Starting Over

Starting Over - Chapter 1

Starting Over - Chapter One

            I sighed, looking up at the menacing walls of my new school. High school. Fun.

   -Earlier-

Walking into my small living room, I tossed my backpack onto the couch and kicked off my shoes.

“Mom! I’m home!” I yelled.

“Arianna, that you?” She called from the kitchen.

“No, it’s Edward Cullen. Really, Mom? Yes it’s me!” I laughed at my joke, even though it wasn’t really funny. Oh well.

She walked out of the room, a distant look on her young face. Her tired brown eyes looked too old on her; her golden blond hair- that I’d inherited- was tied in a sloppy bun.

“What’s up?” I asked, getting worried.

“Your father called,” Was all she responded with. Her eyes started tearing up. My mom and dad were college sweet-hearts, and had me pretty young, when they were just nineteen. After four years though, my father left us, saying he “needed to have more of a life,” he was “too young to be tied down”. He got re-married just a year later. He broke my mom’s heart, and it was clear even twelve years later. She was just 35.

“What’d he say?” I asked, my curiosity peeking. He only calls on my birthday, and that wasn’t for another few months.

“He… He wants you to live with him. Move to Massachusetts, and stay with him and his…” She cleared her throat, and continued. “And his wife, and her kids. You’ll get to meet her.” She frowned.

“Well, tell him to stuff it, because I’m not going.” I replied curtly.

“You should do it,” she sighed. “It’ll be good for you. Live a better life. I mean, here, I’m struggling just to pay the rent. Your school is loaded with gangs and drug-addicts. Here- here isn’t good for you. Where your father lives, you can get a good education, live in a nice house, and get things you want. You should go.” Her eyes were tearing up again. I walked towards her and pulled her into a hug.

“Oh, Mom,” I sighed. “Don’t cry. Mom, please. It’s okay…”

“I’m fine. I just want the best for you. You deserve better than this. Plus, with your father’s money, you can come back anytime you want.”

I looked up at her, debating. I mean, yes, I love my mom. I don’t want to leave her. But, I hated this place. There wasn’t much here for me to miss. Most of my friends ditched me to save their own reputations. One mistake, just one little thing, sometimes gets blown out of proportion. I wondered: what would it be like to start over?

I sighed. “Alright. When do I leave?”

She perked up a bit at that. “Pack your bags and say your goodbyes, because your father set up your flight for tomorrow.”

Why, why, why, does she guilt me into these things?

                                                            ____________________

I was thinking that same thing the next day when I got off the plane in Boston. What does my mother get me into?

After getting my luggage, I walked into the plain lobby of the airport, standing awkwardly waiting for my father in the mass of people. He said he’d pick me up, right? I was starting to get nervous when I finally heard my name being called.

“Arianna?” It was the first time I’d heard my father’s voice in person since… Well, since I could remember. Resentment welled up inside me. Slowly, I turned around to see Richard Smith. My amazingly absent father.

I put on a sarcastic smirk and walked over to him. His bright green eyes, the very same ones that I saw every time I looked into the mirror, stared into me. He looked exactly like the 35 year old man he was. His dark hair was cropped short. He was tall— but unfortunately, nature decided to make me short like my mom. I stood at 5’4”, something I liked to hide with high heels, but still felt very small and insignificant next to his impressive six feet and something inches. And I don’t feel insignificant very often.

“Oh Dick, how I’ve missed you,” I said sarcastically, with a wry smile on my face.

“Don’t call me that. Call me Richard, if you refuse to call me ‘dad’,” He said with a slightly amused grin on his face.

“What, I can’t call you Rich? Richie? I think I like Richie almost as much as I like Dick,” I told him as we exited the airport and went to his car. I admit, it was a pretty nice car: a white Cadillac Escalade. I hopped in the passenger side.

I wondered how fate worked that my mom, the greatest person I knew, ended up dirt poor, while Richie over here was practically swimming in cash.

“So, Arianna… How have you been?” He asked, trying to fill the awkward silence that had filled the car. Instead of answering, I turned on his radio, and adjusting the volume until it was loud enough that I could ignore him.

“Sorry, couldn’t hear you, Richie!” I told him over the now-blaring music.

He scowled. “That’s not funny, you know."

“What was that?” I asked, cupping my ear, pretending to strain to hear his voice.

Apparently, he really didn’t find my antics as amusing as I did. He turned off the radio and sent me a chilling glare.

“Stop, Arianna. I don't want our relationship to be like this. I want you in my life now." He told me.

My jaw dropped.

"Are you serious? You want me in your life now? Why not before? I wasn't good enough before? What about tomorrow, when you realize I'm not some perfect child?" I asked, my voice incredulous. The name Dick was seeming more and more appropriate than I thought.

"Look, I'm sorry. That's not what I meant. I always loved you, always will. Okay? Let's not do this right now. We're almost at the house. I want you to meet your new family."

I muttered something about them not being my family at all. Dick either didn't hear, or pretended not to notice, because he said nothing.

We pulled up to a massive brick house. Wow... Maybe this won't be so bad, I mean in a place that big, I probably could not run into anyone for weeks at a time. I guess it wouldn't hurt to enjoy it while it lasts, right?

We got out of the car and walked up the steps. When my dad opened the door, I saw three people that all looked similar chatting quietly. Once they noticed us walk in, they shut up, while all six eyes took me in.

Great. The family.

___________________________________________________________________________

Hey everyone(:

New story- completely normal ! Tell me what you think !

I wrote this because rumors destroy people. A single story can ruin someones reputation. Just think about that.

I'll be uploading soon if you guys like it !

-jamiee

:D