• Chapter One New Town



    The truck hummed as I rode in it with my mother. I looked outside of the nowhere. I was leaving my hometown today and was very disappointed that I had to leave my old friends back. We’re leaving my home and it made my heart twinge slightly.
    "Brittany... You will be fine. You will find some new friends. Plus our house will be brand new and even bigger than our one old back there." My mom said with a hint of pain in her voice. I nodded and I sighed. The sun started to disappear under the storm clouds. There was a lighting leaping out of the clouds.
    "What? There’s a storm coming? But the weather man said that will be no storm. Darn it." My mom muttered madly, and I looked at her.
    "Mom, don't worry about it. It is just a storm..." I tried to smooth her but she shook her head.
    "Honey, today we're moving, do you want to move stuff in the rain?" She spoke as I looked at her.
    I sighed and said, “No, I do not want to do work in the rain but it is just a storm and it will pass away soon." My mom huffed and I sighed. The rain started to pour heavily. I looked at the raindrops on the window. It looked like tears. My mom groaned in frustation. I shrugged and then the town started to appear on the horizon.

    "Finally, we're almost there!" My mom cheered up a little. I wasn't very happy, and wished that I would stay in New York instead staying in Webster, North Dakota. My mom looked at me and back to the road.
    She frowned and said, "You better be happy. North Dakota is a great state! You will love it!" I nodded and pulled out my one of books, Eragon. I opened it, and started to read it.
    "Honey, put the book away. Look what is around you." She said to me. I obeyed her. I sighed and put my book away. I looked around. People were walking on the sidewalk. I said, "How come there're so many people here?"
    My mom looked at me and said, "It's the downtown here. But where we live is quiet and peaceful. There not so many people there." I got to admit it, I was little happy about the peace and the quiet at where I live. I looked at the little shops, there was so many, I possibly couldn't remember them all. We supposed to be in a small town. I wondered why people would be outside while it was raining, guessing that they like the rain after all.

    "We're almost at the new house." My mom announced excitedly. I felt doom fall on me. I really wanted to jump out of the truck to run away but it's not worth it. The little shops and people started to fade away as we drove away from it. We were out in the nowhere again. Dirt and dried up plants were standing out in the rain. A row of ranches started to appear and the mountains appear out of the blue. There were horses, cows, and sheep outside. I pitied them for being out in the rain. I looked at the great, lush mountains. It was amazing sight for me. My mom started to grin big. I knew that grin meant. The house was near obviously.
    "Here it is!" My mom cheered as she pointed the light blue house. We pulled up by it.
    "Well, what do you think about it?" My mom questioned me nervously. I looked at the house in details. It was painted Baby Blue, a section of flowers was standing out front of the house. The door was painted white and had a glass door front of it and the porch was in front of the door. It was huge and painted white and was a big window at least three feet away from the door. For a big view I suppose. The front of the house was facing the out where the ranches are. The mountains were behind it and the lawn was well mowed and really green. I was trilled that our house wasn't a dump hole.
    "It's great. I really love it, mom." I spoke as I scanned the house more with my eyes.

    "Is that so? Well then let's go inside shall we? The furniture probably already set up in there." My mom said eagerly and I stepped outside of our truck into the pouring rain. The rain has lightened since we got here and that was good, I didn’t want to get wet. A thunder boomed across the land and shockingly, I was surprised how loud the thunder was. My mom got out of the car and ran up to the door. She jangled the key into the doorknob.
    She got in, and yelled at me, "Come in! Take a look!" I looked at her. I went by the assorted, colorful flowers and walked up onto the porch. There was a outdoor table and four chairs were under it. I was awed by how neatly the porch was organized and stepped inside of the house.
    The house looked so clean and modern and the smell in the air smelled like pine from the mountain.
    "You like it, Britt?" My mom asked me as she put her jacket down on a dinning table. I nodded and kept looking around. Our old furniture was sitting where it should be, but it felt different, like it is new and so odd. I just noticed that I needed to see my room.
    "Mom, where is my room?" I asked as my mom lit up the fireplace.
    "It's upstairs, on the left. It’s where you could see the mountains throughout on your balcony. Also your furniture is fixed up completely in your room so you wouldn’t have to arrange them."
    I smiled weakly and went upstairs. There were three rooms upstairs and a bathroom at the end of the hallway. The two of the rooms was on the right side and my room was on the left. Nervously I walked into my room and I was amazed how big and spacey my room is. It was like the living room downstairs. The wall was painted white like the doors outside and no baby blue paint, whew. For some reasons I always hated that kind of color, I guess it reminds me of my real dad pitifully.
    I saw my bed at left side of my room and my desk was at the right side of my room. Then a balcony was at the end of my room, I gasped and ran outside of it. The mountains were so beautiful and I wanted to travel upon it. Apparently nature in Webster took my breath away. The balcony planks were painted white like the porch out in the front. I looked at the backyard, and my balcony had stairway down to the backyard. Thinking recklessly, I went down.
    The backyard was lush and rich green and grass was so soft. A garden loomed out at the end of the backyard, and it was huge the gateway was perking up. The brown, purple, and green vines were tangled around the gateway. The flowers were all over the gateway and the fences. At least the trees were over a thousands year old and they stood strong. A willow one and a cottonwood one and they were standing so beautifully like the others. I loved the garden scene and the mountain scene. After all this isn't bad as I thought.

    A breeze whistled through the garden, and I smelled the fresh flowers as it came through. It was chilly outside, and the rain keep on drizzling upon earth. Also I needed to go back in before I catch a cold and went back in, looking at the clock hanging on the wall. It was 6:30, as expected it was a little different than my old home time.
    I felt so tired from this moving so I kicked off my shoes and plopped onto my purple, clean bed. There was lot on my mind and I was worrying about my new high school. It probably would be awkward, like seeing people I don't know and meeting new teachers...
    I just feel really uncomfortable about that and other things on mind were making new friends, my mom marrying someone soon which who I hate very much. Nosily I sighed and my stomach rumbled. The rumbling made me think that I was hungry as well after all of this moving. The clock ticked as I decided to go downstairs to eat some dinner.
    My mom was bringing stuff in and I just realized that I left my mom to do all of the work.
    "Oh, mom… I am so sorry. I was looking an-" As I spoke, she cut me off.
    "It's okay, honey. Here's your stuff, all of your books and such." She murmured to me and smiled at me.
    She pointed the boxes on the table and I smiled. Sadly I had to carry my boxes to my room Downstairs I heard the door slam close and I figured out that my mom must be already done bringing the boxes in.
    Which it seemed forever for me to go downstairs, I plopped down onto the chair at the dining table. My mom sighed softly and took off her leather brown jacket.
    "Britt, are you hungry?" She asked as she walked in the kitchen and I watched her intently with my big brown eyes.
    “Yeah, my stomach is rumbling for no reason."
    The modern kitchen was nice as well and was huge. It had a dishwasher, a fancy oven, a refrigerator that was about my height, and there was a backyard door. The white floor tiles were polished nicely and the lighting was dim though.
    "Okay. I will make chicken, if that is okay?" My mom surprised me, I was so dazed by the kitchen that I wasn't hearing what she is saying.
    "Sure, chicken will be just fine. Maybe you make chicken with a side of mashed potatoes?" I spoke as I slid in the chair.
    She just only smiled and said,” Okay, oh also your dad will be home soon." I looked at her silently, and I spoke even quieter.
    "Okay..."
    My mom sighed and said, "You just got to like him, honey. He is nice man and obviously is perfect to be your father."
    I nodded weakly and laid my head on the table. I was upset that I wouldn’t get to see my old dad again and I don't want a new dad. My mom is so daft to my response of my saying I want my old dad but I guess that is impossible.

    "Pretty tiring isn’t?” My mom said as she cut up the potatoes.
    I perked up and said, "What is tiresome?"
    My mom only laughed as she mashed the potatoes together, "Moving, of course, I mean look at you, you are like a sloth!"
    "Mom, please do not call me that… Well, yeah, it is tiresome to move somewhere you don't know…"
    My mom pondered back to the refrigerator.
    "I guess it is for you but not for me. I used to live here. This is my favorite town to live in!" My mom spoke with a peachy voice.
    "Huh? You used to live here?" I said, and I didn't know that my mother used to live here in this town.
    "Sure! It was lots of fun! I was your age when I lived here with your grandmother and grandfather. Then when I was graduated from college, I went to New York to become an editor of course!"
    When she mentioned about my grandmother and grandfather and it stung me coldly. I had always viewed them as strange and alien. They always told me that I’m not human and my mom never was my real mom so was my father. Don’t you even think that’s weird? I thought they were mental or something but still they seemed serious about that.
    The pot’s water started to boil as the temperature started to rise and the potatoes still sat there at the bottom of the grey pot. I stared out to the space and started to frown more than usual at my memories.
    "Well, being an editor isn't that cool, it is exhausting and New York messed up my senses. I got mugged so many times there."
    I looked at her and knew she was mugged a lot in New York, since she is a klutz. Only God and I know this.
    "So how did you meet my old dad?" I asked her and then her smile faded away.
    "We met at a little shop. We were both editors for the newspapers. It’s nothing special. Really…”
    I sighed with anger and quirked my eyebrow at her.
    "Why did you have to marry Jacob? Why can't stay with old dad?" I stood up with anger pulsing through my vein, "I am outta here! I am going for a walk and don't even bother!"
    My mom gasped and I grabbed my black jacket. "Brittany! Stay where you are! You are grounded for being rude and you don't even dare to walk out of the door!"
    I sighed and went out of the door. The rain has stopped drizzling and my mom yelled with anger and started to run after me. Hotheadedly, I jumped off the porch and started to run away from the house and my mom.
    "BRITT! GET BACK HERE!" She yelled at me, I ignored her and kept on running away from her. I glanced over my shoulder; I could see my mom getting in of her truck, I groaned, and ran even further.
    Finally I got lost in the town and the cold lingered onto me. I saw a little shop I didn't see earlier, the door sign said, “We're open”. I decided to go in to hide away from my mom, hopefully she doesn’t show up. The shop and the air smelled like apple cinnamon. I froze when I saw the familiar truck drive by and I ducked out of view. I sighed with relief as she drove away from the shop.
    "Well, hello there!" An elderly woman chimed out, she was wearing a purple sweater and old, blue pants on. The woman had her glasses on. Her wrinkled smile was bright and warm.
    "Hi, erm, I am new here…What do you sell here?" I spoke as she kept on smiling.
    "Well, my name is Bridgette, and welcome here. Oh, we sell books, candles, stuffed animals, food, clothing, bedding, and lots of other stuff you may want."
    "Hi Bridgette, my name is Brittany, and I just live like a few blocks away. What kind of books do you sell?" I looked around in the crowded, little shop. There were three bookshelves crammed with books and the clothes were hanged up in racks. The food was at other side of the shop and the candles were displayed on a small table. The beddings were folded up neatly on another small table.
    "We sell spell books, story books, mangas, western books, novels, and lots of kinds of books." She grinned as she spoke and heard a meow. I looked down, and there was a black and white, fluffy cat was looking at us.
    "Aww, well hello there." I bent down, and petted the cat. It purred softly as I petted her and another voice came out, making me flinch so did the cat.
    "Come on! I wanna go home!" I stood up and looked at the doorway. A boy came out walking out of the doorway.
    "Ryan! Come on now there." An elderly man's voice came out. I looked at the boy confusingly and I looked at Bridgette.
    She smiled, "We have a customer." An elderly man came out walking and smiled.
    “Hello sir.” I inclined my head in greeting to the man.
    "Hello there. Is there anything do you need?" He spoke with a gruff voice and he had a bald head showing. He was wearing plaid sweater vest over a blue shirt and he also wore tan pants and glasses.

    "This is Rob and this young boy is Ryan." Bridgette introduced them.
    "I am Brittany, nice to meet you." I greeted them nicely and Ryan scoffed at the elders and me. He had mixture of bronze and blonde hair, hazel eyes that seemed to burn furiously, and he was taller than me.
    "Don't be rude to this charming, young lady here!" Bridgette scolded him, and I started to blush a little when she said that.
    "No, really it's okay. I am used to it." I spoke rashly. The bronze haired boy looked at me curiously and looked away.
    "Well, honey, this boy obviously has no manners. He needs to learn them." Bridgette spoke and I nodded.
    "Well, I got to go and the time has passed for a long time." I said rashly once again, I was freaking out and I didn't know what to do.
    "Oh, well, okay then. Be safe." She spoke calmingly, and Rob smiled at me. I pushed the door open.
    "Bye." I said as I started to walk away from the shop and I sighed with relief. I knew I should've left that early, and decided to walk somewhere randomly. I didn't want to see my angered mother and my new father scolding me.

    The cold lingered on me as I stood thinking what I should do and then I heard footsteps behind me. Oh now am I getting paranoid?
    I turned around and saw Ryan, that rude unimpressive boy.
    "Hey! Wait!" He yelled, and I waited until he caught up with me.
    "Well hi?" I greeted him and glared at me with his cold, hazel eyes.
    "Hi. You walk so fast. Unbelievable..."
    His eyes jolted me; they seemed to scry through me with an electric shock.
    "Um, what do you want?"
    "I thought you might like walk with me to your house." He spoke, he smiled weakly.
    "I am not going home, too much trouble for me." I spoke harshly, and I shivered. A fog of my breath billowed out of my mouth.
    "Ha, you got trouble with your parents? You're running away from them since you're new here?" He questioned me, and I scoffed at him.
    "Yes, but it is not your business." I said with stubborn voice.
    He grinned, and said, "Yes, that is true. Are you hungry?" I sighed and looked up at the darkening sky.
    "I am very hungry, sadly." I said with disappointment.
    "Well then, I will take you to dinner." He said, and I looked at him. I wouldn't possibly go with him; I don't even know him yet. What happens if he does something inaporiate to me? Now what would I do, eh? He looked at me with his cold eyes and I shivered even more.
    "You're cold? You might get a cold." He spoke with his smooth but cold voice.
    "Yes. I am very cold. I think I probably will die out here of hunger and cold." I spoke and he laughed.
    "Well, come on, let's eat!" He said cheerfully and I sighed with a defeat. I totally needed to eat and find somewhere warm.
    "So where will we eat?" I asked him and looked at me.
    "The JB's. That’s one of the best restaurants here." I nodded in response and he started to walk off somewhere. Relucantly I followed him and sighed again.
    "It's around the corner." He spoke and I kept following him around the corner. Finally the restaurant appeared and I sighed in relief.
    "Here we are. In you go!" He said and he held the door for me. I went in. The air was nice, and cozy. The smell of food made my mouth water.
    A waitress came up and said, "Where do you want to sit at?"
    "At the left side of the room please." Ryan spoke differently than he spoke with me. We followed the waitress and set the menu on the table.