“The unreal is more powerful than the real, because nothing is as perfect as you can imagine it. Because its only intangible ideas, concepts, beliefs, fantasies that last. Stone crumbles. Wood rots. People, well, they die. But things as fragile as a thought, a dream, a legend, they can go on and on.”

-Chuck Palahniuk

"Ani hurry up and get down here! We have to meet the trucks-"

"At the new house I know!" I jogged down the stairs and spun around the banister to face my step-mom. "And don't call me Ani!"

The dyed blonde gold digger put her hands on her impossibly small waist and said "Fine, Anika."

Jeesh, what are you like 12? I thought and spun back around to ascend the stairs to my old room. I heard her sigh angrily.

I ran down the hall to my room and through open the door. I squinted and looked around examining the empty room. My muddy green eyes flicking to the three stuffed animals I had not packed.

"I'll catch you one day." I went over to them and picked them up. "Now you three are a greeting gift to the little girl who's moving in here. No arguing and no trying to come with me okay?"

"Isn't 17 a bit old to be talking to toys?"

My long blond braid whipped around my shoulders as I turned to see my long time friend, "Cae, come to see me off?" I asked the bleached blond boy.

He laughed his clear eyes reflecting the green walls of my room. "Something like that. Honestly though, you think I'd let something like you moving separate us?"

The blond stretched out her arms for a hug. My throat began to pound as I fought off another wave of tears. It didn't matter how much he joked about it, I was moving to a different state! Life long friends rarely stay that way when there are 1,000 miles between them.

"Hey, I thought you weren't going to cry?" he stepped forward to finish the hug. "Seriously you're not getting away from me that easily."

"I'm moving to a different state Cae!" I gripped the back of his loose t-shirt balling the soft cotton into my fists. "I'm going to miss you so much!"

"Anika are you even listening to anything I said? Distance isn't a problem." Cae said.

"Anika! We are going to leave without you!" My step-mom called up the stairs for the last time.

I released Cae and took a step back. "Evil step-mother is calling." I quickly sidestepped him and ran down the stairs and out the door rushing past my father who was bringing his last box of stuff to the car.

"Did you forget we were taking two cars?" he shouted after me. He looked back up the stairs where Cae was standing his expression clouded.

Cae gave him a cursory glance and then hurried after Anika. She never listens, Cae thought as he jumped the two stairs at the end of the porch. Anika was already pulling out of the driveway she leaned out of the passenger window to wave. "Admit it!" she cried her long braid waving madly behind her in the wind as her step-mom's car gained speed. "You're madly in love with me and then on my birthday next month you're going to show up at Blackthorn and confess!"

He raised his hand in a final wave for his best friend for 17 years.