So this is my first story on here. I posted it on another site, but I may change it a little. It's from Meredith's daughter's point of view. She is 14. Soooo tell me what u think.

It's three in the afternoon. We have been driving since 5:30 this morning. That's almost 10 hours in this car, 4 bathroom stops, 2 crying sessions, 18 fights (that I had to break up by the way), 5 "Are we there yet's?", 10 "where are we going's?" and 6 "how much longer's". All of which received no response.

I look to my right to make sure my 4-year-old sister is still asleep. She is. She looks so sweet and peaceful. Innocent. A lock of her golden blonde hair falls into her face. I smile when she flinches from the tickle. I place it gently back in place. I look further to my right; next to Sadie in her car seat to my 9-year-old sister Aimee. She is also asleep with her head up against the car seat. Her dark brown curls going this way and that. I smile. I'm not sure why I just do. I look back at Aimee; she looks nothing like the rest of us. That's probably because we adopted her. After her parents died when she was 2. I look behind me, in the very back seat at my 6-year-old brother. His head is against the window, his glasses askew. There is a sign of drool in the corner of his mouth. I giggle. He always swears he doesn't drool in his sleep; but here in front of me (or behind) is living proof that Nathan Alexander indeed does drool. His game boy is still on and playing the same song that had frustrated Aimee just hours before. I reach over the seat and grab it. I inspect the game, pokemon, and turn it off.

For now it peaceful, so I am enjoying it. I face forward and focus on my knees. I have them drawn to my chest with my yellow squishy pillow hugged to me. I poke the pillow and look into the rear view mirror. I can see myself. Mostly my eyes, my blue eyes that I love so mush staring back at me. For some reason I put makeup on this morning. I put in my dark blue tank top with lace lining the edges. I also have on my favorite light blue faded jeans. They're loose fitting but manage to look good on my small frame. My eyes travel back to the mirror to examine my face. My make up is still intact. My hair that 'isn't a dark brown but defiantly not blonde,' as my aunt would say when she visited a few years ago, is down. I notice my freckles are starting to fade. The freckles that I love so much.

"Hey Jaicee," my mom says to me, jarring me out of my peaceful world. She must have noticed me in the rear view mirror. I smile at her. "So are they all asleep?"

"Yes, finally!" I whisper so as to keep it that way.

"Thanks for keeping them calm for me." She switches from looking at me to watching the road.

"I'm the big sister! That's my job!" I laugh lightly. Because really this is all an act. What I really wanted to say was; 'yeah well you weren't doing any thing, I was just trying to keep my sanity!' or something along those lines.

A week ago every thing normal, happy even. Sadie got into an awesome preschool, Nate got on a soccer team, Aimee's paintings and drawing made it into the art contest, and she had a piano recital coming up. I'm in competition dance and we have a competition this weekend and its Thursday now. And this competition decides if we go to nationals or not.

But that changed suddenly. Mom and Ty got into a fight. And they never fight. I mean there's the normal family fights. But this was big. There was yelling, crying and a few things thrown. The fight got so bad that I rounded every one up and took them into my room. I turned the T.V. up really loud in attempt to drown out the yelling.

Ty packed up a few things and moved out the next day, but came over to see us kids and get more stuff, but that ended up in a fight. Then last night mom got a phone call a cried herself to sleep. She thinks we don't notice these things, but we do. I think she is some what aware that I know certain things but has no idea I heard her cry herself to sleep, or that she cried when we were 'asleep'. She should know better cause I never sleep in cars unless I haven't slept in a while. And now we're driving on a deserted highway with most of our important belongings piled in the back of moms van.

My best guess is that the call was from Ty or someone associated with Ty, letting her know that the divorce was final or becoming final in the near future. I'm not really sure how those things work. Sadie and Nate think were going on a vacation, but Aimee knows something's up, even if she doesn't know what.

Ty is my step dad. Mom married him when I was about 6, then we moved to Nevada where Sadie and Nate were born. He is pretty fun, but kinda absent. It's not like his job is very demanding. He just always had better things to do like yard work or going to bars or parties his friends had or other side things like that.

I take a deep breath and ask the question I've been wanting to ask since mom woke us up this morning. "Mom, what's really going on?"

She looks at me in the rear view mirror again. "Nothing, we're going on a surprise vacation!" She sucks at lying.

"No we're not. We have most of our stuff in the back. You and Ty have been fighting for the past week. You cried yourself to sleep last night and I have caught you crying twice already!" She is silent, she just watches me and the road. "Mom," I slowly, "Are you and Ty getting a divorce?" she focuses solely on the road. "we're moving arnt we?"

I see her green eyes fill with tears. She bites her lip and watches the road more intently. I wait, watching her my heart breaking, because now, she is crying because of me. Not some unknown reason. Me, and what I said. She inhales; a sob and nods her head. She cries harder. I lean forwards and put my hand on her shoulder, rubbing my thumb on her back. I admire my mom so much. She is my best friend, my confident my support.

"Lets pull of at the next stop" I say quietly. She just nods again

-

By the time we had pulled of at the gas station, mom had pulled herself together. Every one got out and while mom filled up the gas tank, Aimee, Nate, Sadie and I went to the general store. I made every one go to the bathroom before we went to pick out snacks. Nate and I picked out Doritos to share along with a Twix bar for me and shock tarts for him. Aimee got some plain Lays Potatoes chips for her and Sadie to share. Along with Nerds for each of them.

Nate and Sadie went to go look at the toy isle.

"Jaicee, do you know what's wrong with mom?" Aimee asked me. Yes I did, but she's 9. how do I tell 9-year old that were moving because mom and dad are getting a divorce, that she left her friends without saying good buy, that we left the dog- that she grew up with-behind never too be seen again? How do I tell a 9-year old- that will probably go tell the 4 and 6-year old that will probably all hate mom- that? Well I don't.

"No sorry kid." So I lie. Because the truth about the truth is that it hurts. So we lie.

I see Sadie run to something behind us. I turn around to see her jumping into mom's arms. Heaven forbid she says "mommy!" to let me know why she's running off. No shed much rather give me a heart attack. Were in the middle of nowhere for gods sake!

We put our two bags of chips, 1 pack of gum, 1 Twix bar, one shock tarts, and 2 things of nerds on the counter. Mom examines it then gives us her famous 'excuse me?' look. We give her pleading looks. She laughs a little.

"Where's the drinks?" she grins. Aimee Nate and Sadie go off the get the drinks.

"Get me a water!" I yell after them. Aimee just waves me off. I turn back to mom. "You do smiling better that crying"

She smiles again and pulls me into a hug. "I'm so sorry." She mumbles into my hair.

"I pull away and look into her green eyes. "Just explain it to me, please?" Just then the trio walks up with their drinks. I look back at mom "Later" she smiles thankfully at me. I've always been close to my mom. Probably because I had her all to myself for about 6 years.

like it?? yes no?? REVIEW!!!

more will be explained later.

THANKS!

Kat