Game On (Game On 1)

Will was the first of my friends to wish me good luck, and make me swear to keep in touch. I assured him he wouldn’t get rid of me just because I wasn't in the same country as him anymore. There was still unfinished business regarding him and Freya. Even if I wasn’t right there to guide them, I hadn’t finished hoping they’d figure things out.

Bree was next. She gave me the tightest hug I’d ever received and said, “I’m going to miss you so much.”

“I'll miss you too,” I told her, trying to control my tears. “I can't believe I won't be able to steal clothes from you anymore.”

She laughed through her own tears. “I'll come and visit and we can swap. I hear the shopping in London is great!”

I nodded, and laughed. “Yeah, it is.”

“Then we have something to look forward to,” she said, in her usual sunny way. “I’m going to call you every day to make sure you don't forget!”

Smiling, I wiped a tear from her cheek. “That is something to look forward to.”

Jesse was waiting patiently for his turn to say goodbye, and my heart broke a little more as I looked into his eyes.

“Don’t you look at me like that,” I said. “You have a whole lifetime to make girls cry, don’t start with me!”

He managed to flash me his familiar, laddish grin, even though he was visibly upset. He wrapped his arms around me. “I don’t think it’s very cool for me to cry, so I’ll try not to. But you were my first real friend on the team. And you helped me so many times, with so many things. Thank you.”

“Ha, you better remember that when you’re super rich and even more famous!”

“I will. My mom always tells me I should remember everyone who helps me on my way up. I don’t usually listen to her, but she happens to be right about this.”

I hugged him tighter, overwhelmed by how much I felt for this young man who I’d struck up an unexpected friendship with.

“Stay in touch, okay?”

“You can count on it, kiddo.”

Finally, it was Freya's turn. She was crying even more than me, but seeing her so upset made me break down further.

Freya had been the closest thing I’d ever had to a sister, and to leave her was like leaving behind a part of myself.

“Is it worth me begging you to stay one more time?” she asked, pulling me into a hug.

“It never hurts to try,” I told her. “But you know I can't.”

“I know. I just don't want you to go.”

“I wish I didn't have to. But it'll be okay. We'll talk every day, I won't give you a chance to miss me!”

She laughed. “I’ll miss you as soon as you've gone!”

“I'll miss you too. So much.”

“Call me when you get home?”

“I will.”

We hugged once more, and then finally, I turned to Miguel.

If I'd thought saying goodbye to Freya was hard, Miguel was going to be even worse.

He seemed to read my mind, and he smiled. “Don't worry, we can delay this for a little longer.”

“We can?”

“Yeah. I'm coming to the airport with you.”