Introduction

Another new beginning.

I pulled the earbud out of my ear as we pulled into our driveway at last. There was no need to ask my parents for confirmation � ours was the only house on the street with the empty windows, the dead grass in place of a lawn. These things would have made it clear enough even if there hadn�t still been the For Sale sign with the giant SOLD sticker slapped across it advertising to the entire neighborhood that this house was going to be occupied once more.

�Well, here we are,� Dad said as he turned off the engine. I glared sullenly back at his face in the rearview mirror. He chose to ignore this; I�d already made my displeasure at moving again more than clear, and he didn�t want to get into it for the umpteenth time.

Dully, I grabbed my backpack and slid out of the back seat of the car, I wished my sister would shut up � she�d been enthusiastic about the move when Dad had promised her her own bedroom, and a large backyard, too.

Dad unlocked the front door and we all filed in. The foyer was bright from the sunshine coming in through the skylight; looking upward, I could see the cloudless blue sky, a phenomenon that was rare in Washington, Mom had told us much too cheerfully in the car.

Our conversation echoed off of the walls, a testament to the emptiness of the large house. Mom walked around excitedly, chattering about how homey it was going to look when all of our stuff got here and we�d had a chance to unpack. �Liar,� I wanted to tell her. �This isn�t home.� Home was � well, I didn�t know, exactly.

I wandered up the stairs, trying to escape before Mom wet herself in excitement. I had, of course, forgotten about Dad, who had disappeared almost as soon as we�d walked in the door.

�In here, Mel,� he called from one of the empty bedrooms. I entered, as he�d clearly meant me to. He stood over by the window, arms crossed over his chest as he looked out. �I�d thought we�d let you have this room, give the other one to your sister. What do you think?�

I looked around at the room, the blank white walls glaring at me. It was nice, big, with a window looking out at the manicured lawns of our street.

I hated it.

Without saying anything else, Dad left the room, clapping me on the shoulder on the way out. With a sigh, I let my backpack drop to the floor with a resounding thud.

Time to start over again.

Author's Note

Autobiographical.