I wish that we hadn't moved to this new house. It isn't a bad house; it's just far away from my friends. For example, I could be over at Simon's apartment already, playing Super Smash Bros on the Nintendo 64. Just like last summer. Instead I'm laying here in my bed pretending to be asleep because I don't want to go to Mrs. Black's house.
Knock knock knocking on my door, it swings open just enough for a head to come through. I see short brown hair sneaking through the gap and close my eyes before it discovers I'm awake.
"Hey N, you up?" It's dad.
"We have scrambled eggs with cheese out here," he continues,
"but I guess if you're still asleep I'm going to eat it all." I crack open an eye and see his signature grin disappear out the open door. The sound of footsteps lead to the kitchen. I hadn't smelled the eggs yet, but when dad opened my door the smell tiptoed in after him in and made its way into my nose. The fried smell of the eggs was covered by the mouth-watering aroma of melted American cheddar. I love cheesy eggs.
I scoot out from under my blue covers and pile them up on my bed. I thought I felt something furry rub past my leg. Tombo..? I looked down, but it was nothing. Nothing today, anyway. Sunlight peeked through the shades on my single bedroom window and I rubbed my eyes, getting rid of the sleep gathered in the corners. I blinked at my door as I stood next to my bed. Cheesy eggs are waiting for me.. I guess I can probably eat and then slip back to my room and into bed. Maybe dad and mom will let me stay here instead of going over to Mrs. Black's house today. As if.
"Norman! Your dad's eating all the eggs!" Mom's shouting while dad makes exaggerated eating noises that I can hear all the way from my room. I giggled and walked out into the hallway. I ran down the short hall and into the kitchen where dad is sitting and mom is pretending to wrestle a plate away from him.
"Nooo!" I yelled, hopping up into a chair next to dad at the table. Dad laughed and gave me a sideways glance, holding the plate away from me. Mom laughed at us and shaking her head, she says,
"Let him have them, Jay, you've got to get going."
"You're no fun." dad pouted. I giggled some more. Dad is so silly. I guess he has to be, he's a teacher. It might be summer vacation for me, but dad tells me some kids don't do so well in school during the year and have to take some classes over the summer. As long as I do my homework and do well on my tests I won't have to do that. I can't imagine being stuck in class while everyone else is on vacation, but this summer..
I might as well be. This new house, it's all the way across town from where we used to live. Where all my friends live. I used to be able to get up and eat, and then knock on my neighbor's door where Simon lived. My parents would go to work and I would spend all day with my friends until dad got home in the evening. And even then I wouldn't go home unless he wanted me to. Now I have to go to that wacky old woman's house.
"Can't Mrs. Black come over here to watch me?" I asked, looking back and forth, from mom to dad and back again. Dad looked at mom, giving me some sort of hope that he would be on my side.
"No, sweetie, it wouldn't be right." Mom said, looking me in the eyes. I looked away, out the front window into the Monday sunshine.
"But why? Her house smells funny." Ignoring my comment, mom continued,
"Well, it's just not nice. We wouldn't want to make her walk over here would we?"
"It's not that far..." I said. Mom sighed and Dad kissed her on the cheek, saying,
"Come on, N, it's just the right thing to do." Dad walked to the front door and grabbed his car keys off the wall where they hung.
"Sometimes things don't always go the way you want them to, it's just a part of life." He added, giving me one last soft smile before he left for work.
