Chapter 10
Time flies by super fast.
Before I know it, it’s the end of the year.
Ethan gets a letter that says a whole bunch of scientists are gonna go to the desert to do some new rocket tests.
He’s invited to go too.
But the desert has really bad weather and it’s gonna be super rough.
Ethan won’t let me come with him.
He doesn’t want me to suffer.
But I don’t listen to him and pack up my little flowery suitcase all by myself.
I’m so happy and excited because it’s my first time going far away.
Ethan can’t convince me to stay.
But when we get to the train station, I see that Marcus came too.
He obviously heard that we were leaving.
He runs over and grabs me with his eyes all red and scary.
“You’re really leaving? Ellie, you’re really gonna go away with him?”
“Are you really… not gonna want Marcus anymore?”
Marcus looks like he’s in so much pain, and he begs me like he’s crying blood.
Don’t go.
Don’t leave.
“Don’t go, Ellie, please don’t go!”
I pull my hand away gently and look down at the ground, then say slowly and honestly: “Marcus, actually before you made me apologize to Molly, I always thought of you as family.”
“I used to think I would never, ever be able to live without you.”
“But you know what…”
I suddenly look up and stare at him really seriously.
“Our forever didn’t last very long.”
Marcus looks hurt by how I’m looking at him, and he tries to explain really fast: “No, that’s not true, Ellie, I broke up with Molly!”
“We’re totally done. Marcus will only have you.”
His voice sounds all scratchy and rough: “I’ve been waiting and waiting for you to come back.”
I smile a little bit.
“But please forgive Ellie this time-I can’t wait in the same place for Marcus anymore.”
“Ellie found a new family. He takes really good care of me, and he really needs me too.”
I blink my eyes. “Before, I was deadweight, just a burden. People always had to take care of me, and they got tired of me a lot. But Marcus, did you know? Ellie cooks really yummy food!”
“Ethan says everyone is good at something, and Ellie isn’t useless. Ellie is useful too.”
And people need me.
I only learned this after I met Ethan.
I don’t just get taken care of by other people.
I can take care of other people too. I don’t have to be treated like deadweight or a burden all the time.
I have value.
And someone needs me.
This feeling is so amazing.
‘m so happy.
Marcus shakes his head like a really helpless trapped animal, struggling and screaming.
I never thought you were a burden!”
Never.”
‘eah.
le doesn’t think that now, but he will later.
fter enough time passes, he’ll get annoyed and impatient just like in my dream.
fter all, everything from my dream came true – him leaving me over and over again for Molly.
tight?
When Marcus sees how determined I look, he can barely stand up.
lis voice shakes when he asks one last question:
What about me? What am I supposed to do?”
If you leave… what am I gonna do?”
let Marcus fall down on the ground.
don’t answer him. I turn around and get on the train.
skip and hop over to Ethan.
hat’s Marcus’s problem to figure out.
t’s not my business.
than told me that in life, you have to learn to separate your problems from other people’s problems.
‘rom the moment he chose to stand with Molly, our futures stopped having anything to do with each other.
The train station makes a long loud whistle sound, and the train starts moving slowly.
All those years of growing up get left behind forever in this city with the clickety-clack sounds of the train tracks.
And I put my little flowery suitcase on my back.
I’m going toward a new future with my new family.
We need each other.
And we’re each other’s light.
