Pretty Little Secrets

The American Dream

Chapter 1

I'd always been confident back home, always. But as the plane landed in to LAX and I looked out of the window and saw the busy city life I noticed my legs lightly shaking. I'd never been to America before but I knew it would be different from Manchester. Heck, anything would be. But all I wanted to was go back to my house in the suburbs and back to my old school with my old friends. Instead I was waiting to depart a 747 into the rest of my life.

As the air hostess waved goodbye to me and i turned the corner I saw my new life directly ahead of me. I stepped out of the plane and the searing heat hit me. Luckily i'd worn shorts in preparation, in fact that's all i'd bought with me. My mum took me on a shopping trip for some 'LA Clothes' and all she picked were shorts after shorts. I think she was just trying to make me feel better because she felt guilty about making me move. My Dad got an amazing job opportunity in the entertainment industry out here which was 'too good to refuse'. The quality of life will be better, you'll have so many more opportunities in life, we'll be well of with Dad's promotion, we'll make double the money we use to earn in a year. Excuse after excuse.

I was happy back home. In fact I was rather content with my life. I had my family, my friends and I loved my school. Sure I wasn't popular but that didn't bother me. I was happy and that was all that mattered. But now my life was about to get turned upside down. As I waited for my luggage to come through in the arrivals section my mum walked up to me. 'Cheer up love, it'll be great. It's just first day nerves.' she said stroking my head. First day nerves? I thought that only applied to school. Oh god school. I'd seen all the movies, I knew what American high schools were like. I was dreading it. I would know no one and i'd be the freaky new girl with the weird accent. They'll all look fabulous in their Chanel and Prada outfits and i'd looks like an outcast.

~*~

As we pulled up to our new house I couldn't help but roll my eyes. It was the typical American house in the suburbs with the bright coloured cladding and the white picket fence. I was hoping for a cool get away up in Hollywood hills somewhere but no. It's the suburbs of South Pasadena. Cute, quiet and in other words boring. My brother Tommy leaped out of the car and hoped up the stone pathway leading to the over sized cream door which matched the over sized baby blue house perfectly.

Inside it was like some thing out of a picture book. The large staircase with detailed banners was the first thing you saw as you walked through the door. The door on the right led to dinning room with a large table that seated six and then there was an opened planned kitchen behind it. Stereotypically quaint with a large island in the middle and wooden baby blue counters and cupboards to match the outside of the house. The cream double doors lead to a large living room with a fluffy carpet and and over sized plasma screen on the wall. In fact everything in this house was over sized.

The patio doors were open and outside the sky was clear. Birds sang, and the noise of the city was a distant murmur. I sat down on a garden chair that i'd never seen before and sighed. I wasn't looking forward to seeing my new room, unpacking and picking out and outfit for tomorrow. Eugh, tomorrow. As I heard the clatter of boxes being dumped by the front door i decided to bite the bullet and went to help.

~*~

As I hung up the last jumper in my new 'closet' I heard mum call me for dinner. As I walked down stairs I whipped the sweat from brow. The air conditioning wasn't fixed yet so unpacking was like taking a workout in the desert. I slumped in my chair as I saw that my parents had orederd out for pizza. Tommy came and sat next to me and gave my a massive hug. "Ew why are you wet?!" I yelped.    "It's great Kate have you not seen the massive swimming pool outside? It's amazing!". We had a pool? Could this get anymore stereotypical.