• tab I rested my head against the soft leather of the car seat, listening to my I-pod. Turning my head to the side was Ohio. Plain...boring..Ohio. I hated life right now. I needed to be with my friends, not move clear across the country! Ever since my Dad died three years ago, my mom couldn't afford the bills for our house, So we had to move here. To afford one. My mom keeps trying to reassure me that I'll make tons of new friends. I've lived in Nevada my whole life, and I only had made about twelve friends. Sure, that may seem like a lot to you, but not at my school.

    My older sister Blake sat in the back seat, sleeping like a baby. She had made me stay up front, because the back had more room. We were a family of three now. Not four. So that meant that we both had to share the backseat, or fight over who gets it. I had no chance with her, even though she was only one year older. She's seventeen. Blake is very competitive, especially with her peers. I guess that's where I got it from. Sixteen, and overly competitive. It was slightly a turn off, but It was always fun.

    I shifted my head to the right, watching the houses go by in blurs. Our mini-van slowed to a stop in a large neighborhood. A large, two story house rested on the lot beside us. My mom patted my leg.

    tab "Well, we're here, Kaydee!" Her smiled overwhelmed her face, and she unbuckled her seat belt. She opened the door, then stuck her head in the car. "Oh, Wake up your sister, or she'll miss picking out her room." My mom winked, then walked hastily up to the house, and opened the door with a silver key.

    I unbuckled my seat belt as well, and looked back at Blake mischievously. She doesn't have to be awake for this. I can just let her sleep, while I get the best room first. It wont hurt her. I grinned, then flew my i-pod in my sweatshirt pocket. Running up to the house, I stumbled over the wooden floor and up the stairs. I

    heard my mom bringing some boxes inside, her small feet shuffling against the wood. "Did you wake up your sister, Kade?!" I heard her yell. She sighed as I ignored me. I ran over the porch-like corridor, then into a solid hallway. There were four doors, two on each side.

    Opening each of the doors, I found two bathrooms and two bedrooms. How convenient, I thought. No more sharing anything! Not even a bathroom! I started skipping into the first bedroom. It was medium sized, with a large window and a small walk-in closet. It was nice, but not nice enough for getting to chose myself. I flew out of the room, and into the next. This one was huge! It had a two-level floor, and an enormous window seat looking down at the street and a small white house. It had a blue padded seat for it, and a small shelf beside it for my books. Across the room was another walk in closet, only bigger this time. This room was perfect for me, although it was completely white. I'm sure I could fix that though.

    A small smile spread over my small lips. Then I heard Blake come screaming inside. My eyes widened, and I slammed the door shut, locking it. Her feet flew up the stairs, and she started banging on my door. Vibrations went through my fingers as I held my hands against the door.

    tab "KAYDEE!" Her voice bellowed through the slip at the bottom of my door. "Why didn't you wake me UP!?!" I heard the anger in her voice. Imagining her facial expression, I laughed out loud. I heard her groan, then go into a bathroom. "UGH!" Blake must have thought that it was a bedroom. I fell to the ground now, in hysterics. She finally reached her new room, and it was quiet then.

    After thirty minutes, I knew the coast was clear. My sister wouldn't be mad still. I bet she thinks that she got the best room. Unlocking the door, I slipped carefully downstairs to see my mom in the kitchen. She was putting all the dishes away.
    tab "Mom?" I spoke quietly. She turned around, her wavy hair brushing her neck.
    tab "Yes?"
    tab "I was wondering if I could get the rest of my things out of the van?"
    tab "Yeah, You can. Why would you ask, anyway?" She grinned, then turned around continuing to put them away.

    To be honest, I don't really quite know why I asked. Maybe just to see if Blake was out there. I walked through the open door and to the van, pushing a wheel barrel type thing. I brought it down to the sidewalk, and began piling my boxes of things. Mainly clothes. After I had four on each other I pulled back on the handle, and struggled to push it along the sidewalk. The walkway was moving upwards, so it got heavier and heavier.

    After about ten minutes with trying to push the cart over the door step, I gave up. The cart fell on top of me, as I landed on my elbows. Struggling to get out from under the boxes, I screamed for my mom. She didn't hear me... and I heard her turning up her country music with the new kitchen radio. I turned my head to the side, and saw a tall boy come up from behind me.

    tab "Do you want some help?" He asked, eying me suspiciously.
    tab "Eh.. Yeah, thanks." I tried to sit up underneath the cart.
    The boy lifted it up with ease, and took my hand to help me up.
    tab "You sure got beat up over that thing," He said nodding towards my bleeding elbows.
    tab "Yeah, It was a bit heavy..." I said holding my arms against my stomach.
    He laughed slightly. I could tell he was shy. It was so cute, I smiled faintly.
    tab "Anyways, I'm Alex Anderson. You just moved here, I'm guessing?" He motioned towards the boxes and empty house now.
    tab "Yeah, We moved here from Nevada."
    tab "Whoa," He put his hands in his pockets. "So I guess you guys came from a long trip, eh?" He grinned at me.
    tab "Longer than you can imagine... Oh, I'm Kaydee Reese."
    tab "So I should call you...Kade? Or Kaydee?" I could hear the sarcasm in his deepening voice.
    tab "Kade." I smiled at him.



    Chapter 2.


    tab "Eh, Okay." He smiled faintly at me, and rolled back and forth on his heels. Finally, he ruffled his hair and turned around to the sound of his mother's voice. Alex turned back towards me once more, his face expressionless. "So, I guess I'll see you around, then? My mom wants me home now..." He pointed his thumb to his house. It was the little white house beneath my window. I swore my heart began to beat so loudly, I thought he could hear it. I coughed, attempting to cover the soundless noise.

    tab "Okay, I'll see you around." I smiled, and felt the warm blood slowly trickle down my small arm. Alex pretended to ignore it, but his concern was obvious behind his dark brown eyes. It was even more obvious because of his eyes flickering to my arm. I snickered silently. I knew something from right then, that something amazing would happen between us this summer. Alex turned quickly, his long hair flipping on his neck.

    I turned on my heels, forgetting the dolly. I brushed past my mother on the staircase.
    tab "Where's that Dolly, Kaydee?"
    tab "It's still outside!" My feet stumbled running up the steps. Once I reached my room, I saw all of my boxes sitting in the corner. My eyebrow raised, and I knew my mother had put it in here. I thanked her silently in my head, and began opening them. Clothes, Decorations, and bedding. Of course there were some boxes filled with unwanted things, but my mom made me keep them.
    "Oh, well...Kaydee, you may need them sometime! Just keep them! You never know when they'll become of need again." Her voice entered my head. I rolled my eyes, and began putting everything away. And by putting the unneeded things away, I mean by putting them in my closet.

    After all of my belongings were put away in their new places, I ate supper with the family. Meatloaf. Dinner was particularly silent, except for the occasional scraping noises of forks against the plates. My mom wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin and stared at my full plate.
    tab "Kade, why aren't you eating your food? You love meatloaf..." I lowered my eyes to my plate and stared blankly at the meat in loaf form. Today I actually had no appetite. No urge to stuff my face.
    tab "I'm not really hungry, today I guess."
    My mom remarked with a questioning look then continued to eat her dinner. "Can I leave?"
    tab "I guess, just clean up your mess." She took a sip of her water. Scooting out my chair from beneath me, I lifted my plate from the table. Blake stared at me intently, as if I were about to jump out of a three-story window and kidnap the president. I glared at her, then resumed putting my things in the sink. I still felt my sister's stare on me, as if putting a hole through the back of my head. Running up the stairs, I stumbled a few times.

    My music was playing silently in my head as I lay against the window-seat in my room. "Am I loud and clear, or am I breaking up? Am I still your charm, or am I just bad luck? Are we getting closer or are we just getting more~ lost?" Rise Against. They always have been one of my favorite bands. I always used to listen to this song after my father died in a car wreck. I'd fall asleep to this song every night, and usually wake to my soaked pillow.

    The song was beginning to bring back horrible memories, so I turned it off and threw it on my bed across the room. I was surprised when It landed, I wasn't known for my accurate aiming. My head now rested on the window pane, my eyes scanning the deserted streets. I wondered if Ohio was always like this. Calm evenings, silent mornings, and deserted nights. I wasn't entirely happy or joyful of this fact, but I managed to forget it.

    The street lights began to turn on one by one, flickering continuously. I heard Blake walk up the staircase and enter her room. Seconds later, I began to hear weeping. Was it Blake? I never knew her to cry for no reason. It might have been because of losing her boyfriend over the move. They were together for two years, since Valentine's day. I could assume that it was a bit sad, but I got over leaving some of my closest friends.

    I wondered if I should go in and try to comfort her, but she'd probably just kick me out as usual. She never did like to be comforted, especially by me. "GET OUT!" She'd say. "No one wants your sympathy!" Sometimes I think she PMS's 24/7. At least to me, though. I always did nice things for her. Bought her birthday presents, did her favors, anything she asked that was within reason. But all I got in return was a glare, and possibly a shove with it. So I stopped helping her, and she become more angry with the world. My mom considered putting her into therapy, and counseling. She never went.

    Of course when these things would happen, I would be standing around the corner laughing silently at her. She never talked with emotion to my mom, even if she really needed to let things out. But these things started to happen after we began to pack for our moving trip. Which was about four months ago. I think it was because of her boyfriend, Reese.

    I could feel my vision blur slightly, and I slumped over to my bed. I dug my face into my soft pillow, and began to weep as well. It seemed that life would go nowhere from worse to here. Leaving my friends, my dad's death, leaving my life-long crush, anything. Anything and everything gone horrible. My shoulders quivered uncontrollably.

    A knock at my door came, and I quickly wiped away the tears.
    tab "Who is it?" I asked holding back my tears.
    :Tab:"It's mom, I thought I heard you crying, are you alright?"Her voice sounded muffled behind the door.
    tab "I'm not crying, I'm just about to go to bed, actually."
    tab "Oh, alright. Goodnight, sweetie." She went into my sister's room to find her asleep, and finally went downstairs.

    I pushed the pillow from under my head to the side, and got up. I changed into some pajama pants and a tank top. After I slid my door open and walked into the closest bathroom by my bedroom. My mom had already put the basic needs in. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and put my hair up. Looking myself in the mirror, my green eyes glistened brightly. They appeared like glass. I smiled faintly, then left to sleep in my new room.


    Chapter 3.


    tab The next morning I woke to "Six Months" by Hey Monday. Of course, another one of my
    favorite songs. My hair tie was on the verge of coming out. I always moved around a lot when I slept. Pulling out my hair tie, I turned off my I pod, then went downstairs. My mother and sister were in the kitchen eating waffles. Homemade, as usual. I sat down at the square table, and began eating.

    tab "Glad to see you've gained your appetite back." My mom said behind the newspaper.
    I replied to her by drinking the whole glass of milk. "You know that's all you're going to get. All you do is fill up on milk and say you're full."

    tab "Yeah mom, I know." I was too lazy to fill my glass up with water, so I finished my waffles solo. I hunched back in the chair, turning my head to the window. Birds were pecking at the bird feeder my mom had set out. The sun was rising in the sky, dew still visible on the grass.

    tab "Thinking about something?" Her face now out of the paper.
    tab "Nah, just wondering if I'll make friends like it did back in Ohio..." My voice trailed off into a whisper.
    tab She took a drink of her coffee, "Just be patient, I'm sure you'll make lovely friends here. It'll be like you never moved." My mom smiled falsely at me. I narrowed my eyes at her, staring like she just said that we would move to Alaska.

    She immediately knew she had hit a nerve. A very, very, big one. She wiped her mouth clean, then stood up. "Get dressed, I want you to go outside for a while. Get some fresh, Ohio air." She placed her cup in the dish washer. "Who knows, maybe you'll meet someone new." Leaving the room, her clogs bounced across the floor.
    I turned my gaze to my sister,

    tab "Does she honestly think we'll like it here?"
    tab "Who the hell knows." She began to twirl her fingers, then returned my stare. "I just know she ruined my life." Her voice was soft.
    Blake left the kitchen as well, isolating me at the table. I bit my lower lip, then looked outside the window once more.

    There he was. Alex Anderson, walking his dog. At least it seemed like it was his. A black Labrador, with a fluffy tail. It reminded me of our old dog, Kasey. We had a dog back in Nevada, when I was little. About six years young or seven. We ended up having to put her down because she was so old.

    I finally left as well, leaving the dishes on the table. I figured I'll clean it up later, or someone else will. Practically sliding into my room, I pulled on a pair of black jeans, yellow shirt, and my black and white converse all-stars. After, I brushed my teeth and did my usual routine in the bathroom as well.

    tab "And where are you in a hurry to be going?" My mom asked as I stumbled over the front door. I swear my pulse stopped. Did she always have to sneak up on me like that? It was beginning to get extremely annoying. I brushed my brown hair from my face and turned to her.

    tab "I was planning to explore around, you know? Maybe find somewhere to call my own around here..." I finished it off with a cheesy smile.
    I slipped out of the front door before she could say anything else. She'd probably give me a curfew. She's so ridiculous, who would actually do that?
    It was about noon now, the moon barely visible behind the cotton-like clouds. The air smelled like blooming flowers and greenery. Looking around, I found no sight of him. Not in his yard, not by the elementary park I found, and not in the street. I sighed slightly, narrowing my eyes from annoyance.

    While I was walking around in the town park, I found a pathway into the woods. Not knowing what to expect, and my obvious curiosity, I followed it. I didn't quite know where I would end up, or how far away I would be from home. My I-pod said 2:38pm, meaning I had plenty of time. I slowly pulled back the thorn branches, stepping over a large log. I guess there were a lot of storms here in Ohio. Or...there were just a lot of wood-hungry hobo's. The thought made me snicker slightly. My yellow shirt got caught on a few bushes, and I was covered with burrs within minutes. It seemed like I just got threw in a mud bath.
    After another ten minutes or so, I came to a large lake. Freshwater. It smelled so nice here, perfect for reading maybe. Yellow and purple wildflowers were everywhere, almost like I blended in with them. I smiled.

    Turning around, I saw a large black dog dead ahead of me. It's claws were digging deep into the ground, it's eyes locked tight on me. The dog showed his teeth clearly, and lunged after me. My heart began to beat as fast as it ever has, and I started to run. I ran as fast as I possibly could, and my breath became ragged. "Help!!!" I screamed on the top of my lungs. I would've sworn I felt them explode inside of my chest. Twisting around a tree, the bottom of my jeans got stuck on a piece of bark, causing me to fall. I pulled helplessly at it, but it wouldn't budge.

    tab "MAX!!" I heard someone yell. along with the constant sound of twigs breaking.

    The dog was about 9 feet in front of me now, panting. It edged closer to me, trying to taunt me. It's head raised up now, it's ears laying playfully on his head. It tilted his head in confusion, the jumped on top of my chest. My lungs clearly exploded then.
    tab "Gahh!" Was all I managed to say. This dog weighed a ton. It started to lick my face, and rubbed it's cold nose over mine. I started to laugh a bit, but then someone lifted it off of me.