Misfit

"I'm gonna miss you so much, Jay Jay!" Grace pulled me into a tight bear hug. I buried my face in her shoulder, inconspicuously hiding the tears I was releasing.

"I'm gonna miss you, too!" I mumbled against the soft fabric of her shirt, making my words a bit incoherent.

"Promise me you'll call every day!" She said, releasing me from the hug so she could look at me. I could tell by her red nose and pink cheeks that she was crying, too.

"I promise!" I said, shaking my head up and down, vigorously.

"Good!"

"Jayden, it's time to go!" My mom called from her place in the front of the moving van.

"Okay, Mom." I called back, hugging Gracie one last time.

"Goodbye, babe! I'm gonna miss your snoring!" She laughed, wiping the tears off her face as we broke apart again. This time for the last time.

"I don't snore!" I said, but laughed, anyway. I picked up my One Direction bookbag, filled with my priceless merchandise that just couldn't be throw in the back of that moving truck. "Goodbye, my love." I waved as I walked toward the moving van. When I climbed in the passenger seat, I could still see Grace waving in her driveway next door to the house I used to call my own.

When my mom put the U-Haul in drive and pulled out of the driveway, Grace ran alongside the car, waving her arm hard. She blew me a kiss and began mouthing words I couldn't hear but I knew what she was saying. From morning's first light to evening's last star...

I caught her kiss and blew one back and when she did the pretended to grab mine and put it in her pocket, I rolled down my window and yelled, "Always remember how special you are!" Finishing our secret poem. She began to fall back and then, she couldn't handle anymore running. She stopped, catching her breath and the flyaway tears streaking her cheeks.

"You two will be fine." My mom said, laughing even though I was so clearly crying.

"Nu-uh! You don't know what distance does to people!" I said, wiping my face.

"Trust me, I do. That's why I've arranged for us to visit Gracie on Holiday Break and she'll come stay with us for Spring Break and you two will alternate over the summer." I looked at my mom in disbelief, but since I couldn't hug her, I settled for a peck on the cheek.

"Thank you. You don't know what it means to me."

"I think I do, Jayden. Get some rest." I laid my head on the car door, waiting for the U-Haul to arrive at the airport so we could fly all our belongings to Florida. I closed my eyes and eventually fell into sleep, which wasn't so surprising. Crying tires a person out.

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I woke up as the truck came to a bumpy standstill, making me hit my head against the bulletproof, U-Haul glass. As soon as I sat up, my bladder felt like it would explode. God, I knew I shouldn't have had that big slushy!

"Mom, I have to pee!" I tapped my leg, daring a side glance at my mom. I felt like if I moved, I'd piss myself. Wow. What a great way to start a new life.

"Me too. Let's go find a bathroom and try and make it back for our flight. Your dad will kill us if we aren't back in time." I nodded my head, unable to talk-- how was I going to walk? I climbed out of the truck, bouncing from foot to foot in an attempt to keep the pee inside my body.

"Look! A bathroom!" My mom called over, pointing to a restroom by the food court. I stopped my slow hobble and ran as fast as I could into the bathroom. I'm so glad I ran track! But my happy mood died as soon as it came when I saw that the only two stalls in the small, dirty, bathroom were occupied.

"Fuck my life!" I let out with a frustrated breath. No way could I hold it any longer. Just when I thought I was about to let loose on the floor, a lady opened the stall, slowly ushering her little daughter out. She was walking backwards, buttoning the kid's pants as she went.

"See! It's easy to use the big girl bathroom! Just ask the nice girl over there!" She pointed at me, still halfway in the stall.

"Look, lady. I really have to pee so if you'd be so kind as to excuse me?" I murmured. Just a little longer...

"Oh! I'm sorry. Of course." She moved her daughter out of the way and left the bathroom. No hand washing? Gross. Once I'd locked the stall door, I saw that she forgot to flush. Double gross. I lifted my foot and flushed the toilet, then coated the seat with tissue. I pulled down my Guess jeans before crouching over the toilet, making sure my backside never touched it.

"Ahhhhh...." I sighed, happy to be able to let out the pressure. My head rolled to the side and I found myself wishing I was at home so I could sit on my own plushy, toilet seat.

"Jay?" My mom's voice echoed in the small restroom.

"Be right out!" I said.

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I looked around the big house. Florida was nice. I'd seen lots of beaches and cute boys and clothing shops. The only way this could get any better was if Gracie was here to share this with me. I climbed out of the car that Dad had sent to pick me and Mom up from the airport. When we'd passed the gate locking in the new residence I'd call home, I couldn't help but like my dad's new job.

He came around the corner of the big walkway just as I was thinking about it.

"Thank god! You finally get here!"

"I know!" Mom said behind me. "Jay had to go use the restroom and the plane had a late start." She smiled. I didn't respond, I just ran up and hugged him as tightly as i could.

"I missed you so much!" What? I'm a daddy's girl! Plus, with my dad being on location, here, for a month, I hadn't seen him at all. Late night calls from my dad weren't enough. Finally, the company moved him here permanently and we don't have to be separated, anymore.

"I love this house!" I told him. The lush palm trees and blue water pool were definitely beautiful bonuses.

"Well, you'll love decorating, too. Because my boss is coming over for dinner tomorrow." He smiled against my hair.

"Why would you invite someone when we're just getting settled?" Mom asked, clearly confused.

"Well, he invited himself. I couldn't say no. Come here." Mom came over and we were in a big group hug.

"Oh, he has a son about your age, Jay. Maybe you two could be friends. He'll be going to school with you."

"Really?" What's his name?" I asked, finally stepping back from the hug.

"Liam."

Notes