When Everything Changes

Chapter 2

We couldn't find anyone's car to borrow and we didn't want to pay for a taxi so we ended up a few blocks over, on the rooftop of my uncles old apartments. It was mine and Ethans favorite place. We first found it when we were eight. My uncle and his then girlfriend were hosting a 4th of July party and it was the first time we had been to his new place.
Everyone had been on the rooftop the whole day and while the sun was still out it didn't seem so magical. But once the sun finally set and the fairy lights began to light up the rooftop and the fireworks began to burst in the sky, it was the best night my eight year old self had experienced.

Now as we both stand here looking down on the busy New York City streets I can't help be feel that same fascination.

"You know," I start to speak. "Even though I hate basically every minute of high school, I think I'm gonna miss it."

Ethan takes his gaze from the busy streets below and focuses on me, a distinct smirk on his face.

"I told you you would, high school may be a pain in the ass, but at least you know what to expect. But now who knows what's around the corner for us."

He is still smiling despite his words and I find myself doing the same.

"What are you going to miss the most?" I can't help but ask.

It takes him a few moments to answer, "I honestly don't know. It seems like it's a lot to miss and nothing at all at the same time. Does that make sense?" He asks with a small smile.

I nod, "Yeah, it makes perfect sense, I was kinda thinking that earlier. We both know I hated it there. But there were parts I didn't hate, that I actually kinda liked and I'm gonna miss those things."

"Things like what?" He asks me.

I'm not sure how to properly answer his question cause I'm not sure how it would go if I said what I really want to say. which is somewhere along the lines of, ' I'm gonna miss all the classes we had together, and going over to your house and waking you up in the morning, or pretending to hate my lunch and giving it to you, or walking to and from school together everyday, stopping at Margarets café and buying each other fries and Cokes, and just knowing where you are and where to find you, that's what I'm gonna miss.' But I can't tell him all of that.

"I'm just gonna miss all the wild parties you attended that I was never invited to." I try to joke but from the look on his face, I don't think he took it that way.

"Yeah, about that. Lennon I'm so-"

"Kid, I'm joking." I quickly cut him off. "You and I both know that even if I was invited to those parties I wouldn't have gone. Don't worry about it." And that's the truth, he shouldn't worry about it cause I'm not mad, at least I don't think I am.

"So, you're not mad at me about that, cause if you are I completely understand." He said, grabbing me by the shoulders and looking me in the eyes. "I shouldn't have gone last night. I mean there were a lot of night that I shouldn't have gone to those parties. But last night I knew it was Leslie and I know how she feels about you and I'm sorry."

I open my mouth to speak but, my phone rings in my pocket before I can respond. My mom is on the other end, wondering where we where and why we had run off. I explain to her that it was Ethan's idea and he needed to get way for awhile. She seems okay with my response and tells us to meet the rest of our family at Ethan's for small gathering. I know he will hate the idea but I agree anyway.

"We have to go." I tell him, pushing my phone back into my pocket.

"Where?"

"You're house, everyone's waiting there."

"Who's everyone, we don't know that many people."

"You do." I state flatly. "But I think it's just family, so come on. We have to go."

I grab his hand and pull him inside and down the steps. We walk the few blocks to ethan's house in silence. I watch the children play in the streets and hear the music coming from a small cafe on the corner and think about how much is going to change from here. I think about what will happen when summer ends, even though it just started. What will happen to me and Ethan if we decide to go to different colleges in the fall, would there even still be a Lennon and Ethan.

We've been best friends for as long as I can remember. I was probably five when my parents moved across the street from his. My mother had invited his mom over for tea and brought him along. I didn't like Ethan at first. I thought he was stupid and rude but somehow we became best friends. When middle school and high school started we had plenty of opportunities to forget that that the other existed, but we didn't. We stood by each other, I stood by him like he stood by me. And while the larger part of me knows that he will never not be there, there's still apart of me that isn't so sure.

The gathering at Ethan's is pretty fun. There really isn't anyone here except Ethan's parents and his cousin Ivy, my mom and brothers. We spend the rest of the day playing games and eating and laughing. Its actually the most fun I've had in a while.

Everything is going fine, my dad even decides to show up. He tells me and Dylan that he is sorry for missing the ceremony and would make it up to us. My mom seems surprised, I think she may the happiest about his arrival.

Throughout the night I watch as, Ethan's mom, Mrs. Patel and my dad exchanged long glances and smiles. I not sure what to think, but know one else seems to notice or to care, so I assume that I'm just been imagining things.

Later my brothers, Ethan, Ivy, and myself all excused ourselves to the backyard and leave our parents to do whatever it is they do when their kids aren't around. After awhile of just talking and listening to music, I decide to go in and grab more snack. Before I get to the door Dylan asked me to go find dad for him.

"Why?"

"Could you please not be difficult for once?" He says and I give him a look.

"He has my charger and I need it." He says

"Fine." I answer slowly before walking in and shutting the door behind me.

When I walk in I hear the sound of my mom laughing. I grab a few bags of chips and sodas from the kitchen before following her voice into the din. She is sitting across from Ethan's dad Mr. Patel. He is a tall man with broad shoulders, his eyes a shade of hazel that contrast oddly with his dark skin. He and his son share the same black wavy hair except now his hair is streaked with gray.

"Hi honey, do you need anything?" She asks looking away from Mr. Patel.

I shake my head. "No, I'm just looking for Dad. Dylan says he needs him." I tell her, still standing in the door way. "Have you seen him?"

"Yeah, he went up stairs, I think. I'll help you look though, he has my phone." She stands up from the sofa and follows me upstairs but when I reach the top I wish she hadn't.

The door to Mrs. Patels office opens and my dad followed by Ethan's mom exits. From where we're standing, still on the top step they can't see us. But we see as my dad leans down and gives her an opened mouth kiss, his hands running through her brunette hair. They're smiling and fixing their clothes and I fell sick as I hear my mom gasp at the sight of her husband and best friend. They must hear her too because they jump apart. My mom steps around me, making her self noticed and despite the tears threatening to spill she stands tall. Her eyes fixed on my dad. Everything seem to slow down as my dad tries to approach her and before I realize what I'm doing Im standing between them.

The longer I look at my moms hurt expression the more angry I become and the longer everyone stands in a dazed silence the more I fell like screaming.

"What the fuck!" I finally manage to say and seem to get their attention. My dad starts toward my mom again before she races down the steps, leaving me alone in the hallway with her. "Lennon, I'm-." Mrs. Patel tries but I follow my mothers actions and go toward the stairs bumping into Ethan on the way down. He stops me and grabbed me by my shoulders.

"What's wrong?" Concern is clear in his voice and in the way he's looking at me. But I'm mad and so close to crying, which is something that I never do, and I hate my dad, and my mom needs me.

"You might want to ask your mom." Breaking away from his grip I head out the door and across the street to my house.