Chapter Three

I said nothing. Me? In California? Do they even fish there? Do they have trucks there? I bet they don't even have Georgia Boots there! As out of place as I am here, in my own hometown, I could only imagine how bad it would be there. I loved my dad, but no. I refuse.

"Absolutely not." My dad's jaw practically hit the floor. "Sorry, dad but I cannot allow this. Do you even know the crime rate in L.A.? I bet they don't even have grits there. What in the world were you thinking? How-"

"Riley, lower your voice-" I let out a dry, LOUD, sarcastic laugh. As if I was going to listen to him at this point.

"NO, dad, I will not lower my voice." Oh the sarcasm was practically dripping out of my mouth with each word. "It's one thing for you to take my first official day of senior year from me- but to try and move me to LOS ANGELES? I am country. I am SOUTHERN. They will eat me alive! Like, what the actual f-"

"RILEY HAZEL BRINKS SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND MARCH TO THE CAR THIS INSTANT!" Shock overtook me and I numbly nodded and made my way outside. Seventeen years of knowing this man and I had never once even heard him raise his voice and now he wants to shout at me? In public? I feel my lower lip poke out. Great.

Dad marches outside and unlocks the car in silence. I just stand there. He rolls down the passenger side window and I hear him say, "Get in the car, Riley." I don't want to. And I know I'm about to cry. So I do what I do best. I run. I hear him call after me but I don't stop. I push my legs harder and abuse my lungs but I don't care. I only care about finding isolation, silence, peace.

I feel my phone buzz and I chunk it. I'm not doing this. I'm not leaving. I'll be eighteen this year, I can stay here by myself.

I run until I see a dirt path to my left and I take it, not slowing down. I pass pine tree after pine tree. I bet L.A. doesn't have these either.

I begin to slow down as I see the clearing ahead. I finally stop as I reach the bank. I sit down against my favorite willow tree and breathe in the clean, fresh air.

The river is my happy place. I absolutely love it here. I fish here, I swim here, I've even slept here. How can he do this to me? I shake my head, feeling my face become wet from the now free falling tears.

I don't know how long I stare at the moving water before standing up. I feel the guilt setting in. I know he must be worried. I stare out at the water for what could be the last time. Run my fingers over my tree, hoping to memorize the feel.

I walk into the yard, head down. When I look up all of the guilt I had previously felt vanished. I watched as a man hung a "For Sale" sign in my front yard and then I watched my dad shake his hand.

"You're selling it? I won't ever be able to come back? Dad, why? Why are you doing this to me? This is my home!"

My dad honestly looks like he's hurting too but I don't care right now. If he does this, I'll have nowhere to come home to- to come relive childhood memories. What is he thinking?

I look at him. Silently begging him. Pleading with him to make this stop. "Please, Dad, please tell me this is a joke."

"This isn't a joke, Riley. It is happening. I can't live with the ghosts anymore." There he goes with the ghost thing again. I feel my lip poke out again.

"Yeah, speaking of those, what could you possibly mean? You think our house is haunted? I don't see how that could possibly be reason enough to move to the other side of the country, Dad!"

The realtor looked extremely uncomfortable and I was glad. How dare he think he had some claim on my home. My dad on the other hand, he just looked extremely pissed. I note the red color on his neck and face.

I note the red color on his neck and face. "No, Riley, I don't mean Casper, I mean your mother." What? She's dead? Obviously my dad knows me better than I realize because he answers my unspoken question. "I mean the memories I have of her in that house."

Realization and more confusion dawned on me all at once. I realized he wanted to be free of the past but I had more questions now than ever before.

My dad sighs. He just looks tired now. "Riley, I know you have so many questions and I know you don't know how to go about asking me because I've never been open with you about her- and that was wrong of me and I am so sorry- but please, please just give me a break here. I promise I'll answer every single one of those questions but for now can we just do what we have to do to get this over with?"

I don't say a word. I just silently walk into my home one last time. I look around and try to burn every detail into my memory. I walk up the stairs into my bedroom and take note of a couple of empty boxes my dad must have left for me.

"Just pack a few of your favorite things. We're going to buy new stuff when we get there. I meant it when I said a new start." I nod my head. I stare at my mother's vanity and look questioningly at my dad. "No, Riley. I'll get you a new one." I just stare at him. He looks at the floor. "You deserve better." He walks away, leaving me to my packing.