Soon after a mere two trips, the living room was filled. The sun was setting, and temperatures steadily dropped. We decided to halt after the third trip when Benji slipped while walking up the slope, his knobby knees bruised from taking the brunt of the force.
Glancing around the pile of boxes, I spotted my backpack amongst them. Rummaging through it, I found my phone, only to realize it was dead. Frustrated, I threw myself on what space was available on the couch, another dust rising as I did. Our new furniture was going to be delivered soon, and I could pity the poor movers who'd have to drag them up.
Zipping up the bag and returning it, I looked over to see my family sitting at the table. They were smiling, looking as perfect as those families in restaurant ads did. It made my heart clench with a jumble of emotions as they discussed what food to pick up, Benji absentmindedly twirling a strand of his hair as he scrolled through his phone. I half expected my mom to laugh, picking up a breadstick as he smiles into a camera while saying some cheesy slogan. Even while exhausted after our cross-country trip, she'd always had that glamorous movie-star look, the kind that I could've seen rivaling the likes of Cherie Chung in her prime.
This was just one of the moments where I felt like I didn't belong to their picturesque world, as if I were too plain and mundane. Even my dad hadn't slacked on up-keep, the large scar he'd gotten from work only adding to his otherwise youthful face. Would these feelings of alienation only grow now that we lived in this little picture-perfect, minus-the-cobwebs house? Already, I felt as if they would.
"Maya," mom said, pulling me from my mind. "What do you want to eat? We're going to get take-out tonight."
I cleared my throat, hoping to do away with the thought. "Anything's fine. Just get what's closer. I don't wanna be alone for too long; it's kind of creepy in the dark."
They glanced back at one another, Benji wearing a scowl. He sighed as I slid into the seat beside him.
"I'm going to unpack," he muttered, standing up and roughly shoving his chair in. The table shook from the force. Mom scolded him, making him return to properly fix his seat. He stomped back to repeat the action gently before hurling himself up the stairs. This time, he had dad reminding him to remove his shoes. There were more unintelligible grumbles, then came a crash that caused us to flinch.
I stared in disbelief as a box labeled 'M's things' fell to the floor. Its contents spilled out. Panicking for a moment, I worried for my snow globe collection before realizing that I'd had to get rid of those. With a sigh, I walked to the foot of the stairs. Hastily shoving the items back in, I stood up, kicking Benji's boots aside.
"You rat, that was my snow globes!" I shouted to make him feel guilty, stomping up the stairs after. But, unlike Benji, they squeaked under my weight. "Don't even think about going to my room! Mom and dad already said I get her old room!"
As I neared the top, his head could be seen poking out from a doorway to the left. The closed one in the middle must've been a storage closet or bathroom since mine was to the right. We'd seen most of the place in one of mom's old photos, but some of the more minor details were still unknown. That's what led me to want her old room, the one she said had hidden compartments in the walls and a small balcony that hung over the side porch.
With a roll of his eyes, Benji spoke. "I already know which is mine. Calm down."
Annoyed, I shoved past him. My grimace turned into a smile upon viewing the room. The walls were covered in peeling floral-patterned wallpaper that displayed the wood beneath. It was empty, save for the dust-covered bed shoved into the corner. I fell on it, watching as the dust rose like snow falling upwards. There was so much that I coughed, swatting at the air until it had somewhat cleared. From my spot on the bed, I glanced around. Then, not seeing a critical feature, I shouted out. "Mom!"
"Yes?" She said moments later.
"Why isn't there a closet?"
"There is, honey. Remember, it's in the wall."
Confused by the statement, I blindly felt around. Eventually, I felt an indent shaped like a half-moon. It was big enough to loop a hand through. Tugging with much effort, the compartment slid open, ancient wallpaper ripping and falling to the ground. Pried open, cobwebs were the only thing in view. Fearing the possibility of spiders, the door quickly slid back into place. I backed up, thinking of the novelty of it. I was now sure I picked the better of the upstairs rooms. Of course, I still preferred the one downstairs, but that was the main suite.
Grabbing the box from where I left it, I scooted it in. After that, I no longer felt like putting things in place, not until I was armed with protective gear and bug spray. So instead, I decided to check out the balcony. Excitedly shuffling over, I tripped on my own two feet.
Laughing to myself, the rusty latch slid open easier than anticipated. Stepping out into the open air, I leaned on the wooden railing, careful not to get splinters. From up there, there was still much that I couldn't see. The closest trees were short enough to see over, but they grew taller, stretching up to reach the inky sky as they went on. It was calm, serene even. But I couldn't help but feel slightly unnerved.
The door below slammed shut, my parents stepping out with a flashlight in hand. Shouting to catch their attention, I waved.
"Get me extra sauce," I said, not knowing what they were getting, only that I'd probably want the extra sauce; I just couldn't stand eating dry things.
Dad merely nodded, linking hands with mom as they set off down the path. It was cute, so I stared for a while, following the flashlight. The foliage soon devoured them, obscuring them from view. However, the strong beam of light could be seen for a bit longer, bouncing along as if they were skipping.