Life's a Party

Chapter 2

Hi guys!

I changed the cover, thought it looked better than the other. Here's chapter two, I hope you enjoy!

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"We need to talk," said mom, entering the kitchen the next morning with dad in tow and graciously sitting on a chair. The both of them looked perfectly fresh and ready for a new day, like all that arguing hadn't even happened last night.

"Yes mom, you already told us that. Twice," Taylor said. She was standing at the stove, flipping pancakes. Lately she'd been waking up before the rest of us since mom and dad started fighting late into the night and I was either studying or partying. 'No more of the latter though, I promised Taylor.
"Well, your father and I are getting a divorce," she said. And there it was. We'd been expecting this, Taylor and I, so we were not surprised, but what did surprise me was the way it was said. She said it so casually, like it was just another thing to tick off her to-do list.

"Oh, and also, Roxanne, you'll be leaving to West Coast Harbour in another two days, so pack your bags. I want your room to look like no one ever lived in it." This too, she said it was like something to do on a normal day.

I felt like someone had very rudely dumped a bucket of ice cold water on my head, leaving my choking and gasping for air. "W-what?!" I spluttered, staring at her with wide eyes. Who was this person again?

Taylor had frozen in her spot, the pancakes forgotten.She whirled around, eyes flashing, lips curled back in a snarl. "You tell us you're getting a divorce so nonchalantly and then you tell Roxy she's going to West Coast Harbour? What is wrong with you?! Why is she going there anyway?" she spat, her hair framing her face like a halo.

"Honestly, I'm-we're not surprised that you're getting divorced, if the late night yelling was anything to go by, but I don't understand why you're shipping her off like that," she says, her furious voice slowly dwindling into a sad whisper.

Suddenly it hits me, "Wait, what? My room should look like no one ever lived in it? What do you mean? Why would I pack up all my stuff?" My mother looks bored, absentmindedly picking her nails. "Well, you will be living with your aunt for at least a year or two, so I'm assuming you would need all your stuff and not just one suitcase."

"Why are you sending me off to live with Aunt Becky? What will I do over there?! You're sending me off to live with someone I've met only once?!" My mother just waited for me to finish then said, "We've noticed for the past few months that you've been missing at night, and your sister can cover for you only so much. After that, it becomes kind of obvious. Also, your scores are very unsatisfactory. You haven't been doing well at school. You need to get back on track and we think that this will help."

How dare she?! "I have not been scoring badly! My scores are almost perfect and you would know that if you actually took an interest in my life! You never bothered with my grades before, but now you want to get rid of me so suddenly I'm scoring badly! You have no right!" This was outrageous!

"Don't speak to your mother like that young lady!" Dad said, speaking for the first time this morning.

"I will speak like that if you want to ruin my life! How can you expect me to just uproot my life and move?!" I was on a roll.

"What life? It's not like you have any friends here anyway," mom muttered. That's just plain mean. "You're right, I don't have any friends. I used to, until you started fighting and everyone thought I was a wimp because I cried in the bathroom during lunch. I have nothing in this place, no friends, parents who don't want me, but I do have Taylor. She's the only person who cares about me at this point."

"Roxanne!" mom gasped. "That's not true! We're doing this because we care about you!" "Save it," I snapped, "I'll go. At least I'll be away from the two of you." They wanted me out of their sights? I'll go gladly.

It was totally silent until Taylor piped in, "I'll go with you. I don't want to stay here either." She glared at our parents and made her way to me, putting an arm around my shoulder. "I don't think it should be a problem to book another ticket. While you're at it, tell Aunt Becky that I'll be coming too. Roxy and I will be packing upstairs." She smiled sweetly at them and steered me toward the stairs.

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As soon as she shut the door to our room, I spun around, staring at her. "Taylor what are you doing? Why would you do that?" I was shocked she'd want to come with me, especially since she was going to college after the summer.

"I can't exactly just let them send you off like that, can I? Besides, how do you expect me to live with them alone? Or- since they're getting a divorce- with even one of them? No way, little sis, I'm coming with you," she said, warming me with her words.

"What about college? You're supposed to start college this fall!" She couldn't do this, I wouldn't let her.

"What difference does it make if I go to college there? I'm going to have to make new friends anyway, and I'll be away from all this drama," she said, vaguely gesturing to the kitchen, where my parents could be heard conversing in hushed voices.

Well, she did have a point. "Are you sure?" I didn't want her to regret her decision when it's too late to change it. "Yes Roxy, I'm sure. Now come on, we have a lot to do, we'll be staying there for at least a year or two," she said, imitating mom's voice at the last part.

I laughed, feeling light inside, that thick coil of dread slowly dissolving as Tay spoke. "I'm glad you're coming," I told her, "I wouldn't want to be totally alone there."

"I'm glad I'm coming too. If I remember correctly, Aunt Becky is not half bad," she winked, "We're going to have so much fun!"

Suddenly the idea of moving to West Coast Harbour didn't sound so bad.