7: ROSE

As I finally pack the last bag to take with me to Louisiana, I look around at my now empty room. All it has now is the furniture. That's it. All the extra stuff is in these three suitcases that I packed. I bring my first suitcase down the stairs and I see that no one else has their stuff packed just yet.

"Dad, why am I the only one that has my stuff packed?" I asked my dad and he looked at my siblings, and then at me.

"You're going to get a good look at the school before I come." My dad said and paused. "You've missed a month of school and you can't afford to miss any more."

I guess my father had a point on that one. It's January 2022, and it would be bad if I missed more school this semester because of the same thing.

"Okay, father." I said as he handed me the plane ticket.

My father started the car for me and I got in. He drove me to the airport and talked to me about the new school that I'm going to. It's the best sports school in the area. I don't know why that would concern me, since I am not an athlete like my mother was.

The car was put to a halt and I grabbed my suitcases from the back, walking onto the airport by myself.

"Me and your siblings will catch up to you soon." He said and I nodded, as I registered myself to get on the plane.

I am going to have a new start. I don't know whether to hate it, or to love it. I love it because I never have to see Charli again and I never have to see Christian again. I love it because it's a new start and a new life that I can live. I hate it because I am going to be so far away from my mother's grave and I am going to miss her very deeply. I hate that I am leaving everything that I have ever known.

Adaptability is the perfect word to describe this. Adaptation is when you get moved from your old environment to a brand new one, without knowing or being told how to navigate. A great example of adaptability is when an animal is being moved from the wild to a zoo, or when something new happens in your life that you have to live with. For me, adaptation is being tested with both my mother and this new environment across the country.

"Plane 40 to New Orleans, Louisiana is now boarding!"

I rushed over to the plane, getting in right before the doors closed behind me. I noticed that there is one seat available next to this teenage girl who's chewing gum and playing Angry Birds on her phone. I sit next to her and she looks at me with a snare of annoyance and ignorance. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and took a photo of myself on the plane and posted to my 1,000 followers on Instagram, 'movin out' and the first like I see is from Christian. I blocked him immediately after his username popped up and I went back to enjoying my flight away from these toxic people who think they can control me. I am not some tool that can fix all of your problems.