H A R P E R

I let out a loud sigh of relief after I managed to zip close the large black suitcase. Three tries later and one Zoey Moore on top of it, and I had done it.

"Harper, it looks like you're moving for good!"

"I am." I deadpanned, but not without flashing my cousin and best friend a smile.

"Yeah, but you're moving to New York. Not the other side of the world." She got up from the suitcase. "Plus, me and the guys will be visiting you a lot, we could easily bring you some of your stuff when we do. You know, as opposed to you having to take the entire contents of your bedroom in one go."

"Yeah, but why bother you with that?" I grabbed the bag by the black, plastic handle (with some difficulty, due to the weight), and put it in a vertical position, ready to go.

Happy with the result, my eyes then skimmed to the side and found two more bags on the floor, still open. I darted my eyes at Zoey and nodded my head in the direction of the bags. "Hop on."

Two bags later, and I was ready to go.

It was such a bittersweet feeling. On one hand, I was about to pursue what was my lifelong dream and was about to embark on the wildest journey of my life, but on the other hand, I would be leaving so much behind me - my home, my family, my friends, my own bedroom (that I was never emotionally attached to, but right now felt like an extension of myself). It was a major step, and I would be lying if I said I didn't feel eerie or frightened about it. But everyone always ends up leaving their home at some point in their life, most of the time to go to college. That is basically a standard procedure in American culture. This feeling would go away, I'm sure it would, that's what I keep telling myself. Especially once I land in the city that never sleeps and that conquered my heart all these years ago.

The story was, my parents had taken me to New York City on a family trip for my tenth birthday, and I fell in love with it. I don't shy away from saying that New York City really was my first love. I love the melting pot of cultures, how wherever you go in the city, you never hear people speak just english, or, whenever you talk to someone (a waitress, a cab driver, you name it), they're most likely from any other place in the world, and they always have an inspiring story to tell. I love how that city represents the found freedom of endless immigrants who felt forced to leave their countries and their homes, where they were prisoners, trapped by poverty and unimaginable living conditions. I love that New York City took them in with open arms and is, since then, a symbol of hope, a city where anyone could come to, to find peace and opportunities, so that they could make a decent enough living.

Or at least, that's how things were a few hundred years ago. Right now, the political scenery has drastically changed and things are not exactly what they used to be, but the essence of New York and its people is still pretty much liberty and peace.

I knew from that moment on, at age ten, that New York City was where I wanted to live and grow roots. Don't get me wrong, I loved growing up in California, and I love the West Coast and everything it has to offer, but that trip changed the way I saw the world.

Plus, I do think that if you go somewhere you've never been before, and you immediately get an overwhelmingly strong feeling of belonging, that means something - something powerful that you simply can't turn your back on, and can't walk away from.

"Are you going to meet up with Wyatt when you get there?" Zoey asked, after she and I managed to get the third and the heaviest bag up, with the handle already out and ready to be pulled.

Wyatt Stone. Wyatt and I go way back. No, that's an overstatement, maybe we don't go that way back, but it is fair to say that we at least got some history. Her inquiry doesn't surprise me though, I knew this was coming. Although I always thought it'd be Chloé, Wyatt's sister and my other best friend, who'd pop the question. Guess my dear cousin beat her to it.

"Uh..." I searched my brain for what to say, which was in the very least a difficult task, because not even I knew the answer to that question, but I feigned a smile and lifted my shoulders in a shrug. "I don't know, I haven't spoken to him in a while."

"Really?" Zoey looked appalled about my previous words, as if it was unimaginable that Wyatt and I didn't speak every single day. "Why not?"

"Because we just haven't."

"But I thought you two were like," She paused after seeing the half annoyed, half defiant expression on my face, and I could practically see the wheels turning in her brain as she was rethinking her choice of words. "Close."

"We're friends."

"Well, we're all friends." She countered back with a huff, talking about our group of friends that we got since last year of high school. "But my relationship with Wyatt isn't the same as yours. He didn't take me to prom or made me disappear at New Year's, and we didn't exchange glances across the room."

Yeah, Wyatt and I definitely got history.

"Okay, we're close friends." I gave in. "And will you stop saying he made me disappear at New Year's? You're making it sound like he's either a magician who performed a trick on me or a kidnapper!"

"Who's ready for New York?" The sound of my dad's voice echoed through the staircase in perfect timing, and ended this very awkward and unwanted conversation between me and Zoey.

I opened my bedroom door, finding him and my mom jogging up the stairs with wide, genuine smiles plastered on their faces.

"As ready as I'll ever be!" I responded with a feign excitement in my voice, trying my best to ignore the feeling that washed over me when I was instantly reminded that I would never have my parents come into my room again.

I know most people would love to be in my place right now and that never having to share their house with their parents was a God sent bonus that added to an already pretty good situation. And, in all fairness, I used to think like that too, while I longed for this day; But right now, it all seemed very... final. Like, this was the end of a childhood and adolescence that I actually enjoyed because I was lucky enough to have cool parents.

"So, what's the plan?" My mom asked when she looked around the room and saw that all three bags were packed and actually zipped closed, ready to go.

My parents would be flying with me to New York, help me unpack and move into my dorm, and then fly back to California to resume their lives as two forty-eight year old empty nesters.

"We don't need to be at the airport for another..." I checked the time on my phone. "Two hours. So I think I still have some time for goodbyes."

"Okay, but don't take too long because uncle Gavin and uncle Jack will be here soon to drop us off at the airport and hug you goodbye one last time." She warned, before flashing us a smile and turning away.

The flight from LAX to JFK takes about six hours, give or take, plus all the other airplane trip shenanigans such as check in, security, snack browsing, baggage claim, you know the drill... I was counting on a total of ten hours for this move, so, I figured it was best for me and my parents to fly out to New York today. Our flight was expected to arrive at eight o'clock, which would give us plenty of time to check in at a hotel, drop the bags there, then go out for dinner and take a walk around the city at night, afterwards. The day after was the day I would actually be moving into my dorm room at Columbia University, and after they were done helping me and dropping me off, they would fly back home.

"I'll go pack the camera gear while you're gone." My dad said enthusiastically, while he too turned around and left, following mom down the hallway, but not before giving me a light kiss on my forehead.

Zoey and I skipped downstairs and once out of the house, we got on top of our bikes to ride down to the beach, where we'd be meeting with our friends, for one last goodbye. With the exception of Noah and Ben, who had moved to Bakersfield last week, and Wyatt, who had gone back to Columbia a couple of weeks ago, too.

"Miss New York City!" Kyle said with a shiteating grin on his face while he stood in the sand with arms wide open, Carter and Chloé next to him, and I ran to his embrace. "I'm gonna miss you so much."

"Hey, none of that." I said, leaning back a little while still his arms wrapped around me. "I'm just leading the way. Broadway's waiting for you."

"Eh... Broadway, Hollywood, whichever one takes me first."

I let go of his hug and moved to the next person, Chloé, also known as Wyatt's sister and the world's next top model, and hugged her so tight I thought our bones would start to crack.

"I can't believe you're not going to be here this year." She said, burying her face in my neck. "Please don't get other friends."

I giggled against her back, knowing that she was directly joking, but indirectly not. "I won't."

Last but definitely not least, there was Carter. The mysterious Mexican guy that had stolen Kyle's heart when they first met and who, although seemed like a badass with his signature black leather jacket and black pants, was nothing but a cute, life size teddy bear who gave the best hugs, the best advice and who anyone could always count on (and not just for great tequila).

"I'm going to miss you, Harper."

"Me too." I sighed before wrapping my arms around him. Hugging him felt like being wrapped in a blanket and that feeling of nostalgia came back, and I had to face the hard truth which was, every single one of my friends was special and I was going to miss them dearly. And there was nothing nor no one in New York who would replace them and their hugs, jokes or company.

We all took a seat next to each other on the large blanket they'd brought with them, and stared into the horizon while we talked about casual stuff, as if we were pretending that this was just another get together and not the last time I'd hang out with them. At least for a couple months.

"Man, this summer was great but there have been a lot of goodbyes lately." Kyle said while stretching his legs.

No one said anything, but we all nodded. Kyle was right, this sucked. But it was bound to happen.

I continued to stare at the line where the sky meets the sea, on the beach I know like the back of my hand and where I spent so many great moments with these people. I tried to memorize every detail of it - the rhythm of the small waves that caused the ocean to move, the small clouds, the little boat that drew white lines on the blue sea and the seagulls as they flew free.

But the inevitable happened. Six hours later, the fantastical New York skyline was in sight as I peeped out the small airplane window.

* * *

author's note

hi lovelies, if you're reading this, it means you just finished chapter number two of LEOYAM! 

what did you think?  did you like reading harper's pov?

question: first impression of harper? is she what you expected?

please vote if you liked this chapter, comment (i'd love to hear your thoughts!), and share it with your friends!

xoxo, mars