Katie's POV

Today is an exceptionally auspicious day. You may ask why? It's because my dad will announce a prominent news tonight, which I am naturally very curious about.

The birds are chirping, the sky has worn off its darkness, and now it is just bright and cloudy. The wind is blowing through, transmitting positive vibes to every minimal part of my anatomy and making me feel euphoric from inside out. The entire aroma around me is just sweet and relaxing as if nature is synchronizing with my mood today.

I was running down the streets enjoying today's morning pleasure when someone familiar disturbed my peace, and by just hearing her call, my lips mischievously curved upwards.

"Hey stop!!" She shouted, yet I kept running just to bother her.

"What do you want Lexi?" I roared in my extra chirpy voice to provoke her further.

"Nothing, just wondering what are you doing here?" She said with her gritted teeth.

"I should be the one asking you that, love?" I teased her again.

"Oh! I am here because some particular person texted me to come here this early in the morning." She said, huffing like a canine, but still running behind me to intercept. I spared her and slowed down my pace to keep up with her turtle walk. See how generous of a friend I am.

"I just called you for a morning stroll" I simply shrugged as if it was not a big deal, but in actuality, it's one hell of a deal for Lex.

"What? Are you kidding me? You freaking ruined my beauty sleep, Kat." Of course, she would say that.

"It's not that big of a deal Lex and I want someone beside me while I am jogging and today neither my mom nor my dad was able to join me, so it has to be you."

"So why don't you call Ezra, your baby boo? Don't have the guts, gurl. Huh?" She smirked, and I groaned. I wonder why I told her about my crush, ignoring the fact that she is my best friend and to be precise the only friend I can rely on.

"You didn't just say that," I give her my best death glare, and thankfully she dropped the topic. Is she fine? How did she just drop it that easily?

"5:43 on a Friday morning, no thanks, I pass the offer." She started going in another direction. I jogged backward to halt her.

"Hey!! Don't be so dramatic, you are already up, and here, so why don't you just join me?" she takes a long deep breath and starts walking beside me. Lazy dogs she is.

"Well, why didn't you change your Peaches night suit while coming here?" Now the tables have turned, so I smirked, and she groaned.

"Ugh...not again. Do you want me to go back?" She threatened and started walking back, but I held her hand before that.

"Nope, stay here!" I pleaded because I am not looking for a cantankerous Lex out of the already grumpy one.

"Trust me, if you ever mentioned this again, I swear, I would bury you right here."

"Whatever Peaches!" I laughed as she was cheesed off. She hates Peaches, but just for her little brother, she wore this Peaches night suit once in a blue moon. The fun fact is that her brother knows that she hates it, that's why he gifted her that in the first place, although she doesn't know that yet, nor did we intend to tell her ever.

"Leave this, tell me what's the secret behind your bombastic mood?" I know she was going to ask this.

"Um... It's just we are going abroad." I know she is going to kill me after this.

"What? Really? How is that possible that I don't know about this? When? It's going to be fun with you." She put her hands around my neck and clung to me. Oh sorry, Lex. As if I am sorry for doing this. After all, I am a perfect bitch.

"Yeah, but the thing is you are not going," I said hesitantly, putting all my acting skills into the act.

"What? Hey, that's not true, we both knew that." Though she wasn't taking any of it, however, I saw a bit of fear in her eyes as if she is really considering my words.

"I hate that I cannot agree with you," I said in a gloomy voice. Wow, Kat, your acting skills are appreciable. I mentally patted my shoulder.

"Hey stop with the act. Okay, tell me then, why are you guys going and leaving only me? Tell me, huh! No answer. See I know you were lying." she asked that in one single breath.

"If you will let me speak, then only I will be able to explain Lex. Your parents decided that they don't want you to go on a trip because you will lose track of your perfect grade, also you have to give some more time to your drama club at the start of the semester."

"What? That's bullcrap as if you wouldn't lose track of studies."

"Yeah I know but you know I cannot do anything." Okay, I can't tantalize her anymore. Her face is worth this drama.

"No way, I am calling my mom right now, we have to talk. That was just absurd of her." I lose it. I can't control it anymore.

"HAHAHA...OMG!!!"

"Hey this is serious, why are you laughing... Omg, I am going to kill you, Kat. How can you do that to me? You know how much furious I got when I got to know I would not go and all of you will."

"Hahaha..... Your face Omg!! I should have recorded this. Where is the camera when we need it?"

"I hate you," she said while controlling her laughter.

"You are very easy to fool, Lex, and I still do not believe that you bought all of that crap." I was laughing like a maniac and spreading my contagious laugh. Lex also started laughing.

"Okay, okay! Stop it now, my mouth is hurting from all this." We both calmed down and watched into each other's eyes with sincerity, and guess what? We started laughing again.

"So why did your dad call us for dinner today?"

"I don't know exactly why, but he is going to announce something colossal tonight, and can you believe it, he doesn't even tell me about the announcement. I am his only beloved daughter yet he didn't even give me a hint."

"You must be adopted that's why," she dramatically suggests. What more can I expect from this dumbhead?

"I never expect more from you." I rolled my eyes at her behavior.

"Imagine what you said earlier, come true!" She said with her whimsical eyes.

"Than that will be great as I want to go on a vacation with you. I wanna reminisce those moments again." This time I clung to her shoulder.

"Hey! You are sweaty." she accused.

"Oh really? You wouldn't complain if your baby boo had clung to you all sweaty, however, you will find it sexy." I hugged her very tightly that she would have forgotten how to breathe for a second.

"Ewww!! Let me go, you bitch, and how dare you drag my sweetheart in this. He is so sexy that I wouldn't mind the sweat and you know..." She pushed me away

"Calm down your horses there pal, I don't wanna go through all of your dirty imagination this early in the morning, and how dare you call me a bitch?" I dramatically exclaimed

"Don't act like you aren't one." She smirked. There is a reason she is my bestie, guys.

"Oh really? What about you, my bitch?" By saying that, I lunged at her and started tickling her.

"Okay, Staph!"

"Say the magic words."

"What? Kat is a bitch, but why state the obvious?" I started tickling her more hardly.

"No, you dumbegg! Katie is awe-someeeee"

"Katie is awesome..." I left her and stood up while smirking in triumph.

"Of course after me." She took me down again and started tickling me.

"Hey that's not fair, cheaterrrrr" I laughed while speaking.

"Everything is fair in love and war, my love, and this surely is war."

"Okay, Staph, please" Surprisingly, she let me go and lay down beside me. Guess what? We are now lying on the footpath, crazy we are. We stood up and dusted off the dust like a sane person would have, then started walking back to our homes which were beside each other.

"Hey! Have you prepared for our sophomore year?"

"Can I prepare something this important without you, babe?" I said in a duh tone.

"Yeah! Right, I know how useless you are without me." I hit her on her head.

"Hey, I know the truth can be harsh but that doesn't allow you to smack me on the head."

"See if you don't want to get knocked out here on the street, so I better advised you to shut that mouth of yours." I threatened with my best smile.

"Whatever!" She poked her tongue out.

"You know, it will just going be the same as freshmen year only one thing will be better."

"That we will no longer be freshmen," We both said in unison, and after that broke into hysterics because of our imbecility.

"Finally, I got the chance to leave you and never see that face of yours for this morning." lex playfully exclaimed.

"Yeah, of course, same here sis." We both chuckled and departed our ways.

*** At Night***

"Kat, have you arranged the table and chairs outside?"

"Yeah, mom I have already arranged it, and also the glasses and plates are out there." We are having a barbeque party today on our lawn, and I have invited Lex's family over.

I am a single child, but Lex has a small brother named Dylan, so it works for me. You know, providing me with the experience of having a small brother as a sibling, and trust me, it's good to have him.

I can carp him out anytime and whenever I want him, I can take him back from Lex. And if you are thinking Lex minded that, so let me clear it out, she is the one to suggest this. It's a win-win situation for us, and poor ten-years-Dylan is not poor at all, because his sole motive in our life is to irritate the heck out of us.

My parents and her parents are best friends from high school. I like their love story. My parents were high school sweethearts throughout their senior year. What surprised me is that I am anything but a sweetheart in my Highschool life.

Whereas Alexa's parents have a cliché story, you know, the typical Jock falling for the nerd. My mom and her mom are best friends from their birth, as their moms were friends and our dads were best friends from high school's freshmen year.

"How do I look, honey?" Mom asked dad.

"Lovely as always" Sometimes it's overbearing to see them like that. I scoffed before they got into the flow.

"Um... yes sweetie, everything is perfect now."

"I know that mom," I smirked, and mom blushed. Awe! She is so adorable.

"We are here." Aunt Elle announced.

"Oh finally," my dad said.

Aunt Elle and Dad have a unique bond. Their conversations are less about talking and more about bickering, but it's just for fun, with no bitterness between them. They were always at each other's throats back then in high school as well, but now they argue maturely, and it's just their way of talking. It's a lot of fun to view them converse.

"Oh, David! I miss you dear!" Aunt Elle exclaimed while opening her arms to hug my dad.

"I cannot say the same for you, because you never left me in the first place to miss you." Everyone laughed, and Aunt Elle hugged my dad and then joined mom near the barbeque.

"Katt......"

"Lexii...." We hugged. It's our way of meeting in front of our parents to show them that we exist. I know weird right, but they literally forget us when they meet each other.

"We know you guys are here," All said in unison except me, Lex and Dylan. Wait, where is he?

"Dylannnnnnnnnnn..." We all stare at Dylan.

"What? You all forget me. again."

"NEVER," We all chuckled

We all settled down and started eating.

"David, when are you going to reveal the good news?" Uncle Steve smirked.

"Have patience, Steve. By the way, it's not what you are thinking. Let's first complete the meal." Lex and I nearly choked at my dad's comment.

"Dad, how much you gonna torture us? Tell us already." Finally, dad stands up, after my pleading.

"Okay, okay! So everyone, listen!" We all turned towards dad and gave him our full attention. Dad cleared his throat and took his wine glass in his hand

"I want to announce that we are going to India." Period!

"HOLLY MOLLY!!" Lex and I said in unison. As soon as we realized what he had said we both burst into excitement and started shouting. Our morning conversation repeated in my mind. Is this for real? Someone pinch me hard, please!

"WHOAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! Our wish has come true. Who in the world was freaking kidding us?" Alexa and I both shouted.

"Wow India, for how many days?" I questioned.

"Sweetie we are not going there for vacations, but for living there for a whole year." and It took around a minute for the words to actually settle inside my head, and the moment it did, that's when hell broke out, but I still control my temper, even though it was just for a few mere seconds.

"What do you mean by living?" I shouted in a harsh voice that no one expects from me. Not even I expected that I would ever use that tone in front of my parents.

"Your Mother and I have got transferred to India to launch a new plan in our franchise there, and also to be there from an American point of view for them." Is it Emily in Paris or Katie in India that we have to go there from an American point of view? I swear I would have said that aloud but this wasn't the time for jokes or sarcasm, whatever you say.

"So you can go, I will stay." I sensed relief washed over because of the way they dropped the bomb on me. I was, well not me, at the moment.

"Sweetie we would have left you here if it was for a month or two but it's not that." My mom explained.

"But mom I have my life settled here. I have already planned out my whole damned life and most especially Lex.is.here. You can't expect me to leave everything behind?" I asked, tears welling up in my eyes, but I obstructed them from coming out. They cannot expect me to leave everyone and start it all over again.

"It's not like we will not return," Mom reasoned.

"Exactly! You know you are going to return, so why not let me stay here?" I argued.

"Katie we said no, so that means no." My mom said to me sharply, thinking that would stop my argument. Dad hindered her from speaking any further.

"Listen, sweetie, and try to understand. We cannot leave you alone here for a whole year, and I promised I would try to complete the project as soon as possible so that we can return. I will also miss your Uncle Steve, and Aunt Elle here but this is important, so will you cooperate with me?"

"But dad..." I was going to argue, but one look in my father's eyes let me think otherwise. He never asked me for anything but this, but can I accept this? Can I support him in this?

"Okay," I barely whispered. I don't want to agree, but my father needs this, and I will help him. I can't disappoint them. I can fight with them, but I hate to disappoint them. I looked at Lex, and she was crying. After seeing her, I cannot restrain myself. I walked up to her and embraced her.

"I am glad you are going to India." She whispered in my ear. How dare she? She shouldn't accept the fact. She should argue, at least that will help to rant all her feelings out.

"Hey, don't say that. It's not going to be any fun without you."

"Nah! Promise me you will have fun and also call me every day."

"Of course, I will call you. I will miss you and everyone here and we will meet very soon. Promise?"

"Yeah! Promise."

"I will miss my sophomore year without you Kat."

"Don't worry, I will try to come here as soon as possible and maybe I will make them do so."

"Hey don't cause trouble there, because Lex wouldn't be there to save Kat's sorry ass." We both were crushed within but just not showing it to each other, cause if we did, I will never be able to leave Florida.

"I just agree for my dad's sake, but I can't promise you Lex that I won't cause any trouble there. if I wouldn't be able to live there, I have no choice but to make chaos." I can't leave just like that. At least not without putting up with a fight.

"So I hope you would live your best life there." She said with a deadly smile.

"What kind of a friend are you?" I whisper shouted. How...? Just how can she say that?

"What I don't want you to face trouble and hurt yourself." She reasoned.

"And you think, leaving you just like that, won't hurt me or cause any trouble to me."

"Argh...If I say this in your words so, No more sad shit, Boss up LIL BITCH." she prompts.

"Acting all grown up, huh! I will also see, till when you can hold that façade of yours."

"You and I both know, if I don't hold this façade of mine, the consequences will be against both of us."

"But again I would be useless without you. You said that yourself earlier." I argued back for some reassurance. Lex is the only one who I can trust besides my parents and hers, even Dylan as well. I would be lying if I said I had other friends that are important to me just like Lex is. She was there for me in my darkest moment to support me, and in my brightest moment to make them remarkable.

"And you did smack me on my head and threatened me to shut my mouth. That explains you are anything but useless without me." Miss know-it-all said.

"Katie, you have to start packing from tomorrow itself." My mom nervously said to me.

"What? When are we leaving?" I yelled. Wasn't the fact that I am leaving Florida enough to ruin my mood and life for today?

"Um... This Monday!"

"What? And you are telling me this now." I am seriously constraining myself from lashing out.

Are they kidding me? First, they told me that we have to go to a whole different country and start a new life there so that I have to leave Florida, where I have been since my birth and now telling me that I have only 2 days left and that will just pass quickly, as I have to be prepared.

I don't even know a single thing about this country besides the fact it's a famous Asian country, which is rich in culture.

God knows how I am going to survive there.

"Happy Journey Kat!" Dylan dejectedly exclaimed. Ah!! my poor baby.

I remember Lex's words from the morning "Finally, I got the chance to leave you and never see that face of yours for this morning." I internally laughed at the irony, that from the upcoming Monday onwards the statement will eventually come true. We won't be meeting any morning any soon.

Maybe this is it. I don't know if it's the end of this beginning or the start of something new?

***

Hello peeps!!

The journey is going to begin........

So you guys ready?

Don't forget to vote if you like it.