“What??” I say, pushing away from dad.  “Are you serious? I can’t just move!”

            “Spencer we know it’s a lot to ask, but it’s not that big of a deal. You can finish out your senior year there and if you want to go to college in California, well that’s fine…” Paula started, standing to join Arthur’s side at the end of the table.  “We’re really just looking out for you two.”

            Glenn flings his hands up above his head.  “Looking out for us?! You didn’t even talk to us about it! I don’t want to go back to Ohio. There’s nothing there for me at all.” 

            As dad starts to argue his point, I turn to head for the front door, huffing like an old steam engine.  I have to get out of here.

            “Spencer wait,” he adds.  I stop but don’t turn around, shaking from head to toe.  “We just want to talk about it,” Paula whispers quietly.  Ha. Unlikely.

            “Talk about it?… TALK ABOUT IT?!” Yelling was probably not my best choice, but it’s too late to turn back now.  “Okay, mom, dad. Let’s “Talk” about it. Oh wait! There’s nothing to say because you already made the decision for us.  Do you think I can just pick up and leave here? Does it not matter that everything I want is here?”

            The words “We know Spenc-” barely left dad’s mouth when I erupted. “NO DAD. You don’t know at all. And you know what, you never asked to find out, so don’t try to persuade me into following along.  I am not leaving everything I’ve worked so hard for this past year. I will find someone to stay with, I will pay for my own place, hell I’ll live in the street before I go anywhere with you.”  I felt the tears start to edge over the brim of my eyes as I turned on my heel.  I had to get to Ashley. 

            “SPENCER!” I had never heard my dad yell like that, but I kept going all the same.  They had already drawn the battle lines.  As my hand wrapped around the front door knob, he continued in a quiet voice, but I heard him loud and clear.

            “Spencer Carlin. You will be moving to Ohio. And we will be leaving in two weeks.”  His last words were the final nail in my coffin.  As the first hot tear ran over my cheek, I pulled the front door open, walked out into the sunshine, and slammed it shut behind me.