Somewhere, Today

89

Song for the chapter: Visions of Gideon by Sufjan Stevens

~~~

"I have loved you for the last time.

Is it a video? Is it a video?"

"Are you guys all set?" Liam asks as Harry, Kristina, and I start piling into the car. The U-Haul driver came an hour ago, the burly guy promising that he'll get our stuff there safe and soundly. Kristina clings onto Liam for the last time, tears welling up in her eyes as they say their final goodbyes. It's hard to watch, but part of me is happy that they got to know each other and experience one another's love.

"Thanks Liam, for everything." I wrap my arms around Liam, a few stray tears falling down my cheeks and onto his shoulders as I say my goodbye to him. He was the first person that showed compassion towards me here, the first person who didn't make me feel so alone and lost.

"Stay safe, Sarah." Liam and I let go of each other, the both of us emotional as we say goodbye to each other. Harry stands by the car waiting, knowing that he'll be back here soon anyways after Kristina and I are finally in New York.

"We will," I walk away from Liam and walk back to Harry. The lump in my throat makes it hard to breath, to speak even. I just want to cling onto what's left, cling onto the past so that all of this won't seem real. I just want everything to stay, but I also want everything to keep moving.

Kristina and Liam spend a few more moments together, the both of them just relishing in each other's embrace. Harry and I just stand side-by-side, his arm around me as we stay silent and wait for Kristina and Liam to be ready. We don't dare try and pull them away from each other before they're ready; we both know that it'll only cause more parting pains.

"I don't think they realized how hard this would be." Harry says, him and I just relaxing while Kristina and Liam try not to break down in each other's arms. It may seem as though Harry and I have this all under control, that we're not worried about goodbyes and missing each other, but the truth is that we're both scared and neglecting the truth that awaits us.

"I don't think they expected to love each other this much." Kristina pulls away from Liam finally, her eyes red and wrinkled. Liam is trying to hold his own, trying his best to not let any kind sadness seep through. He wants to show Kristina that this will all be okay.

She walks towards us, her hands wiping away the tears from her eyes as she makes her way over to me and just shuffles into the back seat of my car. We all wave at Liam, knowing that this isn't the end, but it sure does hurt like it.

"I guess it's time to get onto the road." I nod my head and agree with Harry, the both of us finally getting into the car and embarking on our twenty-four hour journey. The three of us are definitely going to get tired of each other easily, but I'd like to just relish in my last few hours with Harry by my side. I don't care if we don't even speak one single word to each other; I just want to be near him as I cross this new threshold.

Kristina and I wave goodbye at Liam one last time while Harry pulls out of the driveway, the three of us cruising down the street and away from Liam's house for the last time. And so we begin our journey, Harry driving while Kristina and I try not to annoy him at all.

Hour one

We're all silent for the first hour of the trip; Kristina sitting in the back with her headphones in as she focuses on not crying and Harry just watching the road. I try my hardest to read my book, but in the end nothing gets read--not one single word. The silence between the three of us isn't something I'd call completely comfortable, but it isn't tense either. We just don't know what to do, what we want our parting words to be. I'm hoping we don't spend the whole trip in silence, that at least we find the words we need to hear. I just don't want all of it to end, at least not this way.