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"THAT'LL BE 2.56. CASH OR CARD?" Alex Matthews handed the 5-dollar bill to the clerk as she paid for her candy bar and bag of Lays chips. Her parents had made a quick pit stop at the gas station to fill the car with gas.
"You aren't from around here, are you?" He questioned. It must have been obvious. Alex wore a tank top and shorts like she was ready for the day at the beach—her hair tied back into a ponytail.
Alex Matthews was, in fact, not from here. The teen was used to the hot and sunny state of California with white sandy beaches and going to the Santa Monica Pier with her friends every weekend when her dad got a promotion to work for Oscorp Industries, located in New York City, which was halfway across the world—all of that was flushed down the drain.
"I'm not. Just moved here. I should have dressed a lot warmer." Alex looked outside to see it pouring down. A few people ran towards the door to take cover from the rain. "I hate the rain." She deadpanned as the clerk handed her change back to her.
"Eh, what can I say? It's just one of those days. Don't worry, kid, be glad you didn't get down here during the winter months." He replied with a broad New York accent. Alex grimaced at the thought.
"Noted. So the city stinks, and the winters are brutal. Have a nice day." Alex grabbed her bag of snacks and braced herself for the onslaught of rain coming down.
She hurriedly ran back to her parent's car, her hair and clothes drenched from the rain. She was glad she didn't fall. "Finally. What in the world took you so long?" Her mother asked, snapping her seatbelt as Alex got into the car. She shivered as she snapped her seatbelt into place as well.
"The store clerk was chatting me up." She explained.
Now, out of the city, the family made their way onto a little street. There were no kids or anyone outside, for that matter. The rain sure knows how to ruin someone's day.
When the car stopped, Alex glanced at the house in front of her. It was a nice place. There was a small for sale sign on the lawn. Her dad stepped out of the car and made his way to the sign, taking it out of the ground.
"Well, Alex, come on. You've got to get unpacking. God knows you have a lot to do. I don't want you up all night." When her mom stepped out of the car, a look of confusion flashed over the teen's face.
"What's the rush, mom? I have all week." Alex had her bag in hand as she shut the door behind her.
That's when her mom turned to look at her, a bright smile on her face. "We wouldn't want you to miss your first day of school tomorrow, now, would we? Your father will be starting work tomorrow soon, and so will I. We made sure to get everything ready for when we arrived."
Alex blew a strand of wet air out of her eyes and headed to the house. She knew she wouldn't like it here. It wasn't sunny or hot; there were no sandy white beaches, and there was no Santa Monica Pier.
Hell, she didn't even have a friend here. But Alex knew she would get over it, but it wouldn't be long before her dad got another job somewhere else, and she'd be moving again.
Moving was so common in the Matthews household. If it wasn't her dad getting a promotion, it was her mom. For once, California seemed like the one permanent thing in her life. She had her friends, and she had her family.
So, she enjoyed every moment while it lasted. As she looked up at the house again, she spoke, "Home sweet home."
