Moving to a new city could be nerve wrecking for most teenagers but as for me its completely normal.
My dad has a rather special line of work where he works for a company that fixes other companies, hotels or even small businesses that are in trouble and helps them to get up and running of course they would offer either half their shares or quarter, it depends on the people and how dire the company needs help.
I wouldn't necessarily say I'm rich but my family are just at the break of overly comfortable living.
We drove into a neighbourhood with rather large houses. My dad says that he would like us to stay permanently here in California even if he has to move around alone.
He says that he just wants a stable lifestyle for the both my brothers and I.
My eyes widen as the houses grows larger and larger.
"Uhm dad where did you say this was again?" I ask in confusion.
"Glendale." He answers in his rugged voice.
"Glendale." I slowly repeat after him and turn my attention back to the window.
"Okay so we already assigned rooms so no fighting." My stepmother says angling her body to face all five of us.
"Who said I was going to fight?" Todd jumps the gun as always.
"No one Todd, mom said in general." Max folds his arms as he says in a small voice.
"But everyone knows that mom was talking about Todd." Tyler smirks from next to Todd already causing trouble.
"I swear I will hit you in your stupid face Tyler." Todd makes his hand into a fist.
"No hit me, I dare you." Tyler says in a snarky tone as he provokes his twin brother even further.
"Boys not now!" Their mother shouts them as she gives both Todd and Tyler a stink eye. Then when the two become still she moves her body back to face the front.
We finally pull up in front of a big plot with a large wall and gate. My father pops his head out and slips his hand out to press numbers on the padlock. And I oddly take note.
"Home sweet home." My dad excitedly says as the large black gate opens before us.
We drive in and the house is absolutely insane.
"Woah this house is gigantic!" Max exclaims from next to me.
"I know sweet right." My father smiles as he looks over to Emily.
"What do you think Lucy." My dad throws a glance at me in the rear view mirror.
"It's cool, at least I don't have to share a room." I comment as I nudge Max next to me.
He squints, "I'm offended." He frowns.
We all walk through the large door and into the house and mostly Todd is commenting how big this house is from the chandelier to the stairs and the lounge.
"This is insane Dad. How are you and mom affording this?" He asks a little too bluntly.
"We saved and I don't make peanuts you know." Emily interjects.
"Why don't you shut your stupid mouth Todd." Tyler frowns at him. "You work on my damn nerves." Tyler says bitterly.
"Tyler!" Emily scolds.
But he just ignores her, "So where's my room?" He asks straight forward I think that's one thing that the twins have in common.
My dad smiles and takes Todd and Tyler to their room while Emily takes the rest of us.
"Okay so Todd and Tyler are sharing a room, that's why your dad is taking them to their room instead of me." Emily whispers as they walk in the other direction.
"Why?" Max asks in disbelief.
"There is an extra room but they'll have to earn it." His mother clarifies.
"They'll kill each other." Max says with a concerned look on his face.
"They are twins, they're supposed to get along." Seven year old Oliver comments and his mother just smiles at him and strokes his blonde head lightly. Oliver looks a lot like Emily.
"Okay so this is your room Lucy." Emily points and then gives me a smile as she takes Oliver by the hand and walks off showing Max the room next to mine.
I open the door and I stare in absolute awe.
The room is absolutely stunning, with light seeping in through the skylight from up above. My things are already here because dad and Emily had the moving people set up two weeks before the time.
I let out a little laugh as I see that I have my very own balcony, I smile as I open it up. I can see backyard and my mouth is still wide open as I see that we have our own pool. And it's huge!
I rest my arms on the balcony as I just enjoy the view, I look up as I subconsciously feel someone's gaze on me.
My gaze looks up to find eyes staring at me, I then prop my head up and give it a little tilt as a see this person in the next house looking at me.
I can see him through his large window, standing very still in his room.
From his tidy bed and his clean wooden floor to his bookshelf and desk. My heart begins to pound in my eardrums as my eyes meets his once again,
Is he watching me?
I then only realise that this man is incredibly handsome, dark hair, glassy skin— he is just perfection but he stares at me, this continues on for a short while as if he were analysing me. I raise my hand to wave at him but then he just lets down the blinds as if I were a peeping tom.
I gasp, "How rude." I say out loud with the knowledge of him not being able to hear me all the way from there.
I stomp back into my room and close my curtains.
The audacity I fold my arms as I feel very much offended.
I am quickly brought back to reality when I hear a knock on the door.
"Pumpkin." My dad smiles. "So how do you like your new room."
I smile back at him. "I love it."
"Yeah." He walks across the room to the large desk, "See we got all of your art things." He says as he's scrolling through the desk to see if everything is there.
"Yes thanks dad." I say as I walk over to him to give him a hug. "I really appreciate it." I say over his shoulder and then pull away to give him a smile.
"So are you going to phone your mom— tell her that you're all settled in?" He asks as he raises his brow.
I shrug, "I suppose— but I don't think she even wants to hear from me." I say in a soft voice.
"Well you never know unless you try." He pats me on the head.
"I think I'll pass." I half heartedly say.
"Okay kiddo— you don't have to speak to her if you don't want to." He says and then walks out of the room and gently closes the door.
I sigh as I plump down on my chair, I turn to look at the drawing book that lays on the table, I open it and it says 'from dad and Emily.'"
I press my lips together in a thin line and push the book aside.
I want to cry, thinking about how perfect this life is. How big the houses that this family has always lived in comparison to where my mother and I stayed.
I huff my hair away that tickles my nose.
I wish that my father hadn't left my mom, no instead I wish I had gone and lived with my dad much sooner. It's just that I felt so sorry for my mom.
I sigh, I don't know why I feel sorry for her when she had never cared about me.
I stand up from the chair suddenly feeling hopeless and very alone.
I find myself walking down the staircase feeling very depressed I don't even want to call my mother.
I don't want to hear from her— I don't want to hear about how sorry she is, I don't want to hear about how much she regrets what happened. All I want from her is to leave me alone, it's strange really about how much she reminds me so much about that night and yet she wasn't even there.
I stumble into the kitchen to find Max slumped over the kitchen counter scrolling through his phone with the one hand and the other supporting his head.
"Max I think I'm gonna head out for a bit." I tell him as I fidget with my hands.
"Do you want me to come with you?" He asks while looking at me as he completely comes to a holt with what he was doing.
I shake my head, "No I kind of want to be alone right now." I admit.
He nods, "You're lucky this is a safe neighbourhood." He jokes and then continues to go through his phone.
When I quickly catch a glimpse I see that he is looking at pictures of his ex, he was actually the one that broke up with her so that really confused me.
Maybe it was because of the move?
I shrug, "See you in twenty minutes." I say as I'm already out the door, I suddenly remember that the gate is actually really far away from the house.
In the car it didn't look this far I scroll and start walking.
I finally make it to the gate and I punch in the code, I took note of my dad when he punched in the code early on, the gate opens up for me in a slow dramatic manner.
It helps to pay attention I smirk as a make my way down the street.
I pass by all these beautiful mansions and I see all these perfect families and I start to wonder have people really been born this lucky?
I bite down my bottom lip, people are really born this fortunate— but now that I live here in this neighbourhood doesn't that mean I'm one of them?
One of the "rich kids."
I run my fingers through my hair and pout, I don't even know if I am.
"Hey!" Says a male voice,
I turn over my shoulder to find a guy that looks about sixteen or seventeen years of age, he stands one hand out offering me a kind wave and the other holding a bright orange leash that holds a golden retriever.
My eyes widen as I just stare blankly at him, I then look up at the sky that seems to be darkening with large grey clouds— I shudder it gives off such an ominous feeling.
I think I should head home, "It's about to rain." I tell him as I point up to the sky— hoping that he would just leave me alone.
"Do you stay around the neighbourhood?" He asks ignoring what I had just said.
I shrug and fidget with my fingers, "I suppose." I answer quietly. "Look I have to go." I put my hair behind my ear as I grow more and more anxious as he begins to stare at me.
At this point I choose the fright or flight response and flight it is— I turn my body around and start speed walking away, "Wait I didn't get your name!" He calls after me.
After a few minutes of walking back home— large rain drops start to fall down one by one until the sky begins to pour,
I soon find myself running home as the hard rain smacks me on my back.
A car comes to a holt and I unreasonably thought it was my dad for some odd reason that I can't explain but to my surprise I find out that it is someone else's when I notice that it is a Jeep. "Get in!" He yells through the pouring rain.
My eyes widen as I realise that it's the neighbour from earlier.
My cheeks burn with embarrassment and I turn my head away as I start walking off.
"No thanks." I say as I wave him off.
He slowly drives next to me as I'm walking away, "GET IN!" He yells louder for me to get in.
"NO!" I shout back.
"DAMMIT!" He curses as he switches his car off.
I turn my head back as I look at him getting out of the car. "What are you doing?!" I yell at him, "Just get back in your car and leave me alone!"
He frowns as he walks over to me and he takes off of his large black jacket.
"What are you doing?!" I scold but he ignores my protests and comes to a holt just in front of me and holds his jacket over my head, preventing the rain from falling onto me.
"Will you please just get in the car?" He ask kindly— he has a British accent— I notice.
I look up to him as he is so close to me— his body towering over mine, and I feel obliged to do nothing but agree, so I do...