New Town

Annabeth

My entire life, I've stayed in California, never worrying about having to leave. Always the top of my classes, and, quite frankly, a buzz kill. I didn't mind though. I sort of enjoyed it here. The school is terrific and I'm skipping a grade because of their education techniques. At least I was going to... If me and my dad were living in California next year, but no... We have to move to Colorado for one of his business trips. If I like it we can stay, but I have my heart set on my actual home, the one my dad is selling.

Me and my dad were in the car after the 10 hours we spent driving. We were almost to our new house. I saw billboards and skyscrapers as my dad drove through Denver. People were bustling down the sidewalks, and the traffic was insane. It's been so long since the last time I moved, I forgot what it was like. Now I remember, as a surge of emotions rose up within me. Sadness, guilt (I wasn't able to say bye to my friends), butterflies, nervousness, boredom, and pretty much everything that goes hand in hand with those. I had that weird feeling in my throat that people get when they want to cry, but I willed myself to hold it in. I was not going to cry in front of the only family I had left.

We finally pulled into the driveway of our new house. It was small, almost like a ranch house, though I could see that there were two floors, plus the attic I could see through the top window. I opened the door and hopped out of the car, running to the back of the truck, where my dad and I packed our stuff. I opened the back and looked at the mound of boxes. I saw my four boxes of books, and quickly grabbed one. I reached for the keys in my dad's pocket and ran up to the front door of the house.

Dropping the box, I use the keys to unlock the door, and walked in, making sure to keep the door open using a stone from outside in the garden. I grabbed the box and walked to the room that was soon to be mine. I put the box down and looked around, looking at where I could put my stuff. I looked around the rest of the house, noticing where each crack and crevice were, and studying the structure of the house.

The house looked like it had been abandoned for years, though I knew it wasn't true. My dad told me that he just bought it from a couple that were moving to a house in New York. The house look like it was haunted, even though it was a stupid thought. I walked outside and noticed a boy playing with his dog in his front yard. I looked at my dad and motioned to the yard.

As I got closer, I saw that the boy had bleached blonde hair, and was kind of cute. He noticed me coming over, a little too sheepishly than I'd like to admit, and the boy smiled. The dog came to his side and laid down, chewing on a stick. I came up to them and sat down, not entirely sure what to do. The boy looked at me and I looked at his dog.

"May I?" I asked, looking up at him. He smiled and nodded.

"Sure. Careful, he's a licker," he warned playfully. I giggled and started stroking the animal's soft fur.

"I don't mind. It's better than not having any animals at all, right?" I responded. I looked up, suddenly not afraid or nervous.

"My name is Will," he said, holding out his hand. I smiled and quickly took it.

"Annabeth." We sat there for a second, before I got up. "I have to help my dad finish unpacking," I explained. Will nodded.

"Do you want help?" he asked me. I glanced at my dad lugging a giant box into the house.

"Yes please, if you don't mind..." He shook his head and took his dog by the collar, leading him inside. He wiped his hands on his pants and jogged up to me, before we went up to the back of my truck. He took one look and whistled, making me laugh. We each grabbed a box and walked inside.

Hey guys. I don't know if I should or not, but I'm thinking about making the next chapter Will's POV and his thoughts and emotions about someone moving in next door. Leave a comment telling me if I should. : )