A/N So I re-did this so its in 1st person, whoop! Updates for this may be a bit spread out because I'm really getting into writing my other story. Read and review, enjoy.

Newbie

"Alex! Alex, come quickly!"

I leapt out of bed and ran to the living room where my brother, Joey, was shouting from. "What! What's wrong? Are you alright?" I yelled.

"Oh I'm fine," Joey replied with a grin on his face. "But it is 6:45am."

"Why did you wake me up so early?" I whined, but as he was speaking I caught the look on my older brother's face. "Why are you using your 'wait for it' face?" Joey carried on looking at me with his expressive stare. "Wait! Is today the 7th?" I asked, and as I did so Joey's mouth curled into a smile rather than a smirk. "No! I'm not dressed, he can't call yet!" At that moment the computer chimed and Joey accepted the video call.

"Good morning sir." We said in unison.

"Oh it isn't morning over here. And I've told you before, you don't have to call me sir" the man on the other end of the call replied.

"Sorry Dad," Joey said. "So, how's the desert?"

"Well cold, to be honest," said mine and Joey's dad. "Colder than I expected, I don't think it's much different than the weather you have actually. How is Ohio? Made any more friends yet?"

"Snowy and cold," replied Joey as I stared past the computer. "I've made a few more friends, Alex hasn't made any, but I'm much cooler than her so it's to be expected." Joey was chuckling but I didn't find it amusing. I kept a blank expression and avoided contact with the computer as long as I could.

"Alex, please talk to me," our father said sternly.

"Why? You already know what I'm going to say," I said. There was a moment of silence between us, it was awkward and I didn't like it. "You know I hate it when you're on tour, especially when it's in Afghanistan."

"But that's my job sweetheart. You know I love you and that I'll try to be home in one piece. I've been trained to do this" he said reassuringly. "Now, it's your first day at a new school so can you please try to make at least one friend?" I gave a slight nod and wiped away a tear from my cheek. A man stood behind our father and whispered into his ear then left the room. "Ok I have to go, I'll talk to you next week. Joseph take care of your sister for me. I love you, both of you. Master Sergeant Luke Scott, signing off." He looked to his left, nodded and the screen turned to static.

Joey pulled me close to him and held me tightly. "Jeez! Is that really the time?" Joey exclaimed a few moments later. "Come on, you have to get dressed, and we have to be in the car in five minutes if I have any chance of making it to my first class on time!" I chuckled slightly and ran off to get changed out of my pyjamas.

Exactly three minutes later, I watched my frantic brother from the top of the stair case as he was running around checking his watch and rummaging for keys to the red Jeep in the driveway. "Hey!" I yelled. As my brother looked up at me I pointed in the direction of the front door. "They're hanging up, Dipstick!" I chuckled as I watched my brother grab his backpack, the keys to the Jeep and race through the door.

"Come on then!" Joey yelled. So I ran down the stairs, grabbed my backpack, ran outside and locked the door behind me.