuck are we standing here for?"

Mom shouted from the door, she didn't carry anything. I wondered why she didn't go in, I remembered Lucy was with the key.

She opened the door quickly, before mom woke up the entire neighborhood.

When we finally packed everything in, we were all too tired to pick rooms, or arrange the place. Lucy put out some blankets on the floor, and we all went to bed.

For the first time, I said thank you to the big guy up there.

JOSEPH'S POV