New Girl on the Block

Chapter One: Helena

The day was basically like any other day. Well, sort of. We just moved to a new town...again. We're going to some small town in California. Dad works for a large corporation, so we have to move a lot. I don't really mind moving so much, but the whole process is kind of exhausting. At least during the eight-hour drive, I'm able to listen to music the entire time.

"Helena," Mom says, causing my focus to return. I look up from the box labeled, "Kitchen," in bold black Sharpie. Mom stands on the passenger side of the car with a cardboard box propped up on one hip and my baby brother, Ace, on the other. "Put the box down and get in the car. We have a long drive ahead of us," Mom says, and I nod.

I stack the box in the trunk and close it. I walk over to the passenger side of the car and take my seat behind Mom, pulling my phone out of my pocket and shoving my earbuds into my ears. I see Dad turn up the radio and begin singing horribly off-key. I smile as he and Mom dance in their seats in front of me.

I lean back into the corner between my seat and the car door and look over with a smile as Ace coos and plays with his baby rattle. I lean my head back against my chair and close my eyes. We pull out of the old driveway and onto the road, off to our new adventure.

. . .

"Shhh," Mom whispers to Ace as he cries me awake. I inhale deeply, stretching awake. Mom is leaning into the car, her short and mostly gray hair falling to the side of her head. She frustratedly pushes it out of her face as she unbuckles Alex from his car seat. "Everything okay?" I ask, my voice hoarse and tired. Mom looks up with another frustrated sigh. "Yes, sorry for waking you dear," she says as I pull out my earbuds and wrap them around my phone.

I look out the window at the night sky. We're pulled into a dimly lit gas station. Dad isn't in the car so I ask, "Where's Dad?" Mom flips her hair to the other side of her head as she successfully pulls the crying baby out of the car. "He's inside," she says, nodding to the convenience store in front of us.

Mom has bags under her eyes, and she's pulled gray sweatpants over her previous shorts. "Do you want me to come in with you?" I ask, handing her the baby bag from the floorboard. Mom looks around and then back at me in the car. "Yes, please, dear," she says, and I smile, glad she's allowing me to help her.

I nod and get out of the car. The cold autumn wind blows through me, causing me to reflexively shove my hands into my blue jeans pockets. Only three cars sit, parked under the gas pump awnings; the station is empty otherwise.

I follow Mom inside and to the family bathroom at the back of the store. I help her as she changes Ace's diaper, and he slowly stops crying. When she's finished, I zip the large blue diaper bag and sling it over my shoulder. We walk out of the bathroom to find Dad at the register with a handful of snacks and sodas for each of us.

I look up at the clock above the registers. It's nearly midnight; we must be almost there. Mom pats Dad on the back as we pass him. I get in the car while Mom buckles Ace into his car seat. Dad walks out of the convenience store with a plastic bag in his hand. He and Mom get into the car, so I put my earbuds back in and turn my volume back up.

"Hun," Mom says; I look up. "We're about an hour out, okay?" Mom says, and I nod. I spend the rest of the drive dancing in my seat to the music blaring in my ears. I have to reach over to Ace multiple times to distract him from the bumps in the road to keep him from crying.

We come up a hill that overlooks the city. I sit up in my seat at the marvelous sight of the tall, lit-up buildings and the cars driving through the winding roads. I pull my earbuds out and rewrap them around my phone. "Wow..." I whisper, and Mom looks over her shoulder with a smile. "It's incredible isn't it, dear?" She asks, and all I can do is nod.

"We're almost there. We'll unload the car in the morning, okay?" She says, and I nod once again. I have no clue what our new house looks like, so when we turn into a neighborhood with incredibly posh houses, I'm shocked out of my witts. "Are you serious?" I ask out of complete shock. Mom and Dad both laugh at my question. We usually live in apartments or small houses, not two-story houses with balconies, and tall pillars. and what looks like at least five bedrooms. Why would we live in such a nice place if we're only going to be here temporarily? We drive through the neighborhood and pull into a long driveway to a white two-story house, with a balcony above the double front doors and steps leading up to them.

"Your bedroom is on the second floor, second door on the left. Good night, sweetheart," Mom says as I get out of the car with the small duffle bag from under my seat. "Good night, dear," Dad says, taking the key out of the ignition. "Good night, Mom and Dad," I say, heading into the house.

A curved marble staircase sits pressed against the right half wall of the foyer. On the right side, the wall breaks away, forming a square opening to what looks like a formal dining room. The floors are marble tile, and the wall is papered with white and gold designs. "Woah..." I whisper, my voice echoing through the hall.

I pull my duffle bag strap over my shoulder as I step onto the staircase. I walk upstairs to an open area that kind of looks like another living room. I turn down the fancy hall and follow Mom's directions to my new bedroom.

I open the tall, wooden door and walk into my bedroom. A gorgeous crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling. I look to my right and flip on the light switch; light fills the room with its grandeur. A white canopy bed sits pressed against the right side of the room, and two white wooden bedside tables with gorgeous white lamps with wooden stems and soft golden lampshades.

on either one on each side of the bed. An oak desk sits on the opposite side of the room with a white rolling office chair. A matching dresser separates the empty desk and a white lounge chair with a light-pink decorative pillow. A fluffy white rug sits, nestled under the chair and dresser. A lamp matching the ones on my nightstands sits on the corner of the dresser.

"This room is insane!" I whisper to myself and then walk over to the dresser. I set my duffle on the gorgeous piece of furniture and pull out my phone charger and a pair of pajamas. I plug up my phone in the outlet next to the dresser then change into my pajamas.

I look ridiculous in my red plaid pants and black t-shirt compared to the luxurious bedroom I'm standing in. I can't believe Mom and Dad chose something so nice even though we could be moving in a year or less. I laugh at the thought as I set my dirty clothes aside for now.

I turn off the light and climb under the thick, soft, white, and gold trim comforter. The soft, cool sheets comfort me immediately to sleep, and I feel as though this town might be a little different than all the others.