Lilyana - Now They Know.....

First of all, Happy Forth everybody! Second of all, Today was a huge day for us. Yesterday we finally told our friends – Maddi, Andrea and Ani– that we were moving to Ellis Ave. Let me tell you what happened.

We arrived at the party around noonish, and standing on the blistering concrete we could already hear the study thrum of music. I didn’t know the song, it was something perky and auto–tuned that Melanthe would like. I glanced around at my friends. Samantha was wearing an American Girl Chicago tee-shirt and jean shorts. Melanthe wore a right red halter dress. I was wearing jeans and a white floaty top. Rebecca was the only one who had refused to wear patriotic colors – She said her new yellow graphic tee-shirt was fine, and that it wasn’t a law that you had to wear red, white, and blue on the forth of July.  Earlier yesterday, Melanthe got pretty mad about that, but i don’t think it matters. Unfortunately, Rebecca didn’t see it that way. She and Melanthe got into this huge fight about clothes. I mean, honestly. Finally, Melanthe got mad and stormed into the bathroom to cake make–up on her face. Sometimes, I wish Rebecca could see things like I do. Rebecca may come across as not very empathetic or compassionate, but I know she is, she just doesn’t show it. Sometimes, however, it does seem like she just makes no effort to understand how the other person is feeling. Didn’t she see that Melanthe didn’t really care about the clothes, she was upset with Rebecca because Rebecca was refusing to leave? Melanthe felt that the whole household was conspiring to kick her out, and blamed it on Rebecca, because she wanted her to go back to New York. Not to mention that Rebecca is not the easiest person to live with.  Wait – this blog post is supposed to be about yesterday, not an analysis of Rebecca and Melanthe’s relationship. Sorry. 

Anyway, we were hovering at the door when we saw Andrea bounding towards us, blond hair swinging wildly.

“Samantha, hey, over here!” she called, waving. Andrea is a very excitable person, and she hugged Samantha briefly while grinning at the rest of us.

“Hi Andrea. Where’s everybody else?”

“We snagged a picnic table out back. Lets get some of Lily’s pie and join them, come on!” Andrea headed off to the food table, Samantha and Melanthe following in her wake.

“Come on,” I said to Rebecca. “ or there won’t be any left. You know Andrea.” Rebecca barely cracked a smile at the mention of our friends large appetite, but followed me as we proceeded to get slices of Lemon, blueberry, and apple pie.

Once outside, Mellie and Samantha slid into the picnic table with Maddi and Andrea, while Rebecca sat down cross-legged under the oak tree that made out chosen spot so shady. I went over to the picnic table, and sat down next to my best friends Ani Akina. 

"Hi, Ani. How are you?"

"Hey Lilyana. What do you think of my hair?" Ani asked. Kanani (or Ani, as I called her) wasn't a girl who cared to much about her looks, but she had to pay a lot of attention to her hair. That was because its deep brown, and longer then her butt. Today, she had it french braided, and it looked really pretty.

"It looks fantastic. Who did it?"

"Maddi."

"Of course. What do you think of my pie?"

"Thanks, Kani. What type are you having?"

"Apple. Tastes really cinnamon - y."

"I'm glad you like it. Did you watch the horse race yesterday?"

It was when we were done with our pie that Samantha stood up.

"I have an announcement." She said, taking a deep breath. Everybody turned towards her. Maddi and Melanthe stopped giggling.

"I have an announcement." Samantha repeated. She looked really nervous. "I -"

"Are you getting another dog?" Andrea burst in. Samantha glared at her. "What, I only meant that you have, like, four dogs, so I only thought - "

"Can it, Andrea." Samantha growled. "Anyway, I have an announcement."

" You said."

"Shh. I have an announcement."

"SAMANTHA! TELL US!"

"OK, I want to tell you......."

"Tell us!"

"Andrea, be quiet. We're moving."

"WHAT!!!!" Andrea gasped, her eyes shooting from Samantha to Rebecca to Melanthe to me. 

"Moving? Why?" Ani turned to me, her eyes shocked. 

"We need more space." I answered. "You know, because my mom needs an office, and we don't have enough bedrooms."

"I can't believe it. Is it true?" Maddi turned to Melanthe. 

"Yes." Melanthe muttered. Maddi put an arm around her. Andrea opened her mouth again, but Samantha held up a hand.

"Wait. There's more."

"More?"

"The new house doesn't have a loft." She burst out. Everybody looked around, unsure of why this counted as something important. It was Ani, good old Ani, who grasped the seriousness of the situation. 

"But...there is enough space for all of you.....right?"

"No." sighed Samantha. 

"What!" gasped Andrea. 

"We don't have enough space in the bedroom for four of us, at least not according to the requirements on Traveling Stars."

"I.....What are you going to do?"

"One of us will have to go."Said Samantha, with an air of  a tragic heroine. Maddi sat bolt upright from where she'd been lying on the grass, trying to get a tan.

"What! Go? Who? Melanthe...."

"Yeas. Its true."

"But who's going to leave? How will you decide?"

"It won't be me." Said Rebecca from her corner, her first contribution to the conversation. 

"But that leaves....Mellie?"

"Yeah. Thats what THEY think, anyway."

"But you can't go! Thats insane!"

"I know...I just....Maddi, lets go." They stood up, the blond and the redhead, and started to leave. 

"Wait! Mellie, Maddi, come back!" called Ani, but they either couldn't or wouldn't hear. They disappeared back into the building, probably to join the party. Samantha looked at Andrea, and there were tears in her eyes.

"I'll miss not living next to you, Jules."

"Wait - where are you moving to?"

"Just across town, to Ellis Ave. But oh, Andrea! I'll miss living here. I've been here for four years, nothing will always be the same." 

Andrea held out her arms to Samantha, and she collapsed into them, sobbing.

"Oh Andrea! I'll miss my house!"

"So will I!"

"I know, you're over there al the time!"

"Its so sad! I won’t be living across from each other any more!”

“I know! Its horrible.”

I turned to Ani. Now I won’t live next door to you.” I said sadly. I would miss living near Ani. She had been my best friend ever since she moved here two years ago. I would miss her so much when we moved.

Lily