The Move

In the weeks prior to my family's summer vacation, Matt's parents had decided to place their home on the market. At the time, I wasn't too concerned, as they have been known to retract their rash decisions as quickly as they made them. Plus, I had bigger and better things to worry about...

The day my family returned from vacation, all I could think about was calling Matt. Afterall, he was the only one who knew my secret. From the day I told him my fear (I just had one of those feelings) he was absolutly supportive. At first he told me I shouldn't overreact, but as time went on we both knew the truth. He promised me from day one that he would not leave me alone.

The second I had come in the back door of the house, I made a beeline to the telephone. But, when I dialed the number there was a recorded message: "The number you are calling has been disconnected." I hung up and dialed again...And again...And again...
The message persisted.
I spent the rest of the afternoon in my room.

Where's Matt?

Why isn't his phone working?

Where is he?

Is this his way of breaking up with me?

I hopped on my bike and rode over to his house. The doors were locked, the shades were drawn, and no one was there.

I went back home and waited, phone in hand.





After dinner there was a knock at the door. There he was! Matt had driven over as soon as he was able. And, he told me that while I was gone, his parent's told him the house had sold and they would be moving. And they did, that quckly. They moved several miles away, and switched school districts, but Matt was adament that he wouldn't leave me. No matter what, he promised me that he wouldn't leave my side. It was difficult to accept the fact that he had moved from only 7 streets over, to more than 7 miles away, but I knew him, and I trusted him that he would never leave me. I knew he would always be here whenever I needed him.

But, as the days passed and our Junior year approached, it was apparent that Matt's family would not accept him staying at Lake Shore. While this argument was going on, I was on my way to a (LONG and VERY HOT) week of band camp. It was difficult to leave home, as sick as I had been all summer but that was a piece of cake compared to leaving the only person who knew what was happening. He had promised he wouldn't leave me in my time of need, and there I was: taking off a week, leaving him to fend for himself in the dispute against his parents.

The week I was at band camp was a true test of my strength. It was a week of strenuous activity, standing and marching in the hot sun for 8-10 hours a day. There was no air conditioning or fan in sight. And while we were fed and hydrated well, I was not able to consume anything for the first 2-6 hours on a given day. If I did, the chances of embarassing myself in front of the entire marching band and staff was quite high. Not to mention it wouldn't be long before I'd be forced to disclose "the secret". I got through the first hours of the day just as I did while I was on vacation. I would lay still as long as I could. Then, I would tell the other girls in the cabin that I'd be down for breakfast as soon as I finished in the shower. It was a great excuse the way I saw it, who wants to be the last of 10 teenage girls to take a shower? But, it bought me as long as I needed to let the majority of the sickness pass. Then, I'd join the rest of the girls at the breakast table...eating as little as I thought I could sustain myself.

I did alright considering I was running on fumes, so-to-speak.

But I was becomming so scared!

And, all I wanted to do was go home and be with Matt.