It's All About Us

Chapter 4: "Meet Anna."

Anna

The first thing I noticed when I got out of the car was the swing set to the left of the big house. It was made of fine-quality wood and also had a rope ladder on one side. A slanted wall climbing structure, which later took the form of a tent below it, stood on the other side of the two swings.

All in all, it looked like something any kid would like to play on.

The front lawn was beautifully kept, most likely as a result of a hired gardener. The grass was sharply mowed, and the bushes were in perfect shape.

As for the big house, I couldn't help but be amazed by it.

After landing here at the Norfolk International Airport in Virginia, it took us another hour to finally reach the house that was in the small town of Smithfield.

During all the traveling, my oldest brother hadn't asked any more questions. Maybe he was being considerate, or worse, he just wasn't much interested in me anymore.

Travis had driven us through various small towns, the sun setting behind us, then took a side and quiet path after we crossed through all of Smithfield. For a moment, I really thought he was taking me into some deep woods to murder me, but then we reached a gate. Travis then typed something into the keypad, probably a pin number, to open up the gate.

The house was big, three storeys tall. It had eggshell-colored walls with dark gray roofs. There is also a pattern of dark gray bricks going around the garages and the front door. Most of the rooms inside were lightened, and it looks like a cozy place to live.

"C'mon, let's go in." Travis said, snapping me out of my daze. I noticed that he had already taken out my backpack, so I just took a deep breath and followed him.

Before we could press the doorbell, the double oak front doors opened up, and an excited voice greeted us.

"I knew it would be you." The man said, smiling happily as he looked down at me. "C'mon in, you guys! I need to take a good look at her."

I gulped in nervousness and took my first step into what I'll call, from now on, my home.

The interior was modern, and I could already feel the homey vibe inside. The hallway lights were all on as we stepped in, and the man who had opened up the door had a big, welcoming smile on his face as he looked me over. The dimples in his cheeks were very visible.

I noticed that Travis and him shared the same hair genes. Both had dark brown hair, a darker shade than mine. But this brother of mine had hazel eyes that were covered by his glasses.

His excitement was pretty clear, with him nearly bouncing in his place, and it felt kind of nice to see that what Travis had said earlier about them being excited wasn't a lie.

"You're so pretty." He said that, then shook his head. "Sorry, I didn't introduce myself. Hi, Anna. My name is Justin. I'm one of your older brothers. Second oldest, to be exact."

I looked at him and nodded.

"Aww, she's shy." He said, tilting his head, then suddenly shouts. "BOYS! COME TO THE FRONT DOOR NOW!"

"We're right here in the living room, J." A boy, slightly older than me, said as he entered the hallway while scratching his ear. When he suddenly saw me, an exciting smile came on his face.

"Wait..." A second boy followed him out. This one, which looked older than the last one, smiled at me briefly. "Is that...? Is that her?"

"Yes," Justin replied, looking at them first, then at me with a fond expression. "Meet Anna."