I took one last good look around my old room. Just for these last few moments it was still mine, even if it was devoid of completely everything that made it mine in the first place. There was no comfy bed with the duvet thrown halfway off. There was no massive desk cluttered up with make up, pens, food, and general rubbish. The walls were empty, the pictures and posters had been taken down and packed away. The shelves looked naked without books piled upon them.

I sighed, it wasn't my room anymore. It wasn't my sanctuary any longer. The windows didn't squeak when I let myself in at night after sneaking out. The lock on the door worked and kept the world out when I wanted to get away from the screams of my family. I knew I was being stupid, it was just a room, a blank canvas which you created and turned into your own space. However, seeing it empty now really hit home the fact I was leaving.

Sure, I'd cried when I said my last goodbyes to friends. I'd frowned when they took my things away in boxes. But now was different. I guess I'd always hoped somehow that it would stop; someone would say it was all a joke. My dad wasn't really getting relocated to the end of the world, and he wasn't dragging us all with him.

Not being able to bear the silence and emptiness of the room any longer, I turned away from it, my chest feeling heavy and my throat feeling thick.

"Okay sweetie, you're all ready to go?" my mum asked as I came down the stairs. She was a short woman, just under 5ft. Compared to my family I was a giant; a 'staggering' 5"3. I looked over her head and saw my older sister was waiting in the car for me. I gave my mum a weak smile and walked past her out to the old banger that got us around. My dad had a bit of an obsession for old cars, he attempted to fix them up and sell them, but he never seemed to make a profit. It was like an out of control hobby, at one point we had nine, yes that's right NINE, old rusting Saabs shoved in places near or outside our house in Torquay.

I sighed again thinking about it. To be honest, I'd never really even liked Torquay. It had a reputation with stag groups for 'clubs, drugs and girls' and you could see the signs of a failing English Seaside Town everywhere. The place was being taken over by chavs, and the buildings were crumpling down.

I guess I would just miss England in general. There wasn't a lot to do down in the South West, but my friends and I got by; shopping in the town in Exeter, summer beach days, rainy beach days. I'd always lived by the sea. My mum told me this place we were going to would be exactly the same; she delighted in telling me that when she and my dad visited the locals hung out on the beach all the time.

Unfortunately for me though, she had explained that the weather was the same as here as well. It was typical! When my friends had found out I was moving to America they were thrilled!

"California, with the sun and OC?" No.

"Hollywood, with the stars?" No.

"The Big Apple?" No.

"Texas? Will you go to a rodeo?" Nope.

"So where exactly are you moving to?" They asked when their knowledge of the USA had been exhausted.

"It's a tiny place in the middle of nowhere basically called La Push. No sun. No stars. No shops. The only thing it has got is a beach and a massive wood apparently."

I always got the same response, "Oh… that will be… umm… nice?"

And then we would laugh, and I would push it to the back of my mind, and concentrate on enjoying the little time I still had left with my friends. Then before I knew it, it was late August and here I was squished next to my sister as we took the long drive to the airport.

***

I must have fallen asleep, because when I woke up we had stopped. They weren't kidding about the rain, I thought to myself. We were parked outside a large white house, not that you could see much through the steamed up windows. I looked over at my sister, Tessa, who grinned at me.

"Best room dips!" She yelled as she unbuckled and slammed the door. You wouldn't believe she was eighteen this year. Despite my being drowsy from the flight and jet lag, I copied her and ran up to the house. We slowed when we had finished running up the winding path to the front door. The house was what I expected, a big wooden door framed with a white porch. The entrance went straight into a comfortably sized lounge with a larger kitchen off to the side. My dad, who had come over before us, had been busy. Our settees and dinning table were already in place.

Tessa took this all in at the same time as me, and I followed her keen sense of direction until we found the stairs. The first flight had the 'main' bedroom (reserved for the parents, off limits to us). There was a bathroom and another room that I guessed would be the 'study'. The next floor had two rooms opposite each other; the only difference was the views. I let Tessa take the one with the sea view; she was artier than me and claimed she needed the 'inspiration'.

My new room overlooked the side of the house, and the woods that seemed to surround this tiny place. There seemed to be an endless amount of greenery here, it must be all the rain. I brightened up at seeing the window seat, I'd always wanted to have one where I would just sit and read, just relax.

The window took up a fair amount of the wall, and I was glad that I'd have natural light flowing in. Turning around I saw my boxes had already been put up here, along with my bed. I grinned, my dad obviously knew me far too well.

I grabbed the nearest box labelled "ALY" and pulled it open to look inside. I let out a groan, I hated unpacking, and this was going to take so long.

***

The rain had stopped when the doorbell rang and my mum's soft voice, echoed by Tessa's harsh one, called to me "Aly, can you get that please?"

I'd given up on unpacking and was in the lounge trying to understand how American TV worked. I didn't have a clue what some people were saying because of their accents, and I longed for a bit of E4 Skins or the Inbetweeners. Hauling myself out of the sofa I opened the door cautiously.

A woman in her late thirties, though it was hard to tell, was standing their smiling at me. "Hello I'm Jenny Connweller, and this is my daughter Kim," I peered round and saw a girl around my age flash me a wide smile and an enthusiastic wave, "and we know you just moved in and everything, but we thought we'd bring you and your family over some food as a welcome!"

I was a bit taken back; I thought this kind of thing only happened in films? I'd never even spoken to my neighbors back in Torquay.

"Wow, that's so nice of you! Come in," I wasn't sure if I could invite strangers in but I couldn't just leave them standing there when they had food! "I'm Alisha Lawden, though everyone calls me Aly."

By the time I'd finished with the introductions my mum had come downstairs and had began her life story. Mrs Connweller seemed to find it thrilling and they got along like a house on fire. I had no worries about my mum being lonely then…

I showed Kim around the house and then we went up to my room. She was a genuinely nice girl, I only knew a few people like her, and they were far away now. She had medium length black hair that was tied up in a pony tail revealing her face. Her skin was a light russet colour with a shimmer to it that obviously didn't come from tanning.

After a couple of awkward conversation starters I finally asked, "So Kim, where do you go to school around here?"

"Well there's the main Forks High out of the reservation, but there's one here too that I go to. We start back in a week."

I nodded, "I think that's the one I'm going to as well." Kim smiled at me and just nodded.

"Great. So, if you don't mind me asking, why did you move here? Why La Push? ~I mean I've always wanted a British friend so I'm not complaining!"

I laughed, I'd been told I would have to put up with a lot of OMG I loorve your accent! Say Cheerio! Say Bloody Hell! Say pip pip old chap!

"Umm, well my dad works for this geographical company, and the big bosses needed someone to volunteer for a project they're starting out here. My grandma was Quileute and my dad lived here until he was about thirteen. So of course he wanted to show me and Tessa the joys of La Push if he could." I could barely keep the sarcasm out of my voice as I finished.

Kim didn't seem to notice my scorn for her hometown though, and just nodded saying, "Wow that's such a coincidence isn't it?"

"Mhmm I guess it is…" I'd never really seen it that way, so I changed the subject, "I'm so pale though I stick out here like a sore thumb! Tessa's so much more tanned than me."

Soon after that we talked more and more, about my life in England and hers over here. I could tell she was shy, but she was never horrible. She wanted to make me feel welcomed, and I appreciated that. When it was pitch black dark outside, Mrs. Connweller came up looking for us, telling Kim she was heading back home now.

As Kim was leaving she unexpectantly turned and hugged me, "I'm going to take you out tomorrow Aly, show you around you know? There's only a week of summer left and you can't spend it unpacking!" We laughed together and I smiled.

"Thanks Kim that would be great."

After I waved her out the door, I turned to my mum who grinned at me, "Nice family aren't they?" I nodded and told her about my plans for tomorrow.

"Lovely girl that one. See I told you it wouldn't be all bad. You and your sister will be settled in no time!"

And as I went to bed that night I couldn't help but agree with her. The comforting noise of the rain outside calmed me, and I forgot I was halfway across the world. I had a feeling La Push would be… interesting.