How to Save a Life ✓

XXX: In Which Time Is Running Out

CHAPTER THIRTY

The Seattle wind rushes past my hair as I grab my bags and put them in the trunk of the car once again. It's been two days full of talking, and hugging, and connecting with my family. My actual family, who loves me for who I am.

"Thank you so much for welcoming us into your home, Mrs Sterling." Noah says as he puts his sweater and hugs her. I give him a side eye as my stepmother hugs him back awkwardly. The things that boy would do for food. Aphrodite follows suit and hugs my step-mother from the back, forming a hilarious sandwich. No wonder they're a couple, they are both equally as crazy. I stay still gaping at the both of them before my dad sighs and whispers, "I'll go get the empanadas so they'll leave her alone."

He leaves for a moment and I take the opportunity to separate my friends before they embarrass themselves further. "You guys are embarrassing me." Didi playfully rolls her eyes before proceeding to mess up my hair with her hand.

"We love you too, Kit-Kat." Noah adds on to Didi's actions. The nickname reminds me of sweet memories, bringing warmness into my heart.

"Here are some empanadas for your trip. It's best to eat them warm so I put them in foil so they'll last longer." My dad hands Noah the empanadas and he takes them graciously before heading back in the car. Didi says thank you and one last goodbye as she talks into the car and joins Noah.

"Kate, there's something we need to talk about." My dad begins and the anxiety immediately starts to course through me. I thought we had a good weekend, what is he going to tell me? Even if it seems ridiculous, I can feel my hands start to sweat so I wipe them through my jeans awkwardly.

"Yeah?"

"Alba and I talked, and we think it's best that you moved back to Seattle."

"Moving back?" The fears quickly dissipate and I'm left with confusion.

"You obviously can't stay in San Francisco without a guardian and there's no way in hell I'm letting you stay with your mother- wherever she is." I shudder at the thought and realize that he's right. I guess my time in San Francisco is up, and I'm strangely okay with it. I look to my right and see Didi laughing at a bad joke Noah told and my heart tugs at the prospect of leaving them.

"I'm going to take a leave of absence at my job for a while so I could go to San Francisco and sort all the legal issues out. Hopefully you'll be here by the end of summer."

"Hopefully," I weakly respond. Knowing that they are waiting for me in the car, I give my dad one last hug and head out.

When we make sure that everything is okay, we head off into the open road. Didi quickly took her antihistamines and I'm chewing gum to hopefully avoid motion sickness. The car is quiet for the most part except for Didi and Noah engaging in light conversation. I don't bother to take part and instead took at the photos that my dad gave me of the family. They were more simple than the ones that he posted on facebook. Alba helping Toni icing a cake, my dad trying to fix the hood of his car and failing, and all of them together watching T.V. I assume that someone else took that photo considering none of them had an arm extended to hold the camera. They're beautiful and I'm never going to forget the words he told me as he handed them,

"Now you're going to be in the photos too. The family album will finally be complete."

I look up to see Aphrodite looking at me through the rear view mirror and I suddenly say, "I'm moving to Seattle."

It's as if everything stops, Didi's breath hitches as she grabs her poofy ponytail. Noah continues driving but based on the way he suddenly becomes quiet, I know he's thinking about what I said.

"When?" Noah asks in response to my question.

"I don't know exactly. I think by the end of the summer."

The air grows solemn, Didi turns back around and continues touching her ponytail, a sign that I've come to known as sadness from her. Although she rarely gets upset, I notice that she did the same thing too when she got her exam back in AP Biology.

"I'm gonna miss you." She mumbles, not looking at me.

A pang hits my chest at the realization that I'm to leave the only friends that I made. I'm going to miss them a hell of a lot too.

"We shouldn't say that yet. We still have a couple of months left together. Let's make the most of it." Noah manages to reassure us in one sentence although the feeling of sadness soon returns. I don't know what I'm going to do without them.

We just have to make the most of the time we have left.

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A/N- Two more chapters left!