Lemonade Popsicle

Chapter 1: The New Town

"I don't want to go and that's final!" I tell my mom and she tries to drag me out the door to the car. "We're only moving a few hours away, we can still visit home if you want." My mom tries to tell me. But I don't want to just visit, I want to stay, because then I won't get to see Samantha, my best friend who lives next door. My parents are forcing me to move about eight hours away from San Francisco to San Diego. I wanted to stay with my friends, I'm only seven , I shouldn't have to move and be taken away from my home. I don't understand how my mom thinks it's better to live away from the city. We didn't have to move eight hours away to live outside of the city, but whatever, I'm just a seven year old, they won't listen to me.
I watch the tall buildings and Golden Gate Bridge fading away as we drive off. I wish we could stay, but I suppose I am a little curious of how things will be in the new city. I just hope I can make new friends there.
I wake up from a long nap, at least it felt long, I had only been asleep for an hour, which means another long, long, long, 7 hours. This car ride felt like eternity. "Can we stop for a minute to stretch my legs?" I asked dad. "Sure honey but only for a few minutes, we have to get going." He stopped the car on the side of the road and I got out to walk around and get some feeling back into my legs. We were kind of in the middle of no where so there weren't many cars driving by. I walked across the street to see a little stream. I looked down at it, and as I saw my reflection, it reminded me of the bay by San Francisco. I stared for a moment, lost in thought. "Come on kiddo time to go!" I heard my dad call me. So I walked back over to the car and got in. Now I would have to wait another eternity till we get there.

"We're here Emma!" I hear my mom say, I must have dozed off again because I didn't even notice we were pulling up into the driveway of a big house. It wasn't attached to the other houses like in San Francisco. The whole neighborhood was like that. It was strange compared to what I always knew and grew up with. I crawled out of the car and walked up to the front door. I looked at the house next door and saw a woman and what appeared to be her son walking towards us. "Hello! Welcome to the neighborhood!" The woman said to my parents as she shook my mom's hand. I stood by my mom and looked at the boy. He had brown shaggy hair and appeared to be just a little bit taller than me. He looked over at me, still hiding behind his mother's leg. He looked shy, but I don't blame him, I'm pretty shy too. "Why don't you go over and say hello, Noah." Said the mother to her son who's name appeared to be named, Noah.He looked up at his mom then looked at me reluctantly. He slowly stepped out from behind his mother's leg and looked at me. He took a small step forward and looked down at the sidewalk. "Hi, I'm No- um, Noah." Hi Noah, I'm Emma, I think we could be great friends." I said hoping to help him out of his shell a little. He looked up and smiled. I smiled back at him.
"Oh would you look at the time, it's getting a bit late, we should be heading home." Said Noah's mother, and she waved us goodbye then walked to their house. I waved them goodbye as well. "Help me with the boxes would you?" My dad says to me. I walk to the car and grab a small box that was in the backseat next to me. I walk back to the house to bring it inside. I had only then realized, I hadn't even seen the inside of the house yet. My dad grabs a key out of his pocket and opens the front door. I walk into a short hallway into what appears to be the living room. It wasn't particularly large, but bigger than what we had in San Francisco. Behind the living room was a large kitchen. It had white cabinets and a silver refrigerator. Certainly different than what we had back home. At home, we had a white fridge and wooden cabinets. I never had a problem with what we had, but I suppose this was nice. I walk back to the living room and set the box down. "Why don't you go upstairs and check out the bedrooms, you can pick which one you want to be your room." I looked at him confused. Where we come from, we get two rooms. At least in our house. I had my room, and my parents had theirs. I walk up the stairs into a hallway. On the right was a large open space with nothing in it, but a window on the far side. I walk down the hallway. I look inside the room of the first door, there was a somewhat large room with a bathroom attached. As I walked inside the room, I saw another door next to the bathroom, inside was a large closet. A walk in closet. I thought that was a myth! I didn't know they actually existed. Even though I've only seen a few houses in my lifetime, and I had never seen a walk in closet. It is the coolest thing I have ever seen. I go down the hallway to the next door. Inside is a small room with hardwood floors, and a laundry machine. "Must be the laundry room", I think to myself. I go down to the next room, a smaller room than the first room I saw, but still with a walk in closet. It didn't have a bathroom attached this time. The next room was larger than the room I just saw, and the first bedroom. It must have been the master. I didn't pay to much attention to this room. I knew I wouldn't get it anyway. I ran downstairs to tell my parents which room I wanted. They had just finished bringing all the boxes inside. " Mom, I want the room at the front of the hall." I tell her. "Alright honey, you can have that one. Now why don't you grab some soap from the toiletries box and go take a shower, it's been a long day and it's nearly bedtime," She tells me. I don't argue with her, she was tired I could tell, and didn't want to make her mad. I grab the soap and shampoo and head up to the bathroom in my new bedroom.

I walk into my room and lay on the air mattress my dad set up for me. We hadn't set up my bed yet since it was already late. My mom walks in to tell me goodnight and put me to bed. I lay down and she pulls a long blue blanket over me. She sits on the edge of the mattress as she runs her hand through my hair. "What do you think of the place so far?" She asks me. "It's not so bad I suppose, not for now anyway." I reply. She gives me a smile and a kiss on the forehead as she turns off the light and walks toward the door. "Goodnight June-bug", she tells me as she closes the door. I respond with a goodnight and look up at the ceiling. I think about the new house, and our old home, and San Francisco. Then I think about Noah. He seems like a nice boy. "Maybe I'll see him again sometime", I think as I close my eyes and drift off the sleep.