The drive is over, he thought dragging himself out of the car stretching from sitting down for so long on the ride from the airport.
"It was a long trip, I know. Their plenty of room inside to stretch your legs, were finally here, Mason." His father said walking around the vehicle, ‘Our new home.’
Mason's father was just recently promoted his at the company. His father worked hard and Mason, always gave due respect. Even as they made the more than lengthy move to the gated community of the town named Owl’s Branch filled with larger than average homes and small mansions. It was fall season in the Owl’s Branch early to mid-October. Out of the car, Mason's father started walk to the door with excitement. Mason walks to door over the brick paved walkway blanketed by yellow and red leaves beneath his feet they crushed and crumpled. Stepping up onto the steps, he bent down pulling a leaf from under his shoe then looks up as his dad held the door. Entering his new home the first thing he saw was the chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
A little much, he thought. He was new to the upscale life not that he was not well off before. This was an upgrade, nonetheless. He and his father had known the bottom at a time earlier in his life and for a long while they came to know the upper middle class life as they moved up.
‘A long away from us staying with Aunt Kate and cousin Kaira, huh, Mason.’
‘Yeah it is.’ Mason said back to his father.
Everything was set up already by the moving company was his guess, televisions, new couches, bookshelves and other furniture. Mason could see a pool and after exploring, extra rooms unused and empty. Mason enters the kitchen his father making himself a glass of orange juice. His father sees him then making a second glass as Mason sat down on the stool by the counter.
‘I think you’re going to like your new school. You start Tuesday by the way." His father informed him.
‘Are you working tomorrow?’ He asked.
‘Yeah, is something wrong?’
Mason shook his head no, drinking, thinking to himself. What am I supposed to do tomorrow?
Upstairs he entered his massive room sat on the edge of his bed looking at all the extra space. He falls back his head resting on covers of the bed looking at the ceiling. With thoughts of friends that he left, back in the East. What they may doing without him, from the corner of his eye notices the light coming from one of his windows overseeing the driveway. Curious, getting up he lifts the blinds from the window. He saw across the street the porch lights turn off as people walk inside the home. Walking away from the window and goes to the bathroom looking into the mirror looking at his reflection after washing his face with thoughts about his new school and his old.
After setting up his game console, getting online was all a simple password away. Comfortable in his beanbag chair, he received an invite to a voice chat he joins. It was Andrew, one of his closest friends from back the East coast.
‘Mason, what’s up man? How are things in Washington State?" Andrew asked.
‘Not much, I had a long ride from the airport was sleep most of the way. I got an in ground pool."
‘Damn that’s nice. Hey Matt, Mason got a pool.’ Andrew said.
"With a hot tub." Mason added.
‘What did you say?" Matt said voice woven into the sound scuffles as he put on his headset.
‘Mason got a pool,’ Andrew repeated. ‘Hot tub with the new place in Washington State."
"That’s sick dude. How is your neighborhood?" Matt asked.
"Ahh, I don't know yet, just got here a couple of hours ago but I’ll walk around tomorrow. Being that I don't start school until Tuesday."
"At least you got away from our school. The old Principle left you remember, right?" Matt said.
‘Yeah, I remember. How is it?"
‘This new Principle is ridiculous; she makes all these new rules for school for no reason. Nothing has happen to cause it. Everyday theirs something new it seems like." Andrew detailed.
‘That's messed up." Mason replied.
‘It’s not all bad she made lunch a little longer for us." Matt said, always adding a pro to the balance. Being friends with Andrew and Matthew was similar to having a bad and a good on each shoulder; Mason wouldn’t say Andrew was evil, more like he was driven by his desires because the boy could surprise.
‘Also Eliza was asking about you. She was like ‘Where's Wolfie?’" Andrew said, laughing.
‘Yeah that’s her.’ Mason said, sadden as he laughed but his friends from the East knew him well enough.
"Yeah, you should text her or something," Matt said to him as if it wasn’t clear.
"She hasn't text messaged me since, Wednesday.’ Mason said to them.
‘Makes sense, she was kind of sad, when I had seen her across the cafeteria. When she heard the news and don’t worry it wasn’t dramatic Eliza isn’t like that but there was something there. Matt and I could see it, even at a distance." Andrew explained.
‘Really?" Mason said.
‘Yes, really, I even went to her table to tell you what we are telling you now.’ Matt and Andrew both echoed.
‘Just hit her up. Mason.’ Andrew said clearly.
‘I will.’ He replied.
That was all Mason mostly could say as they continue to talk about what happen in school that day. After an hour or more of playing video games with his friends, he turns off the console. He gets in shower music playing from his phone on the bathroom sink the stream of hot water rushes down his shoulders dripping off his fingertips flicking them as if he had claws. Drying himself, putting on his pajamas then brushing his hair as he walks out, picking up his phone from the edge of the sink. Finally as he laid in bed did he scroll down his contact list to find Eliza Amari, labeled Liz.
[‘How are you doing?’]
[‘Sad.’] Eliza replied two minutes later, while it was only a solid three minutes before midnight.
[‘Why?’] He messaged but he knew. I made her feel that way.
[‘Because you left me, Wolfie.’]
[‘I had no choice Liz, you know you were one of my closest friends.’]
[‘I know it’s just that.’] Liz messaged to him.
[‘It’s just that. What?’] Mason sent her back, time passed and he send another, [‘Are you there?’] Soon he settled into his bed putting his phone onto the nightstand. When his eyes closed, his phone vibrates receiving a message. He lifted his face from the pillow.
[‘I had feelings for you.’] She sends, finally receiving another message from her.
[‘You did?’] Mason sent back stunned.
[‘I do, then again, I can't do anything about them since you left. I know you haven’t thought of me like that, right?’]
[‘I have thought about us being more than friends on occasion it’s hard not to think about you that way.’]
[‘I'm going to miss you. Mason, I wish I could wrap my arms around and kiss you like I always wanted.’]
[‘I’m going to miss you too but we can still talk.’] He sent and it was a now a minute pass midnight, he saw in the glow of the phone screen.
[‘We both know that this distance. Is going to be the end for friends even with all things we can connect on, nothing will ever the same, living on different coasts.’]
[‘You may be right.’] He agreed with cheerless expression on his face.
[‘I hope you find someone for you. You were always my favorite boy-friend, you were only the guy I manage to relaxed with.’] Before he could reply, he received another. [‘I have to get to bed. It’s three o’clock in the morning here.’]
[‘I’ll text you tomorrow.’]
[‘All right, I forward to it.’]
[‘Thank you. I'll think about you.’] He wanted to reassure her.
[‘I'll think about you too.’] Liz messaged lastly.
His phone went dark then places it back onto the nightstand and asleep not long after with her on his mind.