Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER:

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either a product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblence to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

CHAPTER 1:

"What do you mean you're moving?" Ellie said. Ellie was Eurydice's best friend. She was plenty crazy and just as beautiful.

"It's true," Eurydice replied grimly. "My parents told me this morning. Something about my father getting some great promotion," Eurydice added sarcastically. Her parents had been dying to get out of this town for months now.

"But�"but..." Ellie had no words for this news. Eurydice was her best friend. They had grown up together. "You can't just leave me here!" Ellie whined.

"I have to, Ellie. I'm sorry," Eurydice said. "You know we're going to college together. 

That's only two years from now." Eurydice said this lightly, but two years felt just as long to her as she was sure it did to Ellie.

"Ugh. Fine. When are you leaving?"

"Saturday." Eurydice knew Ellie's reaction before she heard it through the cell phone pressed to her ear. She held the phone away as Ellie yelled.

"What?! You can't be leaving Saturday! That's only two days from now!" Ellie exclaimed.

Eurydice sighed. "I know. Look, we'll hang out later. Unless you want to help me pack?"

"Ew. You know I'm no good at work." Eurydice smiled. It was true. Ellie hated anything remotely close to labor.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll call you later."

"Bye!" Ellie called.

After Eurydice hung up with her friend, she slammed down on her bed, staring up at the plain white ceiling. How could this be happening to her? She had just become a junior in high school. She had just gotten her first boyfriend. Speaking of which, she needed to decide if it was worth even trying to hold onto that relationship. The whole long-distance thing never seemed to work out.

Eurydice sat up and dialed Kenneth's number. "Hey, Kenneth," Eurydice said when he answered.

"Hey, babe," Kenneth replied.

"We need to talk. Can we meet up?" Eurydice was anxious. She didn't want to break up with Kenneth, but she wasn't sure how it would work out in the long run if they stayed together.

"Sure, babe. Is the park cool? In fifteen?"

"Yeah, that's great."

Eurydice sighed as she hung up. This move was killing her social life. She was losing her best friend and her boyfriend. There wasn't really anyone else in this town that she cared about. In fact, she pretty much hated everyone here.

But that didn't explain to her why it was that her parents wanted so badly to leave. 

They loved it here. Well, they had. Up until a few months ago. Eurydice couldn't think of anything significant that had happened to change their view on things. Everything had seemed perfectly normal to her. Apparently, it isn't. Eurydice thought on her way out the door to meet Kenneth.

The park was a small one, with only one swing set, a slide and a small sandbox. 

Kenneth was sitting on a swing, watching two little kids throwing sand at one another. 

He smiled when he saw Eurydice. Eurydice smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. This was going to be difficult.

Eurydice sat on the empty swing beside Kenneth, trying not to look at him. Kenneth's blonde hair and blue eyes were turned toward her, waiting for her to speak. After all, Eurydice had been the one to call this 'meeting'.

"So, Eurydice Anders. Brunette knockout and green-eyed sweetheart," Kenneth said 

charmingly.

Eurydice laughed out loud. "Green-eyed sweetheart? Kenneth, that's a new one." 

Eurydice took a deep breath and frowned. "We need to talk."

Kenneth shared her frown and sighed. "You wanna break up?"

Eurydice swallowed hard. She didn't want to, she had to. "I'm moving," was all she said as she looked over at Kenneth.

"Moving where?" Kenneth asked quietly.

"Selma. And, as great as it might sound to be getting out of Cleveland, I'm seriously dreading it." Eurydice said. "Look, I like you Kenneth, but I do not think that I could handle a long-distance relationship." Eurydice stared down at her feet as she waited for Kenneth to reply.

"I like you, too. And I understand. I'll wait for you, Eurydice. You'll be back when you graduate, right?" Kenneth asked hopefully.

What had he said? He would wait for her? Eurydice started shaking her head. "No, Kenneth. I cannot ask you to wait for me."

She and Kenneth had been together for almost a year now, but asking Kenneth to wait two more years for her? That seemed unfair. And illogical. Surely some other brunette knockout would come along and tickle his fancy. Long before Eurydice returned to Cleveland.

Kenneth took Eurydice's hand in his own and kissed it lightly. The act was meant as romantic, but by Kenneth, it only seemed clumsy. Eurydice felt a tug at her heartstrings at how Kenneth was taking all this. "I said I would wait for you and I meant it," Kenneth said softly.

That Saturday, Ellie showed up bright and early. The day before was spent mostly on packing, so Eurydice had only gotten to talk to Ellie over the phone. Of course, Ellie was happy for Eurydice to be getting out of the city. But she was still losing her best friend, all the same. That's why today was full of tears as Ellie ran upstairs and tackled Eurydice into a bear hug.

"Oh, my God! Don't leave me here!" Ellie clamored dramatically.

Eurydice felt tears come to her own eyes as she squeezed Ellie tightly. "I'm sorry. I have to go. But you and Kenneth can still be friends," Eurydice offered.

"Oh, you know Kenneth does not like me!"

"Sure, he does," Eurydice said, not quite as convincing as she would have liked. Eurydice wasn't sure why, but Kenneth thought Ellie was childish and annoying and never wanted to be around her. This made Eurydice feel even worse about moving, knowing that Ellie really didn't have anyone else. The two of them had been practically attached at the hip since kindergarten.

"You know just as well as I do that Kenneth Baird hates my beautiful guts," Ellie said, her golden hair shining in the sunlight pouring through the window. "But hey, I can cope. I'll just find new friends." Ellie started crying again as Eurydice heard her mother call up that it was time to go.

"I have to go, Ellie," Eurydice said, embracing her friend again.

"I know, I know. But call me every day and tell me how terrible it is there. That should make me feel loads better," Ellie joked.

"I will." Eurydice laughed through the tears and walked downstairs with Ellie behind her.

"Are you ready, honey?" Eurydice's mother asked her.

"Are you sure we have to move?" Eurydice asked again. She knew the answer, of course, but couldn't help hoping things would just change.

"You know we do," her mother replied, leading them all out the door.

Eurydice hugged Ellie one last time and got into the car. The ride would be a long one, but the two years standing between Eurydice and her happiness was immensely longer. Selma, here I come. Eurydice thought.

Author's Note

Comment and let me know what you think(:

Reviews

[NoelHC]

Shawna, I am not a fan of the whole Twilight type of tale, but I must admit, I could see myself reading this if you turned it into a novel.
You have done a great job of writing dialogue for your characters here, that is a very difficult skill to master. You have captured the way people this age speak today so well. I am impressed.
I loved the flow of the story, and would love to read more about Eurydice.
Heading over to Chapter 2 now.

[Shawna]

Thank you so much. I am definitely trying to make this into a novel, but I want to get some people's opinions on it.

[NoelHC]

Ooops, I see your chapter 2 story is a science fiction tale you have posted. Do let me know when you have more of this one ready.

[Shawna]

I have about three more chapters of this story. I must have accidentally posted my other story on this one. I'll go fix it.

[NoelHC]

Leave the sci-fi up, maybe you just need to edit in the title so people know which is which. I may just have to read it next. I will send you a friend request so when ever you have a new work to read you can send me a read request. It is in the little box by the writing, click read request and then a box opens with your WC friends, check there name and hit send.

[Shawna]

Okay. Well, I just updated Incipience. And Universal is the one you were reading. It is already it's own book, so I don't know what happened.

[A. Amos]

I agree with my fellow reviewer Noel on this one, I like the concept and you're talented...