Head in the Clouds

1

I wake up to a loud crash of something made of glass shattering on the hard, wooden floor of our old house.

"It was Brandon," I yell through my bedroom door. I lay back in my bed and stare at my ceiling for about 10 minutes, but can't fall asleep.

I try to get out of bed, but my body's so weak I fall off my bed and onto the floor.

Oh great, I mumble as I grab some ripped jeans and a stained t-shirt. Unfortunately, while doing that, I trip and pull open my curtains, light bursting into my bedroom. I look out the window, my eyes half open, and see my dad loading boxes into their van while my mom and my brother give them to him.

Then it hit me. We're moving houses today! I sprint downstairs, go outside, but suddenly stop.

What if my parents notice me? Then there going to know I slept in or was slacking off. I have to play it cool.

I sneak around the car, hoping no one notices me. But they do.

"Erin, where were you? We called you but you didn't answer. What were you doing?" my mom shouts at me angrily.

"Yeah, Erin," my brother Brandon says snobbishly.

I think quick.

"What do you mean, what was I doing? I was just upstairs making sure I didn't leave anything in my room. Then I quickly checked the rest of the house to see if we left any messes or trash," I lie. "Why are you getting mad at me for trying to help out?" I snap at her.

"Oh I'm sorry Erin. I just thought you were slacking off or something like that," my mom says, patting me on the back gently. "Now get in the car."

I hop in to see my brother Brandon, drinking a cold smoothie and wearing sunglasses as if he was cool (which he isn't).

"Nice try Erin, but I heard you sleeping in your room from your snoring. You're as loud as an elephant."

"Idiot," I say back to him, and then buckle my seatbelt.

***

"Turn up the music," Brandon shouts at my dad. I turn up the music I'm listening to on my phone to full blast, which you were now able to hear faintly if you nearby me.

"Stop playing that terrible music," Brandon screams at my ear, which always annoys me.

"Why don't you shut off that terrible sound you're making. Oh wait, that's just your voice," I shoot Brandon an angry look.

While Brandon and I were tearing each other apart with insults and arguing, my parents tuned us out, as if we were not there, and continued talking.

"Mommy, don't you see what Erin's been doing to me. It's hurting my feelings," he says, giving me a mischievous look.

"Erin! I can't believe the way you're behaving. Stop acting like a child!" she says, without even looking at me.

I put on my headphones and continue to listen to my music, ignoring anything that comes out of Brandon's mouth. I sink into the seat and wait for this nightmare to be over, as Brandon continues to make up lies about me and my mom continues to yell at me. The same routine goes on and on until my dad finally pulls up in a driveway.

***

I hop out of the van as soon as it stops. A fresh breeze blows in my face as I go to the trunk.

As I open the trunk, piles of overfull boxes fall out and onto the edge of the road, just as Brandon comes by.

"Wow, Brandon," I say, picking up a few of the boxes that fell. "I can't believe you." I hand him a box, pushing his wheelchair away. He rolls his eyes at me.

My dad comes and takes a box marked Fragile right before I'm about to take it, pushing me to the side. I secretly roll my eyes.

I head towards the luxurious house, but someone's arm pulls me back. I turn around to see my mom, holding a box.

"Nice try," she says before going back to the van. I open the surprisingly non-rusted doorknob and look inside.

I nearly drop the box I'm holding as I walk in. My jaw drops.

"Wow," I say, and walk along the long stairway near the entrance. I look in all the empty rooms which are nice, with no dents in the wall or peeled paint, unlike my old bedroom.

I look out the window in the living room and see my parents with Brandon going into the van and then driving away. Probably forgot me again. But, I've gotten used to that by now.

I decide that if my family's gone, I should at least start unpacking. I sit on the brand new couch, and open a box.

"Ouch," I scream, looking at my finger and notice a small cut. "Oh well." I continue to unpack.

***

"Hey Brandon," I hear my dad say.

"What?" Brandon says. I come down the stairs holding an empty box that I finished unpacking and watch them, Brandon holding an ice cream cone with 3 scoops of ice cream.

"Your ice cream's dripping," my dad replies.

"It is?" Brandon looks at his lap just as my dad takes the ice cream and takes a big bite out of it.

Brandon looks up angrily. He takes the ice cream and goes into the living room, my parents following him.

I follow them but trip while I'm on the stairs and fall, landing on the empty box I was holding.

Great, I mumble, just as my mom walks by.

"Erin!" she gasps.

Wow, does my mom actually cares that I fell. I reach my hand out, hoping she'll help me up.

"Was that box empty... because if you broke anything, you're paying for it!"

I put my hand down, grab the edge of the staircase, and stand up.

"Ok dad, which is my room?" I ask once I've gathered all my clothes and bed sheets.

"Let's see... this room is ours," he points to the room at the end of the hall.

"Then the bathroom and this ones Brandon's which is right beside our elevator so he can get up and downstairs faster. Am I missing anything else?"

"Um, maybe MY ROOM!" I shout.

"Oh, right. Here, it's this room," he says, pointing to a room across Brandon's.

"No, we already agreed that that's my yoga room," my mom says, just as I'm about to enter. "Just let Erin sleep on the couch."

"Don't worry, there's an extra room downstairs. You can use that for your yoga room," my dad says.

I take my stuff and begin to set up my room.

I hang the only pictures I can find of myself before my dad comes in and helps me set up my bed.

"Don't forget, we're meeting the principal of your new school tomorrow," he says before closing my door.

"Yeah, I remember," I say and fall back onto my bed.

Great, I mumble. Now more people are going to hate me once it's tomorrow.