This was the last school year I would spend with my best friends. Okay, maybe I was exaggerating as I wrote that, but it's how I felt.
It was a sunny day, a rare occasion in London, and I was writing in my journal. Dreaming of Paris for some reason, and wishing to see my friends again. A week or so from the end of term, and it was hitting me like a brick. An overly hard brick to the abdomen that made me want to curl up and do absolutely nothing.
I had yet to cry over it, but I had a feeling I would. At least on the last day.
Today, I was remarking in my journal how odd it was that, until you're old, you always think you're so mature. At the ripe age of eleven I was contemplating how I was eleven. No one quite realized, I think, how young they are till they aren't.
"Graciiiiiiiii, Makayli and Linden are here to see youuuuuuuu!" That was Mrs. laren, one of Graci's best friends as well as her mum.
"Wait, Ma, I thought they were coming tomorrow!"
"Today is the tomorrow you were thinking of!"
Oh. I usually get dates wrong, but surely not today. I was just winching and moaning about it for crying out loud.
I shrugged on my jumper and pulled on my boots as I went down the stairs, almost falling. Stupid multi-tasking. Note: Never ever ever try to put on shoes while going down the stairs. It seems like common sense, but I never had much of that.
"Ah Graci! Our beloved soon to be attending a boarding school friend... by the way, you should fix your fringe. It's really blocking out those beautiful brown-green eyes of yours." That's Makayli. The rebellious British school girl stereotype come to life. She looks like an angel, but don't be fooled by the blonde hair and unassuming blue eyes. There was a daredevil under all that.
I took her advice, quickly brushing the stray hairs from my forehead. "Thanks."
"So, Cillie, how's life been since, like, an hour ago?" And Lindin. A boy who transferred mid year in third grade from America with only his mum. Now he has a dad, but we don't ever go to his house.
"I'm doing well enough, I suppose." I paused for a moment before returning to my speech, "So, fellow peoples, where are we off to today?"
"Well," Makayli started pompously, "I most need to stop at the library for some reading material. Life gets quite boring being this amazing all the time."
Me and Lindin both laughed at that. Kayli never failed to be hilarious.
Lindin spoke quietly and I strained to hear him over the street traffic, "After that I have to watch my brother and his friends at the park, feel free to come or not, but Kayli is so your other option is going home."
"You silly boy, of course I'm coming! I couldn't leave you and Kayli alone! What kind of friend would I be then?"
"A realllllly bad one I suppose," Kayli giggled, now walking backwards so she could talk and walk that absurdly fast walk of hers.
We walked in relative silence the rest of the way, Kayli skipping ahead and humming. But nothing was ever really quiet here, around six o'clock when most people were going home to eat supper with their families, horns blaring with impatience.
This was the life I was used to, the one I will miss dearly. As much as I know I'm going to love Hogwarts, it hurts knowing this is what I will be leaving. I will miss it dearly, not being able to grow with my people.
I know I'll meet new friends, but these will always be my first friends. Always the ones I compare others to.
We would be spending a few weeks longer in London before we left for Greece that summer, for Zoe and me to say goodbye.
Αντίο, παλιά ζωή, αντίο Goodbye, old life, goodbye.
