Two Worlds Collided (Ace Merrill)

Castle Rock

"I just don't understand why we have to move," I sigh.

In the past year, we have moved twice.

My mom smiles at me.

"I'm sorry, honey. It's your dad's work."

I nod, sighing again.

"Yeah, I know."

She tucks a loose strand of chestnut brown hair behind my ear, away from my eyes.

"With any luck, this will be the last time we have to," she tells me.

I nod. "Yeah."

So that's how I ended up shoved into a backseat with my little sister with several suitcases packed in with us.

I wanted to take my own car, but they insisted it was about to bite the dust and would never make the lengthy trip. They were probably right, so I just sold it and made plans to get a new one in Castle Rock.

Castle Rock. The tiny town, population of just over one thousand, that we're moving to. None of us have ever been even close to Maine, but my dad's boss is making him relocate. Peachy.

"Eleanor, do you ever do anything but read?" My sister, Elizabeth asks me.

I roll my eyes, sliding my bookmark into the pages and closing my book.

"Yes."

She raises one of her thick eyebrows. "Oh, yeah. Sometimes you study instead."

I sigh. "Do you ever do anything but be obnoxious?"

She opens her mouth to say something, and my mom turns around.

"Girls, don't argue. We'll be there soon, okay?"

It's another two hours before we arrive.

The house isn't awful. It's made of light brown bricks and has a blue door. It's two stories, too.

The four of us go inside.

"Dad and I get the downstairs bedroom!" My mom says.

My dad laughs as my sister and I stumble up the stairs. We both run into the biggest room at the same time.

"I want it! Dibs!" Elizabeth exclaims.

I frown.

"But look at the window! That's perfect for my plants!" I say.

She rolls her eyes. "So put a shelf or something under your window. I already called it."

Not wanting to argue, I turn around and walk out.

The other bedroom isn't that bad, really. Well, one isn't. There's an extra room, and I take the bigger of the two. Looking around the blank space, I get a surge of excitement to decorate and start my new life here.

Maybe Castle Rock won't be so bad.