Where I Belong

Chapter One----New

Allie smiled as she watched her family interact with each other. Her mom and older brother, Jim, had her baby brother Adam in a fit on the floor as they tickled him. His laughter was contagious and she found herself laughing along with them as she sat on the living room couch in their new home.

New, she thought. Yes everything around her was always new. The new house her brother had just bought for them. The new school she that she was starting tomorrow and the new friends she would have to make. The new room she would have to decorate and the new clothes she had to buy. Everything was always new. New, she thought again, her good mood squashed.

"Allie," she was broken out of her reverie to see Adam standing in front of her, smiling. She smiled back.

"Yes Addy?" She asked him.

"Mommy said you have to put me to bed," he said smiling at her. She looked at him to see he was wearing his PJ's. "Now," he demanded pulling at her arm.

She let him pull her up and pick him up when she was on her feet. "Is that so?" She asked him nuzzling his cheek, making him giggle.

"Yes," he said nuzzling her back.

She went into autopilot then. Allie took Adam into his new room, placing him in his new bed and tucked him in with his new sheets. She kissed his forehead and left his room, cracking the door.

She made her way to her room opening the door and flicking the lights on. She walked into the middle of her room and stared at the space in front of her. "Don't get used to this." She told herself. "It'll be all gone in a month." She smiled sarcastically.

"Don't think like that Allie," the voice of her older brother, Jim, scared her.

She turned around to look at him. He was leaning against her now closed door, "Sorry."

He sighed, "You don't have to apologize, Alls." He walked until he was standing in front of her. "I know moving around all the time sucks but for now we can't really do anything about, okay?"

She wanted to say something but his tone of voice made everything seem final. She nodded her head.

He kissed her forehead, "Go to bed," she smiled at him, "You have a big day ahead of you."

He left, leaving her to her pessimistic thoughts. Oh yeah, tomorrow. She went to her bed and climbed under the covers.

Tomorrow's going to be a long day, was the last thing she thought before she drifted away.

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Allie blew her light brown hair away from her las it fell from the messy braid she had done that morning. She stared out of her car window at the small school that had a sign that read, "Bluemount High," in red letter.

"You'll have a great day sweetie," her mom said pushing Allie's loose hair behind her ear.

Allie turned to her mom and smiled, "Thanks mom." In the backseat, Adam fidgeted but smiled at Allie when she looked at him. "See ya, Addy," she said to him.

"See ya, Allie."

She took a deep breath. She exited her mom's blue Jetta and instantly remembered the reason why her coat was so heavy. It was the middle of February in South Dakota and she was starting to get used to the snow. She pulled her coat tighter around her as the wind picked up and trudged her way through the snow to the small building that was also new to her.

She vowed to not make friends, to be a shadow, and wait until they moved again. That way you don't get hurt, she thought.

Inside the walls were a pale blue that were plastered with cheesy "You can do it!" and "Hang in there!" posters. The lockers matched the red that was on the name of the school out side. Trophy cases for each sport and the occasional water fountain lined the halls. All of the halls were empty completely.