𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 [kendall knight]

big time beginnings

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Shakopee, Minnesota
June 2001

"STOP POUTING, ELEANOR."

Six-year-old Ella Reed was currently in a carseat in the backseat of a rental car with her parents. The little girl wore a bright pink floral top and white jeans with a matching headband which did not correlate to her current mood. Even as a young child, her stubbornness shined through as she sat with her arms crossed, disdainfully staring out the window with a frown on her face. She wasn't used to change. She lived in Boston for the entirety of her short lived life. It was her home.

Her parents broke the news only a mere three days ago and before she knew it, she was on a plane to Shakopee, Minnesota. It was something she just didn't understand. Why couldn't they just stay back home? She loved her grandparents, her neighbors, and her school friends, so why did her parents have to pack up the only home she's ever known?

Elizabeth Reed turned to her husband in amusement. "She's playing silent treatment." She turned around in her seat, looking right at her daughter. "I know this move was sudden, but we're here now. You just have to make do with what you got because we're not moving back to Boston. Minnesota is our new home."

Pulling into the driveway of a white townhouse with a blue awning and door, Elizabeth practically squealed in excitement. "Oh, it's fantastic! Eleanor, honey, this is going to be good for us. You're going to love it here."

Ella's frowned deepened but before she could react any further, her mother opened the car door and lifted her out of her carseat. Standing in front of the house, Ella's shoulders slumped. It was a tiny home connected to other houses, but all in all, It was a nice house. There was a lot of greenery in front of and surrounding the collection of houses. The blue accents against the off-white structure reminded her of Cinderella's castle, but she wasn't willing to give in just yet.

"Do you want to go in and check out your new room?" Her mother asked.

Ella shook her head. "No."

Before Elizabeth could scold her daughter for her attitude, Ella's father jumped in. "Okay, sweetie. Why don't you just go to the backyard while your mom and I unload the car?"

Begrudgingly, the young girl nodded and curiously opened the gate and entered the backyard.

It was an open space with pavement and a freshly cut lawn. There was a garden against the wall of the house, littered with flowers and bushes. Maybe Ella could get her parents to set up a play set with swings and a slide to make up for this sudden move.

The rest of the backyard was surrounded by a white picket fence. It was actually pretty quaint.

But it was lonely.

In the restricted space, she walked around for a few moments, taking in her surroundings. It was very different from the apartment she lived in the urban part of Massachusetts. For starters, she had never had a backyard before or a house for that matter. Instead of an assigned parking space, the car pulled into a driveway. Instead of an elevator, she could just walk straight into her home. It was a change she had yet to accept but would grow to be accustomed to.

Hearing the sound of a door closing, Ella turned her head to the neighbor's backyard. It had the same exterior as hers except that it was white with red brick accents. Their backyard had the same white picket fence, but it was messier. Hockey sticks littered the ground, along with nets against the fence. A little boy around the same age as Ella stomped out of the screen door. He wore an unbuttoned blue flannel with a white t-shirt underneath and had sandy blonde hair.