Stay Strong, For Me

Chapter 20: Down Under

I sat waiting for my luggage for about an hour. When I finally found it, my phone buzzed.

Mom:

Meet me at front doors of airport. Cali is with me.

When I got to the front doors I didn't see my mom or Cali, so I looked outside. Excitement boiled up inside of me when I looked out the window.

Australia, the place I've wanted to go for as long as I can remember. I couldn't wait any longer. I opened the door and walked out, the hot humid air attacked me as soon as I stepped on the side walk. I felt a huge smile lay upon my lips. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I instantly thought it was Kayden but then I heard my mother's voice, "Beautiful isn't it?"

Disappointment rush through me and I just nodded my head, but then I looked in front of me and saw the place of my dreams. The grass was a perfect green, the water sparkles in a happy welcome, the sky a perfect blue with no clouds in sight, the leave of the trees sway softly in the light breeze as to whisper, Hello, you're welcome here. The disappointment went away. "Yes, it's very beautiful." I said confidently and I smiled again.

"I'm sorry," said Cali.

I looked at her, confused. Her arms were shaking from carrying both cat carriers and my dog was making it worse by scaring the crap out of Cleo. Finally I slipped out some words, "Uhm... Sorry? For what?"

"For blaming you..." Her voice cracked.

I got frustrated all at once. "No. No crying here. This our new start. I forgive you. I understood when you blamed me, you were angry and had so many mixed emotions, you didn't know what else to do. I was the ideal target." I gave her a sad smile and I took the carrier with Ash in it. "I love ya sis." I said as I gave her a really awkward one armed hug.

I started walking but then my mom spoke up, "Where are you going? The car is this way."

"Car? I thought you sold it back home." I wondered. She just shook her head and told us to follow her.

I was searching the parking lot for my mom's Chevy GMC, but it was no where to be found. Just then I saw the vehicle she was talking about. I stopped in my tracks. There it was, Dad's pickup with the topper on the back. I didn't know something of my father's could make me happy to see.

Cali and I walked to the familiar vehicle and started putting our luggage in it.

***

My mom drove around the corner to Brice Street and stopped in front of a beautiful house. It's exterior was a pastel blue with a black roof and the door was dark blue. It was 2 stories high with a basement and an attic. We had a huge front yard and our backyard already had a fence around it for Riley.

I didn't know that I spaced out until my little sister opened my door. "You coming?!" She said before she ran into the house with Cleo in the carrier. I stepped out of the pickup and went to grab my luggage and but not before grabbing Ash's carrier.

The stone path leading to my new home was so cute. I found that the whole time I had a goofy, happy expression on my face. I grabbed the cold, shiny, silver door knob and walked in.

When I saw the inside, I dropped my luggage in surprise. I set down Ash's carrier and let her out, her sky blue eyes went wide just like mine. The shiny, oak, wood floors glistened in the sun coming through the glass wall in the living room. Yea, a whole wall, just one huge window. It was facing the back yard where Riley was already running around in. I wiggled my toes on the fluffy black carpet and walked to feel the texture of the dark blue walls. The curtains to the glass wall were the same color as the wall, surprisingly. I turned to the left and I saw a giant flat screen tv. There are three black, leather love seats put together like a U. I jumped on one and Ash followed me. I giggled and Ash meowed in return. I got up to scope the rest of the house.

I walked into the kitchen with a little Ash following right beside me. The kitchen had super shiny, black tiles and the walls were painted a light blue. The counters where black too and there was a island in the middle of the kitchen. The top was a marble black too with oak, stained the same color as the wooden flooring, holding everything up. The cupboards were the same oak stain. My eyes went wide when I saw the fridge, it was black and it had a glass door. Yes! No need to open the fridge to look for things anymore! The stove/oven, toaster, microwave and other kitchen appliances were either black or silver.

"MEOW!" I heard an excited meow from Ash and turned to see what the little thing was so excited about. There was two brand new silver food bowls and two slightly smaller, silver water bowls. I laughed and bent down to pet my little black kitty and started to explore more.

As I walked past the front door again I heard a loud meow and looked at Ash. No, that doesn't sound like Ash... I saw Cleo's carrier, "Wow, my sister just left you there?" I walked over and let her out. She meowed a little thank you and started to walk around to see her new home.

I walked down a short hallway to see the run into the dining room. I've never had a dining room before... I almost slipped and feel on my face because Ash was slipping around under my feet. (She got all over her claws removed a month ago.) The oak floors sines with the sun shining trough two windows on the east wall. The table and chairs were the same oak as the floor and the table had a black embroidered thing laying in the middle of the table with white roses in a black vase. The walls were black too.

Geez... Black and blue must be the theme of this place... "I like it." Wait... did I just say that out loud? I shrugged my shoulders and walked to a small room with the same fluffy, black carpeting as the living room that stopped at wooden, black spiral staircase with a sliver railing.

I signaled Ash to jump up on my shoulders because I knew she would slip on the stairs. She jumped right up. The railing was cold under my hand as I walked up. When I stepped off the last step, my feet met more fluffy black carpet. The room I had walked into was a medium sized room with a slightly smaller tv than the living rooms, one leather black couch. The walls where dark blue and the ceiling also black.

There was rustling to the left of me. Ash was still on my shoulders so she jumped down and ran to a wooden, black door. I knocked lightly. "Come in," I heard Cali say happily. I grabbed the silver door knob and opened the door. There was the room the Cali has claimed as her room. The floor was fluffy, light green carpet with three little fluffy, black rugs. All four walls were black but the ceiling was the same light green as the carpet with black polka dots. Her closet was a hall way with a bar on each side to hang up clothes. There was one window, it's curtains were black, of coarse. Her bed was on the east wall, the bed spread was black with light green polka dots and the sheets where light green. Her pillows ranged from light green to black to black with light green polka dots to light green with... Oh never mind you get the picture, right?

There was another door to the left of her bed leading to we own bathroom. The tiles where random black and light green tiles and the bathtub was black with a shower head above and shower curtains were light green. The walls were tiles all the way up to the ceiling, even then the ceiling was tile.... There was a giant mirror across from the tub. It was above a black, marble counter too with a sink carved into it. The cupboards below where oak.

I got bored to I left my sister's room. There was another room on the opposite side. I walked to it and my mom walked out. "So you and Cali have these two rooms... Where the hell is mine?" I questioned her. She just laughed, shook her head and pointed to a spiral staircase just like the one that I had come up but the ceiling had a circle carved out as the stairs went up into the attic.

I smiled as Ash immediately jumped on my shoulders again. I looked at her and she looked back at me. It looked as if she smiled at me and she licked my nose.

I smiled and walked up the staircase...

Author's note:

Woaaaahhhhh! The first author note!? No way!

Sorry for the way late update. I've been busy with school and semester finals and stuff.

Sorry for all the boring descriptions of her new house. I felt it was necessary. I hope you are enjoying the book so far!

Is Rain going to have a crazy dream again? Will she ever see Kayden again? Is Austin going to fall in love with Rain? What will Rain's room look like?

Xoxoxo- Anne