Have you ever been ripped out of your school,taken away from your best friend, and worst of all forced to go somewhere where there wasn’t a beach for miles? That’s what happened to me, 13 year old Madison Rivers. I remember the summer before I moved... laying there on the beach, in miami Florida with my best friend Payton. If we walked all the way to the jetty on monday’s we’d have our own private beach. Nobody would be there. We used to lay in the sun for hours, talking, feeling the sun burn our skin but not care. When we got home our parents would yell at us because we were red and it hurt to walk. The bright side to it is, there is no bright side so never mind. My mom is a doctor, thats why she cares so much, “You're going to get skin cancer” she says. She tells me over and over again that it becomes so annoying I’ve learned to block her out. I know she only does this because she loves me. If she really did care she wouldn’t rip me off the page where I was right next to my BFF and tape me into a big, scary city known as the Big Apple. And yes I think of my life as a big storybook.

It all started 2 weeks ago, mom and dad told me and my older sister Paige that we were moving to New York City. Mom got a job there in a hospital on the West side... or was it the East side? Whatever. I don’t care.All I cared about is that I wouldn’t be with Payton or my beach! When they told me, I sat there on the couch in the sun room. It had glass walls and a fluffy carpet and had a door that connected to the porch. I loved that room a lot. I sat there for what seemed like 5 seconds but I’m sure it was more than that with a stunned look on my face. I briefly remember mom asking me if I was ok, but I’ve tried to forget that moment. I ran to my room, picked up the phone, dialed Paytons number and then... stopped. I couldn’t tell her this way. Not now. My best friend in the whole world! What was I going to do, just pick up the phone and say, ‘Hey I’m moving to New York in a month see you on Christmas break?’. No. I wouldn’t. Payton was in Italy right now visiting family, I was not going to be the one to ruin her summer.
I had a week before Payton would be home and that meant a week before I would have to tell her we were never going to see each other again. Well, not really. We would be able to visit, but still, it’s like trying to separate the salt out of the ocean. Impossible! I don’t know how she would let this happen to us? Would my parents really do this to me?


A week later, when Payton got home she was so excited to see me and tell me about her trip to Italy and how different the pizza was. I was actually happy that she had so much to say so that I wouldn’t have to tell her the news. I found out that was exactly the wrong thing to do. After 2 weeks went by, I told her I was moving. It was a beautiful summer day and we were on the beach, laying under a palm tree.
“Where?” was the first thing she said, “to that house your parents were looking at?”
“No.” I knew I had to tell her it wasn’t even in Florida, but after that I was speechless.
“Maddie , you better tell me right now.” she replied.
“New York.” I finally managed to say.
“WHAT?” she screamed. This is what I hated about telling her this. Payton was always laid back and handled everything well, but now I just could see in her eyes that this was something she couldn’t handle.
“When?” she said with her eyes getting watery.
“A week.” I replied feeling guilty as ever. I made a mistake I should have told her earlier. She sunk down into the sand and started to cry. Then I cried too. We couldn’t do everything we wanted to do before I left in a week. No way that was going to happen.


Mental List of things to do Before I Leave for NY:
1) Spend as much time as possible on the beach
2)Talk about important memories with Payton
3) Make a scrapbook of me and Payton
4) Go to Payton’s house at least 50 times before I leave. (Maybe 10 times)
5) Convince mom and dad to let me stay with Payton’s family before FRIDAY!
We both sat there laying on the cool sand. I loved doing this. Especially after a long day in the sun.This was one of the memories I would want to remember and relive. I better add that to my list.
Mental Note:
Add a #6 to the list, lay under the Palm Trees.
“We should do stuff together, before I...” I said. I couldn’t stand saying out loud that I was actually moving. Throughout the next week, I got some of the things on my list done.
Mental List of things that I got done from my other list:
Numbers: 1,2,3,4 and 6.
Why couldn’t number 5 happen. If it came true, the other things on my list wouldn’t have to happen in a rush. I was trying to avoid thinking about the day I would have to move.
It’s here. It’s Friday. Mom has been packing my stuff up all morning because I refused to do it the past week. We were leaving for the airport at 3:00. I would have time to spend on the beach. I walked downstairs for the last time, pulling my light blue flip flops out of the box near the front door. I was going to enjoy my last few hours on the beach with my best friend in the whole world. I walked to the beach alone. I would meet Payton there. The sky was blue, I could smell the salty ocean breeze and the fuel from the boats at the marina. I would miss this. I went down the ramp to the beach and stepped onto the sand. I realized there would be a lot of ‘lasts’ today and this was just one small last that I couldn’t think about now. Payton and I spent the whole 5 hours together laughing, swimming, collecting seashells, and catching the little minnows that were in the shallows. One of my favorite parts about the beach was when it was low tide. Payton and I would sit in the inch of water on the sandbar and even find a starfish if we were lucky. We did this yesterday because I wouldn’t be here for low tide. I would be sitting on an airplane flying to New York. I took a glass jar and scooped up some Florida ocean water, then I did the same with the sand. These are two things I would keep forever.
The whole family was saying goodbyes now. Payton and I sat in the sunroom on the floor. The chairs, sofa, and rug were now gone. I’ve never seen the room like this.
“ I’m gonna miss you alot.” Payton says.
“Me too” I answer. I can’t believe that this was all we were saying to each other. I was moving to a different state.
Before I could say anything else, my mom walked in,” Maddie were late, we have to go.”
“I don’t want to leave” I said hugging Payton like a 4 year old.
“ meet us in the car... were leaving” mom replied. Payton walked me out. I got into the car as she walked back to her house. As the car pulled out of the driveway for the last time, I rolled down my window. I watched Payton wave bye as we went past her house.
The next thing I knew, I was in NYC. I looked out the window of our cab and I couldn’t even see the tops of the buildings. I was amazed at how many people there were just walking around. The cab stopped at a street where I had a perfect view of Time Square. There were colorful, bright lights everywhere. The city was full of people selling things like purses, sunglasses, hats and gloves and my favorite, hot dogs and pretzels. Finally the cab stopped at a fancy building on Park ave. I knew it was fancy because of the carvings in the building and there was even no gum on the sidewalk. There was also a doorman at nearly every door. I stepped out of the cab, holding my jar of ocean water and sand. I was lucky. The airport made me dump out some of the water which I wasn’t too happy about, but it’s ok.
A week later, it was official. I was homesick. The city was great, but I couldn’t walk outside and listen to the waves anymore. When I went outside all I heard was car”s beeping people talking and the smell of the subway. School wasn’t good either, all the things we were learning were too hard. And everyone had already formed their groups of friends and where did I fit in, nowhere? There was this one nice girl named Lauren Kuhn. She sat with me at lunch this week and helped me find my way around the building.
I called Payton that afternoon, but she didn’t answer. She was probably at the beach. I called her again for the next 5 days! She still didn’t answer. Didn’t she miss me? Was she still my best friend? I decided I would not talk to her until she called me back!
Two weeks past, she didn’t call me and I didn’t call her.
“Have you talked to Payton lately?” Mom asked at dinner one night.
“Yes, I talked to her yesterday, she misses me very much” I lied.
“Oh, well you will see eachother soon” mom replied.

Three days later, she called me. I was sitting on my bed doing homework and my phone buzzed. The caller ID said Payton and I let my phone ring. I completely ignored her. I went to listen to her voicemail but I deleted it before I could hear her say anything else but, Hey it”s Payton. Why did I just do that? I missed her and that was true! I said I wouldn’t stay mad at her until she called me and she did! I spent the next few days thinking about it constantly. What was she going to say? I was in my room and again she called me after 3 weeks.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Maddie!” She replied.
“How are you?” I asked.
“I’m sorry I didn’t answer your calls”
“It’s ok. Are we still best friends?”
“Yes!”
“Ok, I thought since you didn’t pick up my call you were mad at me.” She said.
“I was and I’m sorry. I was going to pick up, but I couldn’t. I don’t know why.”
“Maddie I miss you”
“I miss you so much too”
“Guess what? I’m coming to New York to visit in 1 week 15 hours and 23 minutes!”
“OMG! Yes! I need to show you around the apartment it’s so cool and this really pretty place in Central Park.” I said. After that we talked for about 3 hours. And I made another checklist for what we are going to do in the city while she’s here. The best thing, was that this time I didn’t have go back to Florida on my list, I wanted to stay here. Right in New York!