Against the Rules

Meeting the Grey's | 1

Chapter One

Moving country was never on my 'to do list', however it really wasn't my choice to begin with. My dad thought it would benefit both my brother and I if we were to start a new life in a completely different country. We moved all the way from Australia to Black Mountain, North Carolina.
"Hey dad, where did you put my PlayStation?" Trent calls out as he pounds down the stairs, looking for our dad.
I ignored him and continued to unpack my own bags into my new room. I didn't particularly love my dad for making us move, especially when I had just started my first year at university in Australia and now I have to begin in the second semester here in North Carolina. Not only am I wasting three months of my time, but I won't be able to make as many friends here when I start in the second semester.
My phone buzzed against my leg as I sat on the plush carpet. Checking the message, I fought to keep a smile off my face. Ryder, my boyfriend back in Australia, was trying to cheer me up. Miraculously, he's doing a good job at it. He was another reason why I didn't like moving away. Not only was I leaving my boyfriend of 3 years behind, I left all my close friends.
Ryder is older than me by a year, making him 21, and we met each other through friends. We instantly clicked and couldn't stop hanging out until I fell deeply in love with him. When dad told me we were moving, I immediately told Ryder, and he promised that we could work through it and make it work. He told me that either him or I could visit in holidays and I agreed. He's in his third and final year at university and I was looking forward to spending my university life with him, but that got cut short, incredibly short.
"Brooklyn! Come downstairs and help out your old man," dad called from somewhere on the bottom level. I huffed, begrudgingly getting up and going to see what he needed me for. This was going to take a few days, maybe a week, to finally settle into our new house.

***

"How has it been?" Ryder's voice rang into my ear, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I bit my finger nail out of habit. "It's been alright, could be better if I weren't here," I teased, hoping he would catch on.
Ryder only tsked at me. "Oh come on, I bet it isn't that bad. If it makes you feel any better, I miss you just as much."
He always knew how to cheer me up when I'm feeling down. It's been a week and I've finally unpacked all my boxes. The only things left in the house are some boxes in the living room for decoration.
My eyes swept my room quickly, taking in all the work I've done in the past week. I'm proud of it and it feels more like my room back in Australia now that everything is up. My eyes landed on a picture frame on top of my dresser but before they could stare too long, I moved my gaze.
"So what are your plans for the rest of your three months off?" Ryder's voice snapped me back to reality. "I know you have your birthday in about a month. What are you planning on doing?"
Sighing, I quickly glance back to the picture frame. "Nothing when I'm stuck here and all my friends and you are somewhere else," I sulked.
"Brooke, don't be like that. You can-"
"I can do what? Hang out with my dad and brother? I'd rather take a plane back over there just to spend my birthday with people I won't see for another six months." I was seething in anger now, like the move finally hit me head on. My boyfriend and friends for all my life are on the other side of the world. How could dad think this move would benefit me?
"Hey, Brooke, calm down. If you really want to come back for your birthday, nothing's stopping you. I can pay for half your flight if that helps?" Ryder's calm soothing voice was like ice to my burning skin. I immediately began to cool off.
I breathed out loudly then nodded. "Yeah okay, I'll look into it more, check flights and prices then we can discuss it another time."
"There's the Brooke I know and love." A smile made its way onto my lips.
"I love you too, Ryder. I better get going now, it's starting to get late." I checked the clock and it read 11:52pm.
"Alright babe, have a good sleep and remember I'm always here when you need." Ryder and I hung up a little later and I lay in bed with the lights off, thinking about going back to Australia for my twentieth birthday.
I understood why dad moved now instead of later, because Trent is in his last year of high school and it just began so it's better if he started a school at the beginning rather than randomly through the year. At least for university you can begin in the second semester and not miss anything because papers change in each semester. It just annoyed me sometimes that I'm just sitting around for three months. I needed a job.