Off Camera

Packed up and Left

thats it. the last box left in my entire apartment was now taped shut and ready to be put into the moving truck waiting outside. i took in my now empty and echoing apartment one more time before leaving my keys on the kitchen bench and shutting the door behind me. for those of you who are wondering why im packing up my apartment, well its because im moving back to Houston Texas, that's right baby, this little brown girl is going back home. 

the past month has been nothing but drama and chaos and i finally couldn't take it anymore. not only was it causing stress upon myself and my career but for my friends as well. i missed my family and i was home sick. the best part about this situation was that my dance coach wants me to get back onto the dance competition team and take up dance teaching again. of course i accepted. 

Gabbie drove me to the airport and Alex and Zane decided to tag along in the back seats. the worst part of the ride there was that it was completely silent. Gabbie had been on a talking strike since i had told her two weeks ago about my move back home and the guys were to scared to even open their mouths just incase they triggered her. 

i know the one question that everyone is probably eager to know, what happened with David. well the last i heard, him and Corinna are still going at it and whenever he was going to a party with our friends i made sure i didn't and visa versa. he probably doesnt even know that im leaving back to Houston and frankly i dont care. he said himself that he didn't care about me and that there was no real love connection so why should i continue to cry and hold on to something that was never real? 

the car came to a stop as i realised that we were here. Gabbie just continued to sit staring blankly ahead at nothing as the boys got out along with me. Zane was the first to pull me into a hug. 

"i really am sorry with how things worked out here Liza, you're like my little sister now, your family. im gonna miss you little brown girl" i was holding back my tears the best i could and thankfully i survived the hug from Zane without a single tear escaping from my eyes, but for Zane on the other hand he was already bawling like a little girl. 

next in line was Alex. Alex and i had really bonded after the whole David situation and we were now best friends, he was sorta like the big brother that i never had. our hug was a long and meaningful one and when we pulled away Alex started to speak.

"Liza i just wanted you to know that i told david last night that you were leaving back to Houston and i honestly expected some sort of reaction from him. im so sorry that i let him hurt you the way that he did." 

"hey it wasnt your fault, and you have been nothing but kind and accepting towards me. we have this brother-sister thing going on and im sure going to miss it." we pull each other into another hug. if i am perfectly honest it made my heart feel shattered and broken all over again to learn that David knew and didnt care.

i shook away my tears once more and the feeling of sadness in my heart and lifted the handle of my suitcase. Alex and Zane had hopped back into the car and i was expecting Gabbie to just drive off so i started to walk towards the entrance of the terminal when i hear a car door slam shut and my name being called. i turn around and sure enough its Gabbie with tears streaming down her face. finally i couldn't hold mine back anymore either. 

we ran up to each other and held onto each other in a tight hug, one like we had never had before. it had only just hit me now that i would be losing my best friend. 

"im never gonna forget you little brown girl and you promise to somehow find the time to come back up every now and again to visit, and make sure we always stay in contact and facetime each other at least twice a week and keep up to date of all of the gossip and the news." 

i nod my head through my tears and agreed to all of her suggestions. "thankyou Gabbie, for everything you have done for me. if it wasnt for you i wouldnt have been this big on youtube nor would i have the confidence i have now." 

we slowly pull away from the hug as i spoke and she looks down at the ground as if she were guilty of something. 

"Liza, im sorry. i mean if it wasnt for me you wouldnt be needing to move back home. and im the one who introduced you and david, im the one that set you guys up and im so sorry. if i had ever known that he..." i cut her off from her emotional ramble. 

"Gabbie, you dont need to be sorry. i dont regret all of the happy memories i had with Dave, i mean we were happy and i had you to thank for that. you didn't know that he would turn out to be an asshole, but you have nothing to feel guilty or sorry about ok?" she nods and we both wiped away our tears. 

the boys finally got back out of the car and we all shared one last group hug before we heard the announcement come over the loudspeaker of the terminal for my flight to be boarded. i gathered my ticket and passport in one hand and my suitcase handle in the other and started to make my way to the terminal. i took one last glance back and waved one last goodbye to the people who mattered most to me and then within a second i was already lining up to be boarded. 

i had been seated in my allocated seat now and was just waiting for the plane to take off. thank god i was sitting in the window seat. i gave David one last thought and looked back at the one and only photo that i didn't delete from my photos of him and i. it was the very first photo of him and i. Gabbie had taken it a day after we had shared our first kiss. we just looked so happy standing in the middle of gabbies apartment, his arm around my waist, the both of us laughing at something weird and probably completely random. a single tear rolled down my cheek. it was time to move on and without a second look back, i pressed the delete button, erasing every last bit of David that i had left. 

as i took in a deep breath and put my phone into my bag that was at my feet while the plane took off and ascended into the air, a man sat down right next to me. i glanced over at him and saw that he looked round about the same age as i and i have to admit, pretty darn cute. he looked over at me and flashed a perfect smile towards me. 

"hey i'm Sam" he said as he held out his hand for me to shake.i reluctantly took it and replied with;

"Liza, nice to meet you" maybe this move back to Houston was gonna be the best decision i ever made.