Disclaimer: I don't own the characters they belong to the amazing Richelle Mead! And the title and window is all Taylor Swift
Year One, Day One
"We're here," Davis Rinaldi says pulling up in front of a small, two story yellow house. Five year old Mia Rinaldi looks out the window and gasps as she takes in her new home. Their house is one of many other houses that are built side by side. A huge tree sits in front of their house with an old worn out swing dangling from a branch. In her five years and three moves, this is the biggest house she's ever been to. Of course it isn't as large as the other neighboring houses but it isn't anything like the one roomed apartment's she lived in. "Do you like it princess?"
"Yes daddy!" she yells and jumps out of the car.
Ana Rinaldi steps out of the car smiling and follows her young daughter onto their houese's porch and yanks at the door that's locked up.
"Mommy it won't open," Mia says.
"It's because it's locked baby, here, trying opening it with this key," Mrs. Rinaldi says handing Mia a key.
Mia grabs the key in her small hand and pushes into the small hole. She turns it slowly and pushes open the door. She walks into the house and twirls around. Large windows dot the house and a small chandelier hangs from the ceiling. A large flight of stairs sits near where the chandelier hangs.
"Can we go up mommy?" Mia asks as she reaches for her mother's hand.
Ana smiles and nods. "Of course princess."
Mia smiles and pulls her mom up the stairs, nearly tripping one of her shoe lace and stubs her foot into a stair.
"Careful Mia," Mrs. Rinaldi says as Mia jumps onto the last stair and races through the large hallway.
She pushes through each door and smiles as she goes from one bedroom to the next. There are three bedrooms! That means that she can have her own bedroom! Mia walks down the remainder of the wooden floored hallway and pushes open the last door. She walks into the room and looks around the six walled white room that's shaped in somewhat of an oval shape. She can see all her dolls and stuffed animals sitting in one corner of the room and her books at the other on her white shelf that her daddy built for her.
"Do you like it Mia?" her mother asks.
"Yes mommy! Can it be mine?"
"Of course princess but it's a bit far from mommy's and daddy's room. Will you be fine here by yourself?"
"Yes! I'm a big girl!" Mia says proudly. "I'm going to be a first grader soon!"
"You are a big girl aren't you baby?" Ana says softy as she brushes her daughter's hair away from her eyes. "You're growing up so fast, you're so smart princess."
Mia grins. "I am, I skipped kindergarten!"
Ana chuckles and walks over to the door. "I'm going to go down and help your daddy unpack the car ok? Don't run down the stairs, you'll trip and fall."
"Ok mommy," Mia says and watches her mom walk down the stairs.
Mia turns back to face her room and walks over to where a large semi-circle shaped glass window is with a widow seat protruding out from the wall. She pushes herself up onto the soft seat and looks out the window to come face to face with another window. There isn't much space between her house and her neighbor's house and she can see the whole room in front of her. It looks like a kid's room with dark blue walls that are filled with posters of Mario, FIFA, Madden, and many more games. It's a boy's room. It isn't till she hears a door slam that she realizes that she's been literally staring at the room.
Mia starts to step down from the window seat when a kid comes into her view. Mia stops moving as she takes in his dirt covered lanky form and his shaggy red hair. The boy walks over to his window and looks at Mia with the brightest blue eyes she's ever seen.
"Mia there's someone here to meet you!"
Mia looks back at the door where her father stands and then back at the boy who's now gone. She frowns and jumps down the seat and walks over to her dad. She reaches for his hand and together they walk down. Where did the boy go?
Mia and her father walk over to the door where her mom's talking to a woman.
"Oh, is this Mia?" the woman says with a huge smile. Mia blushes and hugs her daddy's leg. "I'm Beth Ashford, you're neighbor."
"Hi," Mia says timidly.
"Are you going to go to St. Vladimir's Academy are you going to St. Alder's?"
Mia frowns, confused at the big names. Her father told her the school that she'll be attending a month ago before the move but she can never remember it.
Her mother nods smiling. "She's going to be attending St. Vladimir's Academy when school starts. She's going to be a first grader."
"Oh really? My son Mason is to!" she says as shakes Mia's hand. "You two can be friends! The bus stop is right down the street, its bit of a walk to go alone for six year olds though so the kids in the neighborhood all come over to my house for breakfast and head out together. It's a ritual. Mason would love for you to join us when school starts. Won't you Mason?" she asks.
The boy, Mason, who's standing behind his mother nods. "Yep."
"Come out here and show yourself son," Beth Ashford says.
A young boy steps out from behind his mother with a box of cookies. Mia's eyes widen as she takes the boy in. It's the same boy she saw through her window! He smiles at Mia as he realizes who she is.
"Hi," Mason says.
"Hi," Mia says.
"We made you cookies."
"Thank you," Mia says and takes them in her tiny hands. "I like cookies."
"I like cookies to."
"My friend, Rose Hathaway, says that all people who like cookies are friends."
Mia giggles. "Really?"
"Mmmhm, Rose knows her cookies. And since you like cookies to, we're friends."
"Oh ok."
"So hi friend."
"Hi friend," Mia says.