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Chapter 1 - moving

"Moving?" I almost scream.

"Yes honey, we're moving, to a small town in Arizona. I'm sorry it's last minute but you know I need to take this job offer and if that means picking up and moving, then we have to" my dad tells me as he packs his office. My dad is a surgeon and his job means the world to him, so of course my mom agreed to this big move. Arizona is at least 1,000 miles from our current home, and a completely different climate.

"all I wear is winter clothes. How am I supposed to live where it's boiling hot all year round? And what about my friends?"

"We will get you new clothes and you can make news friends, rhea. Everything will be fine, I promise" he began taking the photo frames from my school pictures off the wall and placing them in a box.

"When are we leaving? What should I pack?" I lean my weight onto one leg and cross my arms.

"We're leaving tomorrow night, we're flying but I hired movers to drive our stuff down. You better start packing and saying goodbye to your friends" my mom spoke up, she was standing in the doorway. I groaned but listened and started towards my room. All the pictures were gone from the stairway, I assumed my mom had done it while I was talking to my dad.

My mom placed boxes outside my bedroom, a stack of 5 leaned against the wall. I glanced around my room, looking at all my photos of friends, parties. What is it going to be like in Arizona? I've moved a lot, I've been in this current house for over 2 years, but before this we moved every year or so. It's because of my dads job, he goes wherever needs a surgeon basically. Usually we stay up north, Washington, Montana, even New York for a year. This is the first time in the south.

-

"Let's go, rhea!" My mom called downstairs. I grabbed my airplane bag and ran down the stairs, skipping the bottom step and almost falling on my face. When I collected myself I noticed my mother shaking her head.

"Sorry" I apologized before putting on my black combat boots. My mom is the typical Mexican mom, high expectations and all. My dads the typical white business dad, so basically my parents are all work and no play.

"Listen, your dad has a sister in town who has a son your age. He told her to tell him to watch out for you, make sure your not alone. Understand, Mija?" She grabbed her purse with one hand and her keys with the other.

"Got it". Then, we headed to the airport.

-

The plane ride was only a few hours, I slept through most of it. When we got off and grabbed our bags, a short, brown haired woman was standing with a sign the said 'Welcome Silva Family' written in blue ink. She wore a tight blue dress. When her eyes landed on us she immediately dropped her sign and ran at us with open arms.

"That's my aunt?" I whispered to my mom.

"Yup" my mom said, rolling her own eyes. My aunt engulfed my dad in a hug without even letting him set his bags down. He made an 'oof' sound from the impact.

"Hello Laura, nice to see you again. It's been a while" he greets her.

Once she separates is when she responds. "Yeah cause you basically fell off the face of the earth when you moved. You didnt even come back for dads funeral".

I remembered when my grandpa passed away. I never got to meet him, or anyone from my dads home town for that matter. Dad said he couldn't get time off work to come down here but mom told me it was because he didn't like his father. I was 9.

"You must be Andrhea, it's so nice to finally meet you" she greeted me. I put my hand out but she pulled me into a hug instead. I was a bit shocked.