After the Move

CHAPTER ONE- Half Past Never

Joie's POV

After what felt like days in the car, we arrived outside mom's old house. It was a light tan color with a large backyard and an old looking flagpole in the front yard that stood tall. I looked around, there was a school down the road and houses everywhere. Mom had told us about this place on the ride over here. The school is her elementary school, she went there since Kindergarten and that's where the bus will be picking us up from and where Marley would be going. Mom unlocked the door and we all walked in. I examined the front living room. and saw the stairs and downstairs bathroom. I walked into the kitchen and saw another living room. Right next to the first living room was the 3 car garage. I set the box in my arms on the island in the kitchen and walked up the stairs. There were four bedrooms, Marley would get the smallest one, mom said I would get Aunt Kristie's old room and Joseph would get mom's old room.

"Come on kids, we got a lot of unpacking to-do." Mom said and started walking downstairs. It seemed like forever until all of my boxes were in my room and I was unpacking.

I started arranging things, my bed in the corner next to the door, my TV on the other side of the room, my desk right next to the closet door. I put my dresser in the closet and started putting clothes away. I set up my Xbox and started making my bed and putting things in the bathroom. It was a lot more space than I was used to so I was quite happy. I started to help Marley get everything done.

"Hey guys, let's go out for food, I was thinking this really good Mexican place that's not too far." Mom said when we were all just sitting in the living room taking a break. It was mid-day and we had most of the house unpacked.

"Okay, sounds good." Joseph and I said at the same time.

"Go get ready." She said and we all dashed upstairs. I grabbed one of Joseph's old jackets, a pair of jeans, and my worn out black vans. I walked downstairs and looked at the things we already had in place. Marley came rushing down the stairs.

"Come on Joseph, I'm hungry!" I screamed and Marley started running towards the front door. Joseph and mom came down the stairs and we all walked out to the car.

It only took us about 10 minutes and mom knew the way, easily. We walked in and got in line. Mom got a bacon breakfast burrito, Joseph got 3 tacos, Marley got a quesadilla, and I got cheese enchiladas. We sat down at a table and everyone started devouring their food. It was amazing, whatever sauce they used, I needed a barrel full. We finished eating and went to get in the truck again. Outside I saw a group of guys who looked no older than me and Joseph. Since I was the last one out the door, everyone was a bit ahead of me. The group of immature assholes started wolf-whistling and catcalling. They moved so they were all around me and I couldn't keep walking.

"Damn girl, you must have a phone in your back pocket because that ass is calling me!" Sorry, wrong number.

"Look at those legs, wonder what time they open?" Half past never.

"Now boys, I ain't no weather man but I'm pretty sure she can expect more than a few inches tonight." Really? Because from the talk you talk, you have a tick tack in between those chicken legs.

"Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"Apparently, you didn't know Satan feels nothing.

They all took turns saying some demeaning and disgusting pick-up line they thought were going to work.

"Joie are these guys bothering you?" Joseph asked loudly.

"Look, guy, we were just complimenting your fine sister." They moved so Joseph could grab my wrist and pull me away from the group of guys while flipping them off, and to the car.

"What the hell Joie?" He asked in a whisper.

"What?" I asked and he just stared at me with wide eyes. Obviously shocked at my reaction, or lack thereof. We started the drive back to the house.

"Hey mom, tell us something about from when you were a kid here," Joseph said, breaking the silence that was previously only filled with the soft playing music.

"In fourth grade, we went on a field to John Metcalf Park and since it was so close, we walked. Well, we walked past my house and as soon as the first person stepped on the sidewalk on the side of our house, my dog Ginger started jumping on the fence so you could see her head and paws and it scared the shit out of the other kids. But I was expecting it so I started telling people, 'It's okay, she's just playful.' And then just about the whole grade knew where I lived. And it happened again on the way back." She said, a smile breaking out on her face the moment that she started the story.

We finally got to the four-way intersection. We went straight to JimmyCamp road. We kept going and turned into the big neighborhood. We went down the first road and turned on our road and into the driveway. We all got out and walked into the house. It was such a large house, I liked it. I felt like we had room to move around and I didn't have to share a room with Marley anymore.

By 3:30, we were done unpacking.

"Hey mom, I was wondering if it's okay if I walk around the neighborhood, see everything, get used to it all," I asked, hoping I could get out of my head for a while.

"Yeah, just be back in time for dinner. I'm gonna order your favorite, pineapple pizza."

"Okay mom, love you." I kissed her cheek and ran out of the house. I went to the park at the school just down the road. I didn't see any gates to the large fence around it so I climbed it only to see a group of guys walking through a gate as I was at the top of the fence. I jumped off and looked at the large park I was walking towards, it was small, two slides and monkey bars. I looked around, there was a large field with two soccer goals, a smaller playground, and a large swing set. I left and started walking away from my house. I turned left and kept walking until I had to turn either right or left. Left would take me back near the house so I decided to go right. I walked for a while until I saw another, larger park. It had three slides, one of those things where you hold on to the things and slide across, the spinning circle things, and a sand pit. Upon arrival, I started walking around on the pathways and found that one lead directly to a large tree, I started climbing it and could see practically everything. The entire park and a large portion of the houses and behind me were what felt like miles of trees, I could also see a small creek. In Arizona we lived in the more country part, Our house was small but it was really nice, I was going to miss it but I think I could love this place.
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Hey, I'm going to keep writing a lot because it's summer and I love to write and have like nothing better to do. On the last chapter you saw that I put a little script thing here, I'm not going to do that all the time but sometimes when I have really good ideas. For that idea, I do have to give credit to AlwaysAly. In her book, Catch Me If You Can, she did that at the end of quite a few of her chapters and I thought it was really amazing and funny. Hope you enjoy! -Kip