Welcome back! I'm sad to say this is the last chapter. However, I already wrote some of the prologue for the next one, so I assure you, there shall not be a long wait until the next one. And it's so cute! And sad. : (
HOWEVER, let's move on with the story, hmm?
Enjoy!
(Okay, I am writing the little Rylie goodbye scene! The italics is what Natalie's writing in her diary (of only important events), and the normal writing is what actually happened. Kinda like a cheesy movie scene, but yeah. -Jordan)
Chad shook Emily awake gently. "Come on, baby, it's time to get up."
"Go awayyyyyy," she groaned. She pulled the pillow over her face.
"Come on. Troy and Gabbi are leaving."
"All the more reason to stay in bed."
"And why is that?"
"So I don't have to say goodbye to him." She sat up to look at Chad with sad eyes.
"Emster, he's got to go."
"Doesn't mean I don't have to say goodbye." She looked down.
He sighed and sat beside her on the bed. His arm wrapped around her and pulled her into a hug. "He's going to miss you, too. But he'll be very upset if you don't say goodbye."
"Okay." She sighed. She reluctantly got out of bed and went to the bathroom to change and brush her teeth and hair.
"And you'll call us when you get there?" Emily questioned fretfully.
"Yes," Troy replied in his monotone voice.
"And you checked to make sure you didn't forget anything?"
"Yes."
"And you have directions and everything?"
"Em, calm down. We're fine." Troy looked closed the trunk of the car and turned to look at his sister.
Tears had welled up in her eyes. She had been holding them back the whole time. Troy walked over to his sister and engulfed her in a huge hug. Her tears burst their film keeping them in, and they fell gently onto her cheeks.
"Shhh. We'll talk a lot, and I'll be home for holidays and everything..."
"I'm going to be in a house by myself with Dad!"
"What am I? A potted plant?!" Natalie's voice sounded from a distance. She was walking up with Ryan and Sharpay at her heels.
Emily laughed gently through her tears. "You weren't living with us. Suddenly I'm going from three men in the house to one. I'm going to go into clean shock."
The group laughed at this. Chad, Natalie, Ryan, and Sharpay all said their goodbyes to Gabriella and Troy. Troy would be attending UCLA and Gabriella would be close by at Stanford.
Emily gave Gabriella a huge hug, "Keep my brother in line." She said it quiet enough where only she would hear it, and Gabriella gave out a soft giggle.
"I'll try."
Emily moved to say goodbye to Troy. At this point, Troy's eyes had sprouted tears of his own. Emily looked into her brother's eyes, neither one saying anything. She hugged him tight, and more tears spilt down her face. "I'll miss you."
"I'm going to miss you too, sis. But I'm not going away forever."
She nodded and let go of him. "Be careful."
"We will."
And the next thing Emily knew, she was watching her brother and Gabriella drive off to their new life: College.
Emily and Chad had already said goodbye to Sharpay and Ryan, and Natalie followed them back to their house to say goodbye.
It's been so long since I've functioned without Ryan close by…but now he's going to Boston!
Once Natalie walked inside, she immediately engulfed Ryan in a hug and started sobbing in his chest. Sharpay took this opportunity to leave the room and give the couple their privacy.
"Nat, it's only Boston, and you know we'll see each other on breaks. Plus, I'll call you every chance I get," Ryan stroked her back as he held her.
"It's just not the same…" Natalie sighed.
Em and I are probably going to be really lonely. Practically all of our friends were the rest of the gang. At least Sadie's leaving; the entire gang used to have to hold me back when she started an insult fight.
"Nat," Ryan comforted her, "Weren't you the one telling me that Massachusetts would be good for me?"
Natalie snuggled closer into Ryan's chest, "That's because I wasn't thinking of senior year when we wouldn't be 2000 miles apart."
Ryan pulled slightly away and held Natalie's shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Natalie, you're gonna get accepted to Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Cornell! And some of those colleges are only a few states away—and you know how the East Coast has really small states."
Okay, that statement he said was true, but still, I'd have to wait another year!
Natalie glared at him. "I hate it when you're right."
Ryan laughed. "Come on. Let's go take a walk."
Natalie looked out the window. "Umm, I don't think so. Chadly's having a make-out moment."
Seriously. They need to find some secluded corners to make-out, because NOBODY wants to see them acting like vacuums.
"Weeeeeeell, maybe we should have one then," Ryan suggested.
"No. You just wanna get in my pants before you leave," Natalie teased him.
It's been a running joke of Ryan only dating me because he wanted to get in my pants. It's funny because Ryan gets all flustered.
"What! Nat! That's not true! I respect you and would not just want to have sex with you and then dump you and—" he broke off. By that time, Natalie was collapsing with laughter. Ryan started tickling Nat, and then they both stopped and looked into each other's eyes. They leaned in for a sweet yet passionate kiss, which lasted quite a bit before Sharpay knocked on the door.
"Sorry," she said, "But Ryan, we have to go now."
Natalie sighed and hugged Ryan tightly. Ryan promised to call the second he landed. Once the twins drove off, Natalie sighed and a single tear fell down her cheek.
I miss him…
Emily and Chad got the last of his things together. He had to leave at 4 to make his flight. They got the job done quicker than they thought though, and they had the entire afternoon to spend together.
And that's when he did the sweetest thing.
They decided to watch a movie. Which one does Chad pick? The Little Mermaid.
They sat and watch the movie one last time together before he would leave...
Emily was sobbing. He was leaving. The love of her life was leaving. She wouldn't get to see him everyday like she had for the past...what? 16? 17 years? That kind of habit is hard to break.
"Shh, don't cry." He held her close.
"You're leaving! I don't want you to go!"
If he knew she meant that, he would have unpacked right then and there. But the way Emily had been bugging him about college applications his whole senior year, he knew she really wanted him to go to college.
"We will be on the phone constantly. Or texting. Or IMing. Whatever you want to do."
"I want to see you! That's what I want to do!"
"Emster, I have to go."
She nodded, still sobbing. Chad put his hand under her chin and lifted it so he could look at her. He wiped the tears from her face and gave her an encouraging smile.
She gulped and smiled weakly. "I love you," she said in a teary voice.
Chad's heart broke. She was so sad.
"I love you." He leaned down and gave her a soft, but passionate, kiss on the lips. They stood there for a while, kissing outside of her house.
Emily broke the kiss. "You're going to be late."
"I'll call you when I get through security at the airport. Then I'll call when I get there."
Emily nodded. She knew if she tried to say anything she would burst into more tears.
"I love you," he said again.
"I love you, too."
"Fall break will be here before you know it, Emster."
"I know."
"I'll miss you."
"Are you stalling?" She put a sly grin on her face.
"Maybe."
"You're going to be late, Danforth."
"You're not going to miss me?"
"What?"
"I said 'I'll miss you' and I didn't get anything in return."
She sighed impatiently. She hated when he stalled. "I'll miss you, too."
"I'll miss you more."
"Chad!"
"Okay, okay. I'm going." He laughed gently and kissed her one more time.
She stood back and crossed her arms, trying to maintain her composure. "Bye."
"It's not 'bye', because I'm not leaving for good."
"Really? Darnit. I need to call Ben and tell him not to come over then," she replied jokingly.
"Ha. Ha. Ha. But face it, Emster. You're stuck with me." He put a childish grin on his face.
"Wouldn't have it any other way." They smiled at each other for a while.
"OH! I almost forgot!" Chad took something out of his pocket.
"Chad, what is that?"
Chad opened his fist to reveal her promise ring resting in his palm. Emily smiled gently and Chad put it back on her finger.
"You're going to be late, Chad!"
"Sorry! Sorry!" He got into the car. Zeke was driving since he wasn't leaving for another week.
"I love you," she said one more time.
"I love you, too," he mouthed.
She crossed her arms tighter and took a shaky breath.
Zeke slowly pulled out of the driveway, and with that they were gone.
Emily felt her father put his arms around her while she cried into his chest.
And that's it. Another Emily Bolton Series book finished.
But I promise the next one will be better! It's like a guarantee.
The Rylie goodbye was written by Jordan. And she helped me pick out the colleges and stuff. (More like I picked out everything. -Jordan)
Anyways, hope you liked it! Please review!
Until we meet again!