Damn, You're Cute (Michael Clifford)

Chapter 1

Australia was different to me, but a good different, I figured.

It was much warmer than Ocean City that day, yet Sydney also had a beauty to it that was unique. Don't get me wrong, Ocean City was where I'd always belong, but I had a feeling I wouldn't mind Sydney. It’s fair weather, sparkling water, and apparently, ability to be a whole other city at night, as my mother explained on the car ride here excited me beyond words.

I moved to Australia with my parents because of my mother’s work, and to be honest, there wasn’t much I left behind besides the comfort of the green water and sand beneath my toes. My mother was a professional photographer and found that the Australian scenery was perfect for what she planned to do. She always got engulfed in her work, and my father, being soft for her, was easily convinced to move here. His own work had a branch here in Sydney as well, so it was a win-win situation. They didn’t exactly consider what it would mean for me, moving to a new country, but as I mentioned, I didn’t leave much behind since my only friends were relatives. Being homeschooled wasn’t the best for making friends who weren’t forced to see you every holiday or family dinner. Thankfully, though, moving was easy because apparently my dad had connections to some relative whom I've never met. Aunt Aria, he told me. I'd be meeting her soon, but first I had to help with the bags.

I pulled two suitcases behind me, my boring brown eyes searching the huge white house in front of me. It sat on perfectly green grass, surrounded by small green bushes, and was made of mostly glass windows that allowed sunlight to pour through. It seemed open and free, but the idea of someone being able to see me watching TV or eating cereal made me shudder.

"Leah, honey?" my father called from the cab we took from the airport. I quickly opened the front door, throwing my bags inside, and then spun around to see what he wanted. He gave me a small smile and ushered me over. "Do you mind doing me a favor?"

I sighed jokingly, still overwhelmed by my surroundings as I slid the sunglasses down from the top of my head so they rested on the bridge of my nose. Everything around me was bright and sharp, the colors never failing to make a perfect photograph, as my mother pointed out.

"That depends on what it is,” I told him which earned a short chuckle from my dad.

"Your mom and I can handle the bags, but I need you to check in with your new school," he informed me, straightening the collar on his button up shirt. I furrowed my eyebrows, my stomach secretly churning with nerves. I couldn’t be more anxious about starting public school, especially in a whole other country.

 "Don't you do that the first day?" I asked hopefully, reaching for another bag in order to get out of what he wanted me to do, but my dad gently pushed my hands away.

"Leah, remember you're technically an exchange student, so checking in early is required. I just need you to drive over and go to the main office. They'll give you all your books, a map, and everything you could possibly need," he informed authoritatively which earned a slow, apprehensive nod from me. “I need you to get used to the idea of this because homeschooling is very different.”

I pursed my lips, playing with the ends of my long blonde hair as I took in his information. I knew it couldn’t hurt to become a bit more familiar with my soon-to-be personal hell, or at least know where the main office was.

My dad's eyes were hopeful as I considered this, but he and I both knew I wouldn’t disappoint him. That's the thing about our family: we’re a close knit group of three. We hardly ever argue or disagree since I have no brothers or sisters to fight with and annoy my parents beyond reason.

“Fine, fine, I’ll go,” I muttered bit quickly held up an index finger. “But there is no way I am taking a cab. I’m not comfortable enough with the area.”