Those Seven

Chapter 1: Thanks

"Seriously?! We are moving?! Again?!" I shout in German. I can't believe this bullshit, "what about the life I finally built here?!"

"You can build another one there." My mother responds pointedly.

I scream frustratedly and storm upstairs to my room.

Thanks Mom.

I lived in the wonderful state of Virginia. Alone. With my mom.

I was in the foster care system since I was four. But Jane, my mother, adopted me when I was 9. I've been with her ever since. By ever since, I mean 8 years.

Foster care got a hold of me when my actual parents dropped me in front of them and wrote a note saying my name was Isla Marley Johnson.

Obviously when I got adopted my last name changed. So now it's:

Isla Marley Rivers.

Thank you Jane.

You see, Mom couldn't have kids and she didn't want to marry. So here we are.

Back to the present.

I slammed my door shut and started throwing some shit in the boxes that were in my room when I got home from school.

That's one way to tell your child.

While throwing my shit in boxes angrily I called my best and only friend, Sabrina.

I wish I could say I didn't cry. But I did. A lot.

...

It was about 2 hours later when I was finally done packing everything Mom told me I would need. I mean we're leaving tomorrow. That's right. Tomorrow.

I collapse onto my bed and immediately fell asleep from exhaustion.

...

Waking up at 5 in the morning is horrible. Awful. The bane of existence. I could go on but we'd be here awhile.

Driving 43 hours, however, is worse. So much worse.

Richmond, Virginia to Seaside, Oregon. Yep. Oregon.

And Mom said no hotels. Only motels.

...

About three days later... we arrived. In Seaside. Oregon. Yay.

My back hurt, my neck hurt, I was cramped in places I didn't know I could be cramped in.

But yeah.

The house Mom had gotten wasn't bad at all. We were pretty well off with her being a well known photographer. Not celebrity though. Just well known.

The house was very "mom" like.

It was a nice sandy rose wood color and had orange lighting with windows surrounding the house. The "L" shape complimented the garage and main part of the house. The back had a fire pit and was surrounded by trees.

Mom had already had an interior decorator do their decorating stuff and I was still ignoring the woman.

It's been three days, I know, but can you blame me? Up and packing at the beginning of junior year? Leaving after 8 years? Yeah. That's what I thought.