Leaving Home.

[• Echo]

~Maye
“There,” I muttered to myself. “That’s it.” I took a deep breath, straightening up to look at my room. Empty. The only things left were myself, boxes, and my one-year-old German Shepherd, Jagger. And a bed. And a desk. And a couple bedside tables with lamps on them. Everything that I wouldn’t be able to take with me in my car. Nothing but a guest room, now.

Jagger lifted his tan-and-black head at the sound of my voice, cocking it to the side and thumping his tail against the floor. I found myself actually smiling as I walked over and knelt beside him, rubbing my hands through his long fur. I heard and watched him thump his tail harder against the floor, his whole body seeming to wiggle with delight. My smile grew as I scratched behind his ears, and my door opened behind me. A moment later my twin, Ameii, sat beside me, running her hands through his fur with me, her golden blonde hair tucked behind her ears yet still falling in long waves past her shoulders. If it weren’t for the colors of our hair and eyes, we would look exactly alike. Her hair was a gorgeous blonde, mine the darkest of auburn. Her eyes were a soft, welcoming grey, mine a deep, fiery green-hazel. Our hair lengths were the same, just below our shoulder blades. The types were the same, airy, light, wavy. Our features were the same, distinct, defining. Typical Elfen features. Yeah. We were both Elves. Our whole school system was different than Humans’. We (as in Elves) go to school at the age of five, starting at first year, or grade, as Humans call it, and finish high school at seventeen. We had thirteen years of school. Jr. high was years 5-7, high school the years after that. But back to our look-alike appearances: Our skin was a practically glowing olive. We were the same height, 5.1. And, of course, we were both 18, our birthdays on May 13, 1992, 3:38. A.M. Well, Ameii was 3:26, but, oh well. Just twelve minutes.

“So…” Ameii said, breaking through the silence that was starting to get just a little (or a lot) nervous.

“Yeah,” I said quietly in response. We were best friends, and now I was literally just packing up and moving out. We had done everything together up until the point that we graduated from high school last year. Now she was going to a college that was just an hour and a half away and renting an apartment, and I was driving way out of state to go to a college and moving there. I took a deep breath, letting it out in a soft sigh.

"Well, I'd better get going if I want to be at the hotel by eight," I say quietly. *More like if I ever want to get going* She smiled small in one that didn't even make it close to meeting her eyes.

"Yeah, probably," she said quietly. I sighed and stood up. Jagger watched me with curious eyes as I picked up the two smaller boxes. After a minute Ameii stood up as well, picking up the other box. I gave a small smile, my eyebrows pulling together slightly as Jagger stood up, following me to the door. I turned around, taking one last look at the room. Biting the inside of my lower lip, I turned and walked out, Jagger close on my heels and Ameii following me. Walking carefully down the stairs, Jagger nearly falling over himself as he walked beside me, I opened the door at the bottom. Slipping outside into the front yard, I blink a couple times to let my eyes get adjusted to the early morning sunlight. Jagger loped out into the grass after a couple birds, his tongue hanging out, and I chuckled softly, smiling a little. Moving from the front porch, I nudged the gate open with my foot, it was never locked since it stuck in place, and moved over to my charcoal Dodge Charger. The trunk was already up, and I moved the boxes into the far back of it. Ameii moved the box she was carrying in its place. The trunk already had a couple plain dark suitcases in them and a few bags. I opened the back door, whistling softly. Jagger lifted his head, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. Barking once, he began to run towards us, leaping into the back, where a few blankets were spread across the backseat to keep him from tearing it. He laid down right across the back seat, a smile on his face. I turned to Ameii, forcing a small smile.

"Try not to kill yourself in that school, alright? It'd be nice to actually see you again sometime in Life," she said, and I laughed a little.

"Do I really have to promise that?" She laughed with me before stepping closer, hugging me for a moment before pulling back as the door opened. She shut the car door gently before walking back through the gate, passing Mom as she went the opposite way. When she stopped next to me, Mom handed me a map and a Bible.

"Just in case you lose your way," she said quietly, trying to smile as I took them. I put them on the passenger seat through the open window, turning back to her.

"And there's a fifty and a couple twenties in the center counsil, if you run a little short on cash when you need it," she said.

"Thanks, Mom. You really, didn't need to, but I'm glad that you're not one of the mom's who doesn't really care when one of their children moves out," I say, and she smiled small.

"No problem," she said, and then she, like Ameii, pulled me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around her slight shoulders. I was a couple inches taller than her now, and it felt weird.

"I'll call every Sunday," I promised, "and when I stop at the hotel."

"Feel free to, I'll always be open," she said, and I smiled as I pulled back.

"Again, thanks," I said quietly, feeling a slight drop in my heart as I thought about how this was probably the last time in awhile that I would be able to talk to her, or Ameii, face-to-face. I paused for a moment, looking at her, for a slight instant not wanting to leave. She smiled slightly, and I could see a mixture of happiness and saddness written in her eyes. I took a deep breath, turning to walk around the front of the car and opening the driver's door. Sliding into the seat and pulling the door shut, I fastened my seatbelt, pulling my keys out of my pocket. Sticking it in the ignition, I turned it clockwise until the engine came to Life, letting go of the key. Looking up at Mom, now standing on the porch, and Ameii, I smiled small. Jagger barked from the back seat and I put the car into reverse, easing up on the brake and looking in the mirrors behind me as I backed out of the driveway. Shifting gears and pressing down on the brake, I gave a little wave to my mom and sister before easing the car down the dirt driveway and onto the asphalt road.

Now I was really on my own.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pulling the car into the gas station, the bright lights illuminating the darkened streets surrounding it. Stopping at an empty section, I put the car into park, turning it off. Getting out, I grabbed my wallet from my purse, sticking it in my back pocket. Closing the door, I opened the back door and let Jagger out, watching him move around with his nose on the ground, before looking up at the sign above the gas pump. Inside Paying. I sighed. When Jagger was done, I let him back into the car, turning to head into the minimart to pay so the pump would work.

[Guest]

~Jami

Most of the cars were off the road, the drivers either inside their homes or at work. I scowled as I slowed for a red light, moving into the turning lane and turning on my blinker for the left, though no one was even around me, other than a couple cars at the gas station. Pulling in, I parked, glancing at the sign and frowning. I hated inside paying; It just meant that the people were too busy to replace the rolls in the machines. Scowling again, I turned off the car, grabbing my bag. Getting out of the car, I see a woman leaning against her car, a German Shepherd dog sniffing around. Smiling small, I grab my keys, locking it and shutting the door. Walking over to the small minimart, I fall into step near the girl. "Nice dog," I say with a smile, turning my head to look at her. "I've always loved that breed."

[• Echo]

~Maye

I look around at the sound of a girl's voice, seeing her look at me. I smile small. "Thanks, me too. I got him a year ago from my neighbor as a puppy," I say, pushing open the door to the minimart. "Do you have any dogs? I'm Maye, by the way. MayeLinn Wilson."

[Guest]

~Jami
I smile, walking in behind her. "Jami. Kravitz. And no, I've always wanted to, but just don't really have the time for a dog." I looked at her a little more closely. "Are you just passing through? Sorry if I'm probing, but this is a small town, and everyone knows everyone, really, and I've never seen you before, yet I've lived here my whole Life," I say, walking to the counter.

[• Echo]

~Maye
I smile. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Jami," I say, standing a little behind her at the counter. "And it's no problem; I just moved out today from my house and I'm going to the college out here when it starts in a a few months," I say with a shrug.

[Guest]

~Jami
I nodded slightly, listening to her. "Oh, you mean Aliskale? I'm starting there soon," I say with a small smile, glancing at the man. "Pump #3," I say. He nodded and I handed him my I.D. and swiped my credit card before moving out of Maye's way. "You know, if you need any help finding a hotel or apartment or something, I can help," I say with a smile.

[• Echo]

~Maye
I smile small. "Cool, so at least I won't be starting out completely new there," I say, then move forward. "Number one," I say, pulling out my wallet. Swiping my credit card, I put in the pin on the little machine and such, flipping over my I.D. for him to see. He nodded and I picked up my I.D. and credit card, putting them back in my wallet. I smile a little wider. "Thanks, I've only been here once before when I was getting a little tour of the college, and I stayed the night there, so, yeah, I could use a little help," I say, walking with her back outside.

[Guest]

~Jami
I grin. "Yeah, that's normally a plus," I say, walking out with her. "Well, there's a cheap three-star hotel just down the street, just go left from here, then take the next right and you'll see the entrance," I say as we walked out to the pumps, looking around at the night. The full moon cast a bright light across the town, but only every so often, as dark storm clouds kept flitting in front of it, and covered the stars. "That's where I am, right now," I say with a shrug.

[• Echo]

~Maye
I smile. "Thanks, then I'll probably go there, seeing as that's the only place I know about," I say with a soft laugh. There was a muffled bark and I looked at my car. Jagger literally had his nose pressed up against the glass and was watching me. Seeing me look at him, I saw his tail go up behind him, wagging fiercely through the air, and I smiled. "Yep, there's my eccentric dog," I say, my eyes soft as I stopped beside my car. Opening the door, he almost fell out, jumping around Jami. "Don't worry, he doesn't bite," I say with a smile, watching him.

[Guest]

~Jami
I smile, glancing back up at the sky again. "Yeah, it's a nice hotel, though a little big for this town," I say with a laugh. Seeing the dog's face pressed up against the glass, a grin broke out along my lips. "Awh, how cute!" I stop beside the car, watching her. Kneeling down as he bounded over to me, I rub his body and head, scratching behind his ears, then glanced up at Maye. "What's his name?" I ask, smiling as he tried to lick my cheek, gently pushing him down.

[• Echo]

~Maye
I smile, walking over and crouching beside her. "Jagger," I say. "Different and kinda weird, but that's just how my mind works," I say with a gently laugh.

[Guest]

~Jami
I smile, rubbinghis head. "Jagger," I muse aloud quietly to myself, smiling as I look over at her. "I like it." After a moment I stood up, brushing off my knees. "If you want you can just follow me in your car when I leave," I say, reaching down to scratch behind one of Jagger's ears.

[• Echo]

~Maye
I smile, standing up. Walking over to my car, I lean against the bumper slightly, watching her as I place my hands on the trunk. "Thanks," I say. "My twin helped me name him after we read a book and one of the lesser character's name was Jagger." I laughed slightly. "He had a tough-ish name but in truth wasn't that tough, just like he used to be," I say. "He was a little fraidy-cat until I started training him for tracking and such." I smile again and nod. "Sure, sounds good, I'm not always the best at directions when I've got a dog yapping from the backseat," I say. Walking around the side of the car, I open the back door and whistle. Jagger's ears pricked up and he stood, shaking off before loping over to me and hoping in the backseat, while I closed the door behind him.

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