"Nick? Where are you going?" I asked knowing from just seeing him that he was leaving for good.

"It turns out I have a half sister from my dad's first marriage. She is 10 years older then me and when she found out that she had a half brother she begged her mom to adopt me." He said softly. "She is over there filling out the papers."

"You're.... You're leaving?" I said almost crying. He nodded. I was devastated. The one friend I ever had was leaving me. I saw Nick's half sister and his new "mom" walking over to us.

"Are you ready bro?" his sister asked. Nick nodded sadly. They started walking out. Nick turned around.

"I'll miss you and I'll write everyday." He said then came back to hug me. I hugged him and I didn't want to let go. He said he had to go. I watched him walk out and get into the car. I noticed that in his hand he was holding the picture of us that I had given him. He held it close to him. I watched the car leave. Mrs. Bradshaw had come up behind me and put her hand on my shoulders.

"It will be ok Rachel." She said to me softly. I just turned around and ran to my room. I grabbed the book Nick gave me and laid on my bed and cried. I was alone again.

..................

In the days after Nick left I didn't leave my room and I didn't eat. Mrs. Bradshaw was worried about me. She tried to help but she really couldn't. Until the day she came in with the first letter.

"Rachel hunny." She said sweetly. I grunted a "Wha?" "There is a letter for you." I jumped up and took it from her. It was a letter from Nick. I smiled.

"Thanks." I said and went over to my bed and opened it.

Dear Rachel,

How are you? I'm ok. I miss you a lot. Nobody at my new school likes me. I miss long island. I live in Jamestown now. They have a dog named Rusty. He is a fun dog. I asked my step mom if she would adopt you too. She said no cause she doesn't want any more kids. I'm sorry. We can write each other. I hope you write back. I miss you.

Love,

Nick

I folded the letter back up and put it neatly back in the envelope. I wrote him a letter saying that I missed him too and it was ok that his step mom didn't want to adopt me. I understood. I copied the address on the envelope he sent me and gave it to Mrs. Bradshaw. She mailed it for me. I went back to my room and put Nick's letter that he sent me in the scrapbook he had given me.

I felt better after getting the letter so I returned to school and was eating again. Nick and I continued to write back and forth for 3 months. Then in the first week July I didn't receive a letter from Nick. That was weird to me. He wrote every week. I sent him a letter as usual.

Dear Nick,

I missed your letter this week. Are you sick? I'm ok. I miss you a lot. This isn't a long letter because Mrs. Bradshaw needs my help. Please write soon.

Love,

Rachel

I gave it to Mrs. Bradshaw to send and hoped Nick would write again.

A few days later I got my letter back. I didn't understand. It said on the envelope "Return to sender" and "Resident no longer lives at this address." I asked Mrs. Bradshaw and she said that she would check it out for me.

"Rachel, I'm sorry but they left no forwarding address. Nick and his family moved away." She said sadly. I began to cry. Little did I know that things would only get worse.