A long way from home By Melissa B.

It was the last day of school and Ellie was at her locker cleaning it out. She took her One Tree Hill pics down, the pics of her friends and of course, Jason. Jason was her boyfriend of 1.5 years. They went through high school together until he graduated last year. They were inseparable until he went to college. He was going half way across the country to play football at Michigan State. It was unsure to Ellie what they were now, were they still together or were they just friends? Being across the country from him made her think of him a lot. They didn’t talk as much as they used to. They’ve gone a whole three month without talking just because they’ve both been so busy. Ellie’s friends have told her to let go of him even though he was so great but there’s a better life out there for her than waiting for him to come home every 4 months, but she just couldn’t let go.

Ellie hugged all her of friends goodbye and said she would be at her going away party around 6:00. Ellie took one last lap around the school looking at all the posters and pictures and the classrooms. She couldn’t believe that she was leaving. Leaving home forever and most likely not coming back. Ellie looked at pictures of her and her friends on the upperclassman board. She grabbed the pictures and took them with her. She wanted to take everything she could with her to New Zealand that would remind her of home.

Ellie, her two sisters, brother, mom and dad were all moving to New Zealand for her dad’s job. He is an ER doctor and was being promoted to be the chief of the hospital in New Zealand. The pay was a little better than he was getting now but not the greatest since it wasn’t the richest place. But he would be getting paid more and he would get to help a lot more people that were in more need than at home.

That night at the going away party Ellie looked at her friends and thought that she had the best friends in the world and never wanted to leave them, or the town. They had so much fun together and they talked about things that they would never forget about each other. Ellie looked at her phone and realized it was 11 o’clock and knew that her dad would be there to pick her up any minute. Her eyes started to fill with tears as they fell splashing onto the floor. Her friends then all started to cry too knowing that the end was almost here. End of their Friday night movies and sleepovers, their study groups, their lunch in the cafeteria together and watching One Tree Hill calling each other on a 10 way discussing how shocked they were what happened. But they knew that one thing would never end, and that was their friendship. Ellie promised to email them at least one a week with pictures news about New Zealand. It was 11:17 and Ellie’s dad was here to pick her up. Ellie gave them all a hug and left with eyes full of tears.

The next morning the family grabbed all their stuff that they were bringing on the plane and sent the stuff that was to big to go on the plane, in the mail to their new house. Ellie was a little excited because their plane was making a stop in Michigan, not to far from Michigan State where Jason was. Ellie decided that since she had enough time, she would make a surprise trip to see him. They got to the airport and went through luggage check in and security then finally boarded the plane. The captain’s voice came over the loud speaker and said to follow the seat belt directions on the screen and to have a wonderful flight. Ellie clicked her seat bet in place, put her Ipod on, headphones in the ears and close her eyes for the 1 hr and 17 minute flight. The plane started going down as it hit the runway. The plane pulled in and the passengers started getting off.

Ellie and her family got their carry on’s and walked off the plane to a place to sit in the gate. Ellie said “I’m going to get a cab to go see Jason, don’t worry mom, I’ve got my phone and everything, call me if you need me.”

Her mom looked at her confused. “Please?!” Ellie said. Alright, you have 3 hours before we board the plane again. Make sure you’re back.”

“I will mom” said Ellie as she started walking toward the door.

Once Ellie got outside she put her Coach sunglasses on and called out for a taxi. A taxi stopped and she got in. “Michigan State University, please,” and with a shut of the door and a step on the gas, Ellie was on her way to see Jason. She was finally here. She walked into the main building and asked where she could find him. The lady at the desk gave her his door building and his room number. Ellie walked across campus until she was finally standing in front of his door. Ellie took a deep breath and knocked on the door. A guy answered who Ellie assumed was his roommate.

“Hi, is Jason here?” She asked.

“Nahhh, he’s at the center of campus,” said Jason’s roommate.

“That would be where?” Asked Ellie confused.

“Here, I’ll take you there,” As he grabbed his football jacket and shut the door. On the way to where Jason was, they talked and introduced themselves to each other. Jason’s roommate was named Greg, who was a junior and the wide receiver on the football team. He was a high second round pick into the NFL but decided to finish college first and then make a decision if he wanted to play football in the NFL or take up a “real” job. After about a 7 minute walk they finally reached the campus center. Ellie looked around for Jason. She looked everywhere and then finally saw him by the Starbucks. “Jason!” she yelled with a wave as she ran down the steps. He must have not heard her as he started to walk away. Ellie slowed to a quick walk as she followed him. She was only 100 feet away to finally talking to him in months. He then sat down next to a girl on the water fountain ledge. Ellie was to excited to notice this but when she saw him kissing the girl, Ellie stopped dead in her tracks. She just stared at them as her eyes started to fill up, standing in the middle of the campus about to cry. Greg came up to Ellie and just stood by her side not knowing why she was crying until he thought that she wasn’t his sister, Ellie was his high school girlfriend. “Greg!” someone yelled “over here!” it was Jason motioning for him to go over. Greg looked at Ellie and they both started to walk over to him. “Hey man,” said Jason, “who’s the gi……Ellie?” His voice quieted down as he looked up into her tear filled eyes. Then he looked at Meghan (the girl sitting next to him) “I uhhhh…..” said Jason not knowing what to say. The tears started coming harder now and Ellie was just so embarrassed. She ran to the stairs and ran up them skipping every other one wanting to get out of there as quick as she could. “Ellie” screamed Jason as he ran after her. Ellie flagged a taxi and was about to get in when Jason grabbed her hand.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t--”

“What, you didn’t mean to hurt me?!” interuped Ellie. “Yea, well it’s a little too late for that. My friends were right, you aren’t worth it”

And with that Ellie got into the taxi and left. She sat in the taxi in tears the entire way back to the airport. When she finally got there she had to go through check in again and security. Ellie walked up to Gate 36A and found her family.

“Hi, honey!” Said her mom “How was it?!

“I don’t think it is going to work out,” Ellie said with disappointment.

“Oh, I’m sorry”

“Mom, It’s fine” Ellie responded quickly, “He isn’t worth it.”

Ellie got back just in time to board the plane. Everyone got onto the plane, settled down, buckled up and took off into the air once again.

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In New Zealand 1 month later….

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

“Ellie, get ready for school!” yelled her mother, “you’re gunna be late!”

Ellie rolled out of bed and got into the shower, got dresses (in her school uniform), did her hair, make up and then went down stairs to eat breakfast. She had been going to school for about 3 weeks now and in one of her classes she was already going on a fieldtrip.

The fieldtrip was wilderness survival as well as kayaking in the ocean and playing games on the beach. None of Ellie’s new friends were going and she didn’t know anyone that was going on the trip so she sat alone the entire 3 and a half hour bus ride. When they got there the class set up their tents and went swimming in the beach. Ellie just sat on the beach watching them all have fun. Ellie was just about to get up and go read a book in her tent but then she heard a voice,

“Ah, you going to come swim in the wottah with us?”

Ellie turned around to see a tall, New Zealand blue eyed, blond boy standing in front of her. He was like no American boy she’d ever seen. “Ummmm….”

“Come ohnnn” said the boy.

“Alright” said Ellie with a smile. Ellie took her clothes off to reveal her bright blue bikini. Ellie walked along side the boy down to the water.

“I’m Cam by the way”

“I’m Ellie”

They got into the water and Cam introduced her to the rest of the people. They played in the water for so long. They played catch with a nerf football, they played chicken, and then they got out of the water and played tag. Once the sun went down the teacher started a bonfire and put out things to make smores. Ellie hung out with Cam all night and they shared things about themselves to each other.

* * *

It was the last night that they would be on the trip until they got back home. Ellie and Cam sat under the stars and just watched as the sky got darker and darker. For the first time Ellie was happy that she was here in New Zealand.

Ellie looked up into Cam’s eyes and said “You make me want to never go back to the United States because there is somebody special here that would be waiting for me to come back if I left. There is no one like that back in the US, except my friends, but they probably don’t miss me anyway.”

As Cam leaned in toward Ellie he said “I’m so glad you’re here too, and I would miss you more than anything if you were to just leave.”

And with that, Ellie leaned into Cam and they kissed, under the light of the moon.