Chapter 18 – **2 Weeks later** Bye Bye Mark Or Not! (Jacquie's POV)

I wake up and walk into the living room and then into the kitchen and pour myself a drink of water. I walk back into the living room and sit on the couch. I begin drinking and think about stuff. Mark? WAIT OMG HE IS GOING BACK TO AUSTRALIA TODAY! Oh mum is gonna be crushed. I decide to cook breakfast for everyone. I go into the kitchen and begin to cook up some eggs and bacon. Mark walks in.
"Hey Jacquie" he says
"Hey Mark" I reply
"I was wondering do you like Australia?" he asks
"Umm it's alright but I perfer it here" I say still cooking.
"Oh this is gonna be hard" he says under his breath but I hear him.
"Huh?" I ask turning around and facing him.
"Oh never mind" he says nervously.
He walks back into mum’s room. I continue cooking.

When I finish I set the table up really nicely. And put the food on the table.
"Breakfast everyone,” I yell.
Everyone comes over to the table and sits down.
Mark taps his glass.
"I have a question to ask the two most important people in my life at the moment" he says.
Mum looks at him confused.
"Okay" he says breathing in and then out "Would you two like to live with me in Australia?"My mum smiles and hugs him. I am mortified. I don't want to leave New Jersey or America for that matter. OMG that’s why he asked me if I like Australia.
"So what do you say Jacquie?" Mark asks me.
"NO I LOVE IT HERE I'VE FOUND SOME FRIENDS AND I AM ENJOYING IT HERE" I yell.
"What?" my mum asks
"Come on you will like it in Australia, It's great lots of things you can draw and paint" Mark says trying to convince me.
"NO" I say walking to my room and slamming the door.
I fall on my bed. Great I finally find a place where I like it and I gotta move. That’s just my fucken luck.
Mum walks into my room.
"Young lady you are coming with me to Australia" she yells at me.
"NO I finally got some friends here and if I go to Australia I won't see them,” I yell back at her.
"Too bad your coming" she says
"I'm gonna stay here with Kerrie then" I say.
"No, Honey please come on in Australia we can have our own house and you will have other friends" she says to me quite calmly.
"Let me think...NO get out of my room" I yell at her.
Mark walks in.
"Both of you get out NOW" I yell.
"Don't speak to me like that,” Mum yells at me.
"Please Jacquie It will be fun I promise" Mark says to me.
I turn away
"NO I like it here with Gerard, Matt, Ray, Frankie, Mikey, Lucy and Paula" I say.
"You will have more friends in Australia, Plus you can talk to your friends here over the Internet and call them on your phone" he says still trying to convince me.
"It won't be the same" I say, "Please just leave me alone"
They walk out the room and close the door. I get dressed. I guess I'm gonna have to tell everyone that I'm leaving. I really don't wanna leave. It's great here and I don't care if I have to live with Kerrie.
I walk out of my room. Everyone in the living room looks at me.
"I'm gonna go tell everyone I'm leaving" I say sadly holding back tears.
"Okay" Mum says happily.

I walk out the house and go to Gerard's first. I knock on the door. Gerard's Mum answers it.
"Hey, are you here for Gerard?" she asks.
"I'm here for Gerard, Mikey and possibly Frankie if he stayed over" I reply.
"Oh ok" she says. "Gerard, Mikey and Frankie, Jacquie is here,” she yells
They all come to the front door and are all dressed.
"Come we have to go get everyone" I say to them.
"Why?" Gerard asks.
"I wanna tell everyone something, all at once" I say to him.

We walk to Matt's and get him. Then to Ray's, then to Lucy's and then Paula's.

"Okay what is it?" Gerard asks.
I think of how I'm gonna say this.
"Well?" Matt hurries me.
"My mum's boyfriend Mark is going home to Australia today" I say.
"Yeah we know" Matt says.
"There's more" I breath in and then out "We will joining him sooner or later, I'm still not sure when"
"OMG NO" Gerard says. I can't hold it in. I begin to cry.
Gerard hugs me.
"Why do you have to leave?" Paula asks.
"My Mum won't let me stay here with Kerrie,” I say.
I wipe away some tears.
"You can't go" Frankie says.
"Yeah you can't you're like one of our best friends" Mikey says.
"I don't have a say in this I have to go" I say.
I wipe more tears away.
"That sucks" Lucy says.
"Hell yes" Ray adds
Gerard hugs me tighter. And I realize he is crying too.
"Gerard are you crying?" I ask
"No" he says really quietly.
He lets go of me and pretends to scratch his eyes.
"I'm gonna miss all of you so much" I say.
"We are so gonna miss you too" Paula says.
"Well I better see when I'm going" I say sadly "Cya"
"Bye" they all say.
I begin to walk back to mine with Gerard, Matt, Frankie and Mikey. And Lucy, Ray and Paula walk back to their places. We walk silently. I walk to my door and go inside.

(Gerard’s POV)
“Hey Gerard you okay?” Matt asks me.
“I’m fine” I say sarcastically.
“We have her phone number and we have her email address so we contact her seriously it will be fine” Matt says trying to make me feel better.
“Why didn’t I ask her when I had the chance, I mean there was plenty, like New Years Eve last year” I say.
“Do tell” Matt asks.
***************Flash back***************
It was night and Jacquie and I were sitting looking up at the stars waiting for Matt and Ray.
“Tonight seems so nice” Jacquie says.
“Yeah” I say
“I wish today would last for longer, I mean this year was great probably best year of my life” she says.
“Really?” I ask
“Yeah” she replies
“Well there’s something I have wanted to ask you ever since I met you” I say
“Really what?” she says.
“Umm …” I start very nervously.
She looks at me with her beautiful blue eyes that were twinkling in the moonlight.
“Do you like…….” I say but can’t seem to finish my sentence.
“Do I like what?” she asks.
“Umm New Jersey” I say quickly.
“Hell yeah” she says.
**************Flash back ends**************
“I chickened out, I just couldn’t ask her, I mean she is so pretty and I’m just… me,” I say.
“Don’t beat yourself up Gee, You are an awesome person okay, Yeah you should have asked her but don’t worry you will get plenty of other chances with girls” Matt says.
“Yeah, but I don’t want anyone other than Jacquie” I reply.
“I think we better get something to eat cause I know I’m starving” Matt says trying to lighten the mood.

(Jacquie’s POV)
“So when are we leaving my great life behind to get a crappy one?” I ask
“Jacquie stop it, Well anyway we are going to leave in a week” Mum replies.
“Can I please stay here” I ask hoping maybe just maybe mum will say yes.
“No” she says “That’s Final now stop asking me”.
“Okay I got to go in 5 minutes Honey” Mark calls out to mum.
I roll my eyes and go in my room.
“Say bye to Mark you won’t see him for a week” my mum says.
“NO” I yell.
I hated him; he knew I wanted to stay here.
Mark walked in my room.
“Cya Jacquie” he says.I turn and glare at him.
“Do you know how much I hate you right now?” I ask him.
“You don’t hate me” he says.
“I fucken do, get the fuck outta my room” I say angrily.
“Don’t swear or I will tell your mum” he says.
“Go ahead I don’t care anymore” I say to him and sit on my bed.
He walks out of my room. I hear everyone saying bye then the front door open and close. Then I hear car doors open and close and the engine of mum’s car start and the car finally drive off. The front door opens again and closes. And then later a knock at my door.I don’t answer.
Kerrie and Jimmy walk in. I look at them.
“Your mum probably doesn’t want us to tell you but we tried all we could to see if you could stay here” Jimmy says.
“Really?” I ask.
“Yeah, we know how much you like it here and well yeah” Kerrie says.
I get up and hug them.
“I love you guys,” I say.
I let go of them.
“Listen okay, you will love Australia believe me I’ve been” Jimmy says.
“But I don’t wanna leave here, I don’t wanna leave you guys or Gerard or any of my other friends” I say
“Yeah” Kerrie says.
“Lets go watch TV” I say trying to lighten the mood.
Jimmy nods and we all go and watch TV in the living room.

3 hours later …
Mum walks in.
“Whoa you took awhile” Kerrie says.
“Yeah I went shopping” mum replies.
I look at her then go back to watching TV.
“Here’s something I got for you” mum says handing me something. I don’t take it out of her hands so she drops it on my lap, I look at it It’s 3 new drawing pads.
“Ooo someone’s cocky about living in Australia for a long time” I say.
“Jacquie stop it I was trying to cheer you up” mum says.I rise to my feet.
“You wanna make me happy? Wanna make ME happy? Then let me stay here,” I yell to her.
“I can’t leave you here, you’re my daughter and I want you with me” she says back at me.
Mum walks off into her room. I sit back down and fold my arms.
“Want dinner?” Jimmy asks.
“Nah I’m gonna go to bed Night” I say getting up and going to my room.
I go in my room and close the door. I look at my old drawing pads. I have only used two of the three drawing pads for New Jersey. I put them away and I go to bed. Fuck this day must have been one of the worst.