• Chapter one: New road



    The heat rippled off the pavement. It looked like someone had dropped a stone into water. waves following each other like dominos. I watched people in the distance walk through the blistering heat waves, as if the weren't there. There were children fresh out of the sprinkler wrapped in towels, there toes were raisins and their lips had a slight bluish tint from the cold of the water, which looked out of place with their sun burnt cheeks and nose. I sat in the middle of the road, I knew it was far to hot out for anyone to even dream of getting into their cars. The ravine down the road was dry and brittle, it looked like the first few weeks of spring, everything was dark brown with barely anything blooming. But unlike spring everything made a crunching noise.
    I often sat on the road, it was smooth and new, and hot. Everyone has a different spot to think. The road is mine. I didn't know many of the neighbors yet. I had only been living in Edmonton a few weeks now. I wasn't near anyone my own age either. I could tell this summer was going to be full of television re-runs and old video games. Tetris was a favorite. I would have to wait for school to start to really meet anyone. I was starting grade ten. Not knowing anyone for your first year of high school wasn't a big deal. No one is really new in grade ten. If I had moved here for grade eleven, that would have been different. Very different.
    Times were tough, mom was working to feed a family of four on her own. Dad died when I was young. I wish I could say I miss him, but its hard to miss someone you never met. Though it would be nice to have some extra support sometimes, someone to be on my side. My mom and my sister Kayla are exactly alike. They bond well. The third member of our household in Alanna. Alanna is Kayla's best friend who just happens to live with us. As you can probably guess, if war breaks out in our house-which happens often in a house full of all girls- they tag team me. War doesn't happen as often as it used to in my house, we have all gotten older and live very separate lives. Thats why I am dreading this summer. "we all have to pull together and work as a family to settle down here". Sentenced to death by my own mother! Its like she was Caesar and I was just one of her gladiators. It will indeed be a fight to the death.