Chapter 1

The new beginning: New life, New town, and New family.

New school, new town, new friends… And… New soon to be step-father. Yeah, you read right, step-father. It's like the 7th guy my mom marries since I was born, and every single one of them was…Well, complete jerks.

I was looking out the window and all I saw was houses down the street. A cozy neighborhood, like in the movies, all perfect outside. But I soon started to wonder, if it was like in the movies too. Perfect house, perfect front yard, perfect flowers and perfect bushes, with the greenest grass ever seen, and inside, it was a torn family, with secrets, where no one was honest with anyone. Well, at least they could call it a family. All I had was my mom, and the majority of time she was busy trying to find a new guy to her incomplete life. I let out a sigh, letting my mom know I was thinking of something.

"Is everything alright Vic?" she said as she looked in the review mirror. You must be wondering, if I and my mom were the only ones in the car, why not sit at the passenger's seat? Well, in the back I could stretch myself, and wonder in my thoughts without having to concern about my mom staring at me every time we stopped the car.

I looked at her, and nodded giving her a small smile, trying to reassure her "Yeah.". Then I got back to my thoughts, as I looked at my cell-phone. Soon I started to feel the car slowing down, and I looked out the window. All I see was a house, not much different from the others, with a small windmill in the front yard, with a white knee length fence, around small flowers and bushes. I saw a tall, brunette and quite attractive man, standing at the door, smiling as he saw my mother. I presumed it was the guy, she wouldn't shut up about. I folded my arms, and analyzed the situation. My mom, hugging and pecking the lips of the 7th guy she was dating. But this one seemed different somehow. He seemed like…A guy I could bare. But nothing is what it seems, and I, out of everyone, knew that.

The guy looked at me, smiling, as I walked towards the happy couple. "You must be Victoria. I'm Richard, but call me Rick", and he flashes a smile.

I smiled back at him, nodding. Rick, dick… I bit my lip, trying not to laugh at the thought I just had.

"Let's come in. We'll get your stuff unpacked after Caroline comes home" Rick said, as he surrounded my mom's waist with his firm arms, and walked inside. Caroline? Who the hell was Caroline? I just followed them, and looked around as I entered the house. Fancy stuff… Figures. "Your room is upstairs Victoria, first to the right". I nodded, and walked upstairs, admiring the frames that were hanging in the pastel wall. I soon opened the door that was my room. There was a bed, a wardrobe, a desk by the window, a window seat and my own bathroom. I looked around, placing my hands on my back pocket, wondering what to do with such a dead room. I sat on the bed, jumping up and down softly, as if I was testing it, to see how comfortable it was.

Dear Diary,

Today was the day I met my mom's new boyfriend for the first time, Rick. He didn't seem as bad as the others, but… I can't trust him, not right now, not yet. He talked about a Caroline girl… Who is she? His maid? His ex-girlfriend who is now great friends but still loves him and wants to get him away from my mom? Well, it's either his sister or his daughter. And if it is his daughter, god helps me.

I'm going to go now. The bell rang, and I think it might be that Caroline girl. I might get back to you later, before I go to bed.

Love you, Victoria.

I placed the small velvet notebook under the mattress of the bed, and walked downstairs, to find my mom talking to a girl. She was tall, blonde and her beauty was beyond possible. Her teeth were perfectly aligned with each other, looking like pearls coming from the deepest sea, and rare. Her blonde hair looked like a piece of the sun, shinning and lighting up the room. She was smiling and nodding at what my mother was saying, like a pageant. I bet she's one of the popular girls at school. My mom motioned me to walk over them, and I did forcing a small smile.

"Victoria, this is Caroline" my mom said smiling. She placed one of her hands on my back. "It's Rick's daughter". I smiled at Caroline, and she smiled back as forced as my smile was.

"Hey" she said simply, and I answered with a low 'hey' too. This is going to be perfect.

"Now, why don't you go unpack?" Rick said turning to me. I nodded smiling. "Caroline could help you" he said, and I looked at Caroline to see her reaction. She slightly rolled her eyes and folded her skinny, yet toned arms.

"It's ok, I'll unpack them myself." And I smiled politely at Rick. I looked at them all and I nodded, as if asking their permission to leave, and I did. I walked upstairs and I could hear Rick's stiff voice "Why didn't you offer Carol?" and a light groan. Soon as I walked into the room, I began unpacking my stuff. While I was placing all my clothes on the big wardrobe, I heard footsteps on the hall; it was high heels clicking on the wood floor. It was probably Caroline, so I ignored it and continued unpacking.

After an hour I finished unpacking. I was sitting on the window seat, already with soft pillows, as I leaned my back on the wall. I looked out the window. It was a small neighborhood; everyone seemed to know one another. People walked by, holding their bikes and waving at people as they walked by. There was an old man, cutting the small leaves that cut the perfect line of the bushes, and I assumed it was a gardener. On the next door, there was a girl, blonde as Caroline, taking sun baths. And she didn't seem to care about the boys who passed by, checking her out. Then I saw Caroline, on a bikini, walking to the girl and waving as she sat down next to her on a reclining chair, enjoying the sun.

I heard a knock on the door, and I quickly turned my head, to see my mom. "Can I come in?" she said smiling. I nodded, and looked outside the window again, looking at the two blonde girls.

"Why don't you go talk to them?" she said as she sat down next to me. I looked at her.

"I don't know them, and I honestly don't have any patience right now" I said looking at her. She placed her hand on my knee.

"I know it's difficult Vic, but try…For me" she said looking at me.

"No, you don't!" I looked at hear. That was the last straw. "You just care about finding a man, because obviously you don't know how to be alone!" I shook my head in disapprovement looking at her. "And I've done so much for you… You just don't see it! I've put up with all those jerks, just to see you happy! And in the end… It was a waste of time!" I let out a sigh. "Let me be alone" I said as I looked away from her. I just saw her walking out of the room, and could feel her looking at me. But I didn't look at her, I couldn't.

Dinner was normal. Well, kind of. All dinner I could feel the apologizing look of my mom on me, hoping I'd look up and give her some sign I forgave her. When she wasn't staring she was talking to Rick and Samantha… They sure looked like a normal family, and I was the guest no one knew about. Samantha looked at me all dinner, as if killing me with her eyes, not kill kill, but a look somehow threatening. As if I just stepped on her territory.

I was sat down on the window seat again. I just loved that spot. During the day I'd have the perfect light, to do anything and still be warm and cozy if the sun hit me. During the night, I had the perfect view of the white moon, with its mysterious dark side, just like everyone. I could hear the sound from the TV downstairs, filling the deafening silence that threatened my room. I was holding my diary on my legs. I looked at the digital clock on my night stand and it marked 11.03 pm. I could hear Caroline talking on the phone, next room, giggling and chuckling. She was probably talking about a guy. I heard footsteps and Caroline's voice filling the empty hall.

"A summer without Drew. Can't wait to see him again" and then someone spoke on the other side. I heard her sigh, so I stood up and took a peak at her. She had a hand on her small waist. "Of course I never spoke to him, but I like him. He's so perfect." I chuckled. It was stupid liking someone who never said a word to you, or you to her, or him. Then I saw Caroline turning her attention to me, and my eyes slightly widened, as I turned around, closing my door. "It was just my new sister" I heard her saying, loud enough for me to hear it. "She's weird, god" then she groaned.

I sat down back on the window seat and started writing on the velvet book I held in my legs.

Dear Diary,

It's me again.

Do you know that feeling when all you want is to be alone, and seems like no one understands you? Yeah, that's me right now.

But I feel like my life is going to change somehow. Perhaps I'll make friends. Stupid assumption I know. Since my mom married for the third time, I've never had real friends. And if I did, I'd end up moving, and losing them. I see my life, my social life at least, as a circle. I meet people, get to know them, bond with them, like them and never wanting to separate from them, and then I move to a whole new place where it happens again. Victoria's Social Circle.

On the topic of dating, I don't see myself dating, not in the next few years or so… It's hard trusting people, or even wanting to trust them and like them, when I know I'd end up moving and hurt myself. It's stupid I know, but is the truth. Cruel truth.

It's 11.34 pm, I should go. I think my mom and Rick are already sleeping, as well as Caroline. And I have to get up soon, to go to a new school. Yay. Bye now.

Love, Victoria.

I got up and placed the diary under the mattress and looked around as I put on my pajamas. I was tired, and I realized that when I lied don't on the bed, and covered myself with the sheets. As soon as my eyes closed, I could feel myself drifting to sleep and I finally did.