I looked around at the room that I grew up in. The faded blue walls, the small bed in the corner and the soft carpet under my feet are comforting. Sad to leave and scared of the new things that are soon to come I slowly walk down the old, wooden stairs that I had gone up and down so many times before. I never thought I would leave them so soon. My feet don’t want to move, but little by little I walk to the front door, take one last look at the home that I love and close the door. The brisk winter wind whips my face, making me long for the warmth of my house again. My parents wait for me in the car, an old Chevy pick-up truck. I settle in to my seat and breathe in the familiar smell of the aged leather. “Aren’t you excited, sweetheart?” asks my mom with a kind face. “Oh, yeah, I guess.” I mutter. It’s not really true, but my parents are so happy about the move that I decide to let them have their happiness, even if on the inside, I’m miserable.
The car pulls out of the driveway and speeds down our street. I look out the window, wishing I was back in my house. It feels like the longest ride of my life even though it’s only about 20 minutes. Those 20 minutes makes a difference though. My new home is too far away from my old school for me to be able to go there anymore. I’ll be a 7th grader this year and going to a new school in a small town where everyone knows each other isn’t my idea of a good time. I’m dreading the first day, only 2 short weeks away. My parents don’t understand why I always change the subject when they bring up the topic of my new school. They say that I should be happy for this new experience and that it will be a lot of fun. I don’t believe a single word of it because they don’t know what it’s like. It’s hard enough fitting into a school that you’ve been going to since you were little. Now I’ll be the “new kid” that everyone picks on and no one talks to. I was always nice to those kids at my old school. Who would have guessed that I would be that kid all too soon? Certainly not me.
As the truck pulls to a stop in a driveway that smells of new tar, I take a first look at the house, scared of what I might see. What I do see fills me with dread. It’s an old, blue house, probably from the 1850’s, with a white roof. “A real classic”, my parents would call it. Great, now if I do make any friends and invite them over, they’ll think my house is boring and old. I sigh and help my parents with the suitcases in the back of the car. A moving truck pulls up behind us. My dad goes over to talk to him and they start unloading our boxes. “Oh honey! Don’t you just love it! I can’t wait to unpack and get settled in!” my mom says excitedly. “Is this really where we are going to live?” I ask nervously. “Of course, sweetheart! You’re going to have a big room where you can hang out with your friends. And there’s a huge backyard with a pond for you and your dad to fish.” She replies. “Well, here goes nothing”, I whisper to myself.
Slowly, I walk up the creaky wooden steps and pause momentarily in front of the door. To my left are two old rocking chairs. It looks like a good place to clear your head and relax, away from the chaos of life. My hand is almost shaking as I reach out and grip the cold, rusty door knob. I push and the door swings open with a squeak. I walk cautiously over the threshold. It smells of dust and I realize that the room I’m standing in must be the foyer. The walls are painted a soft gold and a bench sits in the corner. I look up at the high ceiling and take a deep breath. Then, I continue farther into the house. The family room is next. It looks comforting and pleasant with a big leather couch from our old house, which looks almost out of place here, after seeing it in the same setting for so many years. My mom walks in behind me and sets her suitcase down. “Here, I’ll show you your room. It’s down this hallway...” she says, walking swiftly down a hallway to my left. I follow her with my suitcase, hoping it’s not too bad. Upon walking in to my new room, I am pleasantly surprised. The walls are a bright turquoise blue and a huge queen bed sits in the corner. Fresh air blows in from the open window along with sunlight that warms my face. “I love it, Mom! I can’t wait to decorate it!” I say, shocked at how much I love it. “Well, why don’t you unpack while you dad and I bring in all the furniture and the rest of the boxes.” She replies. My mom leaves the room and I am left alone to unpack. I open the door to the walk-in closet and lay my suitcase on the bed. I open it and start taking out piles of clothes. It takes an hour to hang up all my clothes and after I do, I lay down on my new bed. Looking up at the ceiling, I think, that maybe this isn’t going to be as bad as I thought it would.
