It was the height of sock hops and jukeboxes. The time when Rock 'n Roll was the soul of the nation and milkshakes ruled the soda shops. Everybody said it was "fabulous", but for Eleanor Harper the 1950's was the best and worst years of her life.
Af...
I woke up stiffly to the muffled sound of my alarm clock going off. With my eyes still closed, I felt around for the offensive thing, but I couldn't find it. There was a loud "thud", and I cracked my eyes open to see my lamp crumpled on the ground. I groaned before sitting up amidst my blanket nest, rubbing my tired eyes and stifling a yawn.
The annoying ringing persisted, and I looked around the empty room, but I didn't see my alarm clock anywhere. Come to think of it, I didn't recall unpacking it last night. Looking back at the unpacked boxes, I noticed one box that seemed to be trembling in its place.
I stared in disbelief before quickly untangled myself from the sheets and stumbled across the room. I ripped the tape off the shaking box and dug through the mess of packing paper inside. The telltale ringing came to full power when I finally pulled the clock from its packaging.
I stood there for a beat, looking at the quaking clock then back at the box, before turning the bell off. I didn't have to time to think about it, today was my first day at my new school.
I ran to one of the other boxes haphazardly labeled "clothes", and began looking for something to wear. I decided on a pink flower circle skirt with a white blouse just to keep things uneventful. Digging amidst a pile of clothes in another box, I found my leather backpack.
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I unpacked my Curl-A-Wave and plugged it in to the wall. Sitting crisscross on the floor, I curled my hair into big, full spirals and pulled it back with a pink headband. I put on some makeup and slipped on a pair of black flats. I checked my makeup in my pocket mirror before heading down stairs, snatching my backpack on the way.
"Hey, mom," I said plopping down on the last step.
The living room looked dreary with all the boxes crowding on top of one another.
"Good morning, Eleanor," She said as she fluffed her shoulder-length, wavy hair in the reflection of the window, "Get a good night's rest?"
I shrugged.
"Pretty good. The blanket-bed was actually pretty comfortable," I said, but an unexpected yawn interrupted.
"I see," She said eyeing me over her cat-eye glasses. "I guess it's a drag then. We'll have those soft, real beds by Friday afternoon."
I rolled my eyes playfully.
"Oh," She spun around and pulled a plastic bag of the top of a box, "I got some apples earlier this morning."
"Ooo, thanks mom," I said, immediately reaching for the bag and plucking a little red apple from it.
"I also got some money for breakfast if you'd rather have something else," She said reaching into her purse.
