Behind Her Smiling Face

Chapter 1: Katie

Sometimes I just want to take a pillow and cover my face with it until I stop breathing. My parents were literally going to be the end of me; I mean I couldn’t even get to settle into one place before I heard “Katie, your dad is being assigned to… Wherever. We’re moving!” A frustrated sigh escaped my lips as I take the last box that has my name on it from the Uhaw truck to the house. Why did my dad accept a job in New York? I really don’t know. I begged and begged for him not to accept it, and just like all the other times he ignored me and accepted anyways.

We moved constantly for my dad’s job, and when we move I prefer to move to the small towns. I hated big cities, they just had too many people, which also mean crowded places, and we were ironically in the largest city of all- which means twice the people and the crowds.

I place the box in my ‘room’ on the floor, and sit on my bed in exhaustion.

We were staying in a pretty nice house, and the neighborhood seemed like one of those from that housewife movie. The grass was really green, the house really pretty, and people smiling abnormally.

Okay I exaggerated the last bit a little. Actually it was really loud which annoyed me, I could hear the train from a couple miles away, and the neighbor’s dog was working on my last nerve with his obnoxious barking.

I start to think about the place we were before we came here, it was a small town on the outs of Nashville Tennessee, It was a small cabin house, and a nice and quiet neighborhood. No annoying dogs.

I lay back on my bed and close my eyes. Moving to places were always tiring, but I had got accustomed to it, so I didn’t usually get tired-however I felt really tired from this move.

I heard the sound of walking coming from outside my door, and guessed that it was my mother, 1.2.3.-“Katie, Were done unloading.” I open my eyes and look at her, her blue eyes sparkling with concern, and I internally roll my eyes at what I know is coming. She comes and sits down beside me on the bed, I sit up and face her, just waiting for her to get the discussion over. “Look Katie-bug, I know that we move a lot, and it can get tiring. But your dad is really confident that this is going to be permanent thing. I just know this is the last time we will move. This is our home now, I can just feel it. …Are you hungry?” She asks as she stands up, placing a small kiss on my cheek. I smile at my mom, she said this every time we moved, and I couldn’t help but find her –motherly assurance –sweet. “Yes mom, what are we having?” I ask back, she smiles as I assume she thinks her chat worked.

She runs a hand through her blonde hair, and takes a thinking expression to her face. “Hmm…I was thinking since were in New York…How about some pizza?” she asks, I chuckle at her silliness, “Okay mom, sounds good to me.” She laughs and turns to walk out my room, but turns as she gets to the door. “Get cleaned up, and I’ll go tell your dad. I’ll call you down in about fifteen.”

I nod and she walks out. Mhmmm… pizza did sound good. I get up and go to my bathroom; I stare at my reflexion in my mirror. God all mighty, my hair looks a hot mess, I grab the brush from my counter top, and brush it through my thick blonde hair, I wince as I work through the tangles. Once I get my hair somewhat tamed, I grab my foundation from my make up bag and put on a fresh coat on my tan face, after that I grab my blush and brush some color onto my cheeks. Hmm…good enough, I decide and then walk back into my room. I take off my raggedy looking gray t-shirt and pull my cute white and blue blouse from the box that read ‘K shirts’ I grab the first thing I come into contact with, that just happens to be my blue and white polka dotted blouse, I put it on over my white tank-top, and smile satisfied with how I look. It actually looks good with my dark ripped jeans and tan toms.