lungs

part 1

"what the hell!" i yelled at my brother when he dropped my box when he was carrying it into our new house. "what's wrong with you?!"

he clenched his jaw and rolled his eyes as he picked it back up. "you can carry this you know."

i give him the stank eye, "shut up. you know god damn well i can't." i say as he came through the door and placed it on the stairs.

"oh i'm sorry. i forgot you had your accident." he mocked, knowing i hate it when he brings up what happened.

i rolled my eyes and stormed out to the moving truck. my mom inside the back getting the christmas tree. "mom you don't need to do that." i said as i approached her, "dad can get it."

she wipes sweat off of her forehead as she pants. "your dad isn't here right now, he's with sarah getting the car from the airport." she says.

"well then get mathew." i say, "he's in there bringing up what happened and dropping my stuff."

she sighs and throws her hair behind her shoulders, "just don't mind him." she said. "try to talk to one of the neighbors, maybe they can help."

i huffed, "okay." i said. i hop out of the truck and walk around it.

i cross the street and walk up the neighbors driveway. i go to the door step and knock on the door. my social anxiety is kicking in as i hear footsteps walk up to the door.

a girl around 14 or 13 answered the door. her lips turn into a smile with her lip gloss shining. "hello." she said.

"hi," i studded not knowing what to say. "i'm anna, we just moved here."

she opens the door a little more and puts her hand out for me to shake. "nice to meet you, i'm sophia."

i shook her hand, "nice to meet you too." she looks across the street and frowns. she looks back at me, "do you guys, like, need help?" she offered.

i sigh in relief that i didn't need to ask myself. i hesitated, but nodded. "yeah if you don't mind."

she chuckled, "oh we don't mind." she turned to face the inside of her house and yelled. "joey!"

footsteps go down the stairs to reveal a boy who looks my age. he has brown hair with hazel eyes, "what do you want?" he asked.

he looked at me and we made eye contact, making me awkward than i already am. "what's up?" he said.

sophia rolls her eyes and introduced me to him. "joey, this is anna."

i let out a little friendly smile as he does the same, "hi."

"she needs help moving into her new house." sophia said as she opened the door for joey to walk out.

"oh okay." he says with his eyes still on me, making me nervous as he looks me up and down.

he puts on his shoes and walks out to his driveway. we walk across the street to my house and meet my mom at the truck."i got someone, mom."

she puts down a box and looks at joey and smiles. "great!" she says, "come help me bring these boxes inside, would ya?" she motions for him to get a box.

joey gets up into the truck and gets a box. it's one of mine. he gets back down and walks into the house. "where does this go." he said referring to the box in his hands.

"my room." i said pointing upstairs. he nodded and walked up the stairs. he turned the corner and stopped at my door.

i open the door and he puts the box down next to my dresser. he looks around my room, observing it.

"what color are you gonna paint your room?" he asked randomly.

i looked around too and squinted my eyes, "i don't know."i shrugged, maybe like a light purple."

he nodded and went back downstairs. dylan comes in from the kitchen, on his phone. he looks up at me and gives me the stank eye.

i give it right back to him, "what's your problem?" i asked.

he rolls his eyes, "thanks for telling mom, now i can't go out and make friends around the neighborhood."

"it's your fault." i said as i walked back out. joey walked out with me to the truck.

"is there anymore boxes?" joey asked my mom, wanting to help more.

she got down from the truck and tied her hair up. "nope." she says, "but thank you for helping ."

joey looks at me and then my mom and smiled. "no problem."

my mom nodded, "what's your name?" my mom asked joey.

"joey." he answered.

"do you go to spring mills high?" she asked.

"yeah."

she looked at me and joey and smiled, "well maybe you can show anna around. we're from san francisco."

joey chuckled, "wow. that's a long way. how come here?"

i look at mom and gave her a stern look, hoping she wouldn't tell him the real reason. "oh um," she paused, "just wanted to start fresh."

joey nodded and started to walk back. "well i'm glad i got to meet you all." he says nicely.

my mom smiled, "same here, have a nice night."

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new book sissys! ya'll like it???