The Cherry Trees

Chapter One: 2012

"Anne."

I looked up from the window. I knew it would be the very last time that I would see this house. I didn't want to move. I asked my mom if I could stay with one of my friends, but of course, she said no.

"You are only in fifth grade, Anne, you are coming with me and your father," she said.

I took one last look at my former room. The white trim that separated the wall into two parts, the bottom half a faded, peeling, wallpaper with flowers on it. The top half was a beautiful shade of sky blue, a color that matched my eyes. With one more deep breath of the house that I was raised in, I followed my mother, sulking out to the car.

The car ride to Georgia was not as painful as I thought it would be. The scenery was pretty, there were many small forests with various hues of green. Flowers bloomed everywhere, for it was spring, and every black car that passed was splashed with a yellow dust.

I kept looking back through the window, straining my eyes to see if North Carolina, my old home, was still in sight. It never was. The thought made me sad, and I rubbed my thumb in circles on the rubbing stone that my friend had given me before I left.

That was another thought. My friends. How could I make new ones? Their looks would surely spell reject when I walked into my classroom for the first time. That was something I knew I wouldn't be able to handle.

However, the thing that bothered me the most was our house. It was much to big for just the three of us. I would miss the small, cozy living room that always smelled of pine, and our kitchen, of which the counters were always littered with pots, pans, and flour. But most of all, I would miss our attic. The one place that I could go to and be alone. Completely alone. I had built my fort out of blankets up there, and no matter what, I always had a flashlight and a book. I loved reading in my hideaway. And now, that was taken away, along with everything else.