4

Auriana

'Okay, has no one, besides me, noticed that Scarlet has been really quiet all day?' Emma asked. She couldn't help it, she was worried. It was clear from the look on Emma's face. It wasn't like Scarlet to be so quiet, she normally couldn't keep her mouth shut for more than five minutes. We were all sitting in the auditorium, eating lunch.

'Now that you mention it,' Brooke said, glancing in Scarlet's direction. She was standing in the cafeteria line to get a snack. She didn't seem very happy which was very unlike her.

'Something is seriously wrong,' Nikki thought. Scarlet walked over to our table with a sausage roll in her hand and sat down with a sigh.

'Is something wrong?' Renee asked. She had always been very direct and impatient, so it was no surprise when she just blurted out the question.

'Nothing,' Scarlet said as she looked down. We looked at each other, now we knew for sure that was wrong with our friend. We had known her long enough to know that she looked down when she lied.

"Scarlet?" Nikki said with a worried tone in her voice. She seemed like she was having an debate with herself about something, like she wasn´t sure she could tell us.

"Okay…my dad got a new job offer."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Skylar asked. Scarlet shook her head, tears visible in her eyes.

"In Whittersville," she whispered almost inaudibly.

"WHAT!?!?" Brooke, Renee, Emma, ​​​​Skylar, Nikki and I shouted at the same time. Scarlet did her best not to let the tears in her eyes fall. A tear escaped from the corner of her eye and rolled down her cheek. It was obvious that we´d heard her, but we couldn't believe it. It remained silent as we all let the news to sink in. We all looked down. Jimmy and Jeremy walked over to us.

"Hey, why are you so sad?" Jeremy asked.

"Scarlet's dad got a job offer in Whittersville," I agreed. Now Jimmy and Jeremy were looking down as well.

"Wait, he just got it offered right?" Jimmy said. But Scarlet told us that he had already accepted the job and her family didn't even hear about it until afterwards, without consulting them first.

That night we were on our usual chat website and had started a group chat without Scarlet so we could figure out a way to not only process the news, but also because we had decided we wanted to do something for her.

ReneeD: I can't believe her dad is doing this to them.

JimmyB: He must be getting a really good job.

BrookeT: There has to be something we can do?

EmmaJ: But what? It's not like we can force her dad to turn down a good job?

JeremyW: We can throw a going away party!

AurianaW: Doesn't that sound like we want her gone?

SkylarJ: You´ve got a point there.

JeremyW: Think of it as a way to make one last happy memory together, and not a way of saying goodbye.

NikkiS: We need to think bigger, a farewell party is such an obvious choice.

AurianaW: Let's make a list of ideas.

JeremyW: Like I said...a party!

BrookeT: A performance, with a special song that represents our friendship!

EmmaJ: A photo album with all the pictures of all of us over the years!

SkylarJ: A cake as a farewell gift!

ReneeD: A gift basket with all kinds of fun stuff!

JimmyB: Friendship bracelets, I don't think I need to explain that!

NikkiS: I don't know, everything I could think of has already been mentioned.

AurianaW: This might be a crazy idea, but why don't we just do all of it?

ReneeD: Isn't that a bit much?

BrookeT: -.-

EmmaJ: You're just lazy Renee.

JimmyB: It's actually not a bad idea.

AurianaW: Thank you.

SkylarJ: Okay but how are we going to get all this stuff done in time before she moves away?

NikkiS: You have a point Sky. We don't even know when she's leaving.

JeremyW: Someone needs to figure out when she's leaving...I'm voting for Auriana!

BrookeT: Me too.

ReneeD: Me three.

JimmyB: Me four.

SkylarJ: Me five.

EmmaJ: Me six.

NikkiS: Me seven.

AurianaW: Okay, I'll ask. Boy, that peer pressure is fun.

I picked up my phone from my desk and opened WhatsApp. I typed out a message to Scarlet asking when exactly she was moving and added a sad smiley face before I hit send. In all the sadness of the news, none of us had even thought to ask her that. It didn't take long before I had received an answer: in two months already. I answered with an okay and clicked on my text bar of the chat program.

AurianaW: She'll leave in two months.

NikkiS: Maybe we should make an overview of who is going to do what?

AurianaW: I'll do it

I thought about it for a moment and first made a list for myself. Then I started to carefully type the list so I wouldn't forget a step. These surprises just had to go well, we only get one chance to do it right.

AurianaW: The party: Brooke and Jeremy -> the decorations, Emma and Skylar -> the invites, Nikki and Jimmy -> the music and Renee and I will make sure there is a suitable location and the permission to have the party there.

AurianaW: The performance: Renee -> the clothes, Brooke –> the microphones/headsets, Jimmy and Jeremy –> the music/musical instruments for the performance, Emma -> the lyrics for the song, Skylar and Nikki -> the permission and location for the performance and I choreograph the dance.

AurianaW: The scrapbook: the girls and I collect the photos and the scrapbook, Jimmy and Jeremy arrange the decorations for the pages in the book.

JimmyB: Do you mean we have to go shopping?

JeremyW: Don't be a whiney, shopping is fun.

AurianaW: Brooke, Renee and I -> bake the cake, Emma, ​​Skylar and Nikki -> buy decorations and decorate the cake.

JeremyW: And the boys?

ReneeD: You would just eat the cake, so you stay far away from the kitchen XD.

AurianaW: You can go buy the friendship bracelets or make them. Whatever you want.

JeremyW: Yay, more shopping!

JimmyB: Sometimes I really wonder if your mom dropped you when you were a baby.

AurianaW: For the gift basket, we can all put something of ourselves in it, besides the little trinkets and make a we'll miss you video with all the good moments from our friendship. The friendship bracelets can go in it and a cd with our songs.

BrookeT: Sounds like a plan. Now we just have to work out the details.

AurianaW: Okay we have two months let's do this!

We worked all night to put our plans on paper as well and clear as possible. The gym seemed the most suitable location for the party. So now we had to convince our headmistress to actually allow it to be held there.