What Remains (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 13

6 years ago

2 months before.

Carter looked at the blonde bush of hair that was tickling his cheek and warming up his neck. Josh had fallen asleep against him in the school bus back to their home again. He listened to his steady breathing and looked at how his long lashes curled up on his eyelid. This wasn't the first time Josh had been this close against him, but now Carter could actually take a good look at him. As Josh made a soft, sleepy noise, he felt himself smiling and also rested his head against Josh's.

When they got to the stop of Port Hayland, Carter gently shook Josh awake again. "We're here," he told Josh, who gave a yawn before getting up.

"Sorry," Josh said. "I was tired."

Carter let out a soft chuckle and exited the bus with him. "It's okay. You look cute when you're sleeping," he said and gave his friend a nudge.

Josh gave him a glare, even though his eyes were still sleepy. "Shut up..." he grumpily softly said.

They talked until they reached Carter's house and he waved at Josh as he walked towards his own house. "See you tomorrow!" he called out before he entered his house.

When he walked inside he saw his mother sitting on the couch, papers spread out on the coffee table and his father was sitting next to her. Carter furrowed his eyebrows and walked up to them. "Hey, what's going on?" he asked.

His parents looked up at him and before exchanging looks.

"Carter, come here for a moment. I think you'll need to sit down for this."

Upon hearing his mother's words, he got a little nervous and walked up to the sofa chair, placing his backpack onto the ground before sitting down.

"What's wrong?" he asked, looking at the papers on the table and now noticed that they were pictures of houses.

"Carter," Carter's mother said in her soft, motherly voice. "Your father got the news, yesterday, that he was going to be transferred to another office within his company," she spoke. "As a result of his promotion that I told you about last month."

Carter gave a slow nod. "Yeah, I remember that," he said. "So, what does that have to do with... that?" he asked, referring to the pictures of the houses.

Carter's mother gave his father another glance before turning back to her son. "This office that your father will have to go to, after summer, is in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In other words... We will have to move to Minnesota soon, after your school year has ended."

Carter went silent at the news. He stared at his parents in disbelief before taking a deep breath in. "...What?! We're moving?!" he exclaimed. "Why? I don't want to leave here."

"Sorry, honey, but we have no choice. You're too young to live here on your own and your father cannot turn this offer down. His career is at stake."

"Carty, I know this is a lot to take in, but you'll have more than enough time to say goodbye to your friends," Carter's father added. "We will be moving in two months. So you still have two whole months to spend time with your friends here."

Carter couldn't believe this was happening. He was going to leave Port Hayland? He was going to leave his friends behind? And Josh?

"No, I don't want to. I can't leave here. I can't... I can't leave Josh!" Carter felt tears staining his eyes and he hung his head. "I don't want to leave..."

Carter's mother got up and draped an arm around her son's shoulders. "Honey, I know it's hard but once we're there, and you make new friend there, you'll see that it's not so bad."