Chapter One
2017
Kip Sampson
If there wasone thing I hated, it was walking into a new school. It wasn’t like I hadn’t done it three times already. I would get comfortable somewhere, make friends, and then have the ground ripped from beneath my feet when my parents told me we were packing up. Again. And to make it worse? This was yetanothersmall town in the butt crack of nowhere. A population of six hundred. All the times we’d moved, I’d never lived in a place that had more than eight hundred for God’s sake. My schools usually had eighty or so people. I protested, just like I did every time before, but when you’re five, you get a pat on the head and a cookie to shut you up. They tried the same routine this last time, and thirteen-year-old me took the cookie and shut up.
Fine. I like cookies.
So I said goodbye to my friends. We promised we’d text or call, but I knew better. No one ever followed through after the first few tries. It was fine, though. I’d gotten over losing friends in the past, right? I was getting used to this routine.
I just had to get over it, all over again.
Except this time was different.
I was angry at my parents for taking me away from them. From our home. From the neighbors—Rob and Jeff—who grilled out every weekend, making our place smell amazing. And now?
It was all gone.
Our new house was bigger, and yet it felt so much emptier, even with my brother and sister rattling around in it with me.
I was lonely. The weekend was winding down, and Monday morning I would have to start over at a new school where I knew no one. I was bound and determined to not make friends this time. Why bother? All I’d get from it would be the ache in my chest when my parents came out with their inevitable announcement.‘We’re moving.’Again. My dad promised we’d be staying this time, but I wasn’t sure I could trust him.
I couldn’t risk getting my hopes up.
The weekend passed quickly. A neighbor lady came over and introduced herself to my parents, but ignored me and my siblings. When she left, she said something to my mom who gave her a bright smile and said thank you. When the door closed, Mom turned to me.
“Mrs. Gibson says there’s a young man who lives down the street. His name is Mason Devlin. He’s your age, and she thought it would be a good idea if the two of you became friends.”
“No,” I said adamantly. “I’m not gonna make friends so you and Dad can take me away again.”
Her eyes softened as she knelt and hugged me tight. “Oh, Kip. I know this has been the hardest on you because you’re the oldest, but I give you my word we’ll be here from now on. Your father promised.” She leaned in close so her mouth was near my ear. “Let me share a secret with you. I hate themoving too. Losing friends it took you a long time to make? Having to say goodbye to everyone? Missing their smiles and jokes? Yeah, I get it.”
And I could tell, she did. I could hear the ache in her voice.
“I don’t want to do this again,” I said quietly, a pain radiating through me I couldn’t begin to describe.
“Me neither, kiddo. But I talked with your dad and he promised we won’t have to move until after you graduate. We should trust him, okay?”
Dad didn’t lie, I knew. He would tell you the truth, no matter how much it hurt. If he was saying we’d be staying, then maybe we would.
“I’ll… try.”
“And that’s all we can ever ask of you.” She swatted my butt. “Other than to take out the garbage.”
“Mom,” I whined, but then I smiled. “Sure, I’ll do it.”
While I tied up the bag I thought of the boy—Mason, I reminded myself—and wondered if maybe getting to know someone new wouldn’t be so bad.
Maybe meeting him would be a change for the better.
Mason Devlin
“Mom, I don’t wanna,” I whined. With how everything had been going, I seemed to be doing that a lot lately.
“And I’m telling you that you have to.” Her tone told me she wasn’t going to back down . It also told me I would obey, no matter how much I didn’t want to.
“Fine.” I stuck my lower lip out. “But I won’t like him.” Even his name sounded stupid.Who calls their kid Kip?
