The morning that Gabriella arrived with Alice to the big house; Troy had no premonition that he would meet the person that would change his life forever.

He was out on his motorcycle, with the basket filled with flowers that gave off a strong smell typical of the month of July.

The dry sand blocking the wheels made almost impossible for him to maintain balance. When he reached the corner he found himself facing a car. The moto got out of his hands and he ended with his head smashed against a tree.

When they got the car, Troy was already rubbing his forehead and looking at the empty basket.

"Shit! Are your hurt?" A woman with a Spanish accent asked him

Troy shook his head as he looked at her from the ground. The woman reminded him the hippies from Woodstock, with indefinite colorful tunic, his quirky pendants and tiny ear rings tiny, that appeared every time she touched her long wavy hair. The youngest seems like she was out of an advertisement photoshot: shoes that weren't appropriate to the sand streets, long and elegant legs that seems longer because of her mini-skirt, and a perfect face that made her chocolate brown eyes more beautiful than they already were, that seems to looked at him in a disapproval way. He made an angry gesture and stand up.

He looked at himself and felt how he was starting to blush. He turned his head down and cleans himself. He felt dumb and dirty, in front of the girl's grin.

Alice was picking up the flowers while she placing them inside a box that she grabbed from the car. When she finished, she gave Troy some dollars and said:

"I hope it's enough"

That's when he heard for the very first time Gabriella's voice that talked on a clear derogatory way.

"Why are you paying him if you don't have the fault? He was the one that was on the moon, I'm sorry, but why?"

Alice continued as she didn't listen her…

"We're going to live on the big house that is on the other street, it's yellow so you'll find it easy, if you're ever there and have more flowers, we'll buy them. Are you sure you're right?"

Troy nodded with his head because he knew if he speaks, his voice would tell that he was feeling ashamed. He glared at Gabriella, and began fixing his motorcycle, turned it on and began going again to his house.

Alice was watching all, trying to remember the old years... Gabriella went out of the car and found herself with a different image from what she recalled as her grandma house, maybe a little older, but with the same smell.

A big garden with a lot of flowers and big trees, with a beautiful green grass that made her want to sit back and watch the sky.

"When I was your age I was counting the stars for hours, I never reached the hundred because I fell asleep"

Gabriella looked at her, wondering if she was reading her mind, or it was something typical from someone who spend all her life alone and far away from the city, she didn't wanted to find out so she changed the topic

"Sometime I want you to tell me more about my mom, like when you were little, about this house, I don't know"

For the first time, Alice felt like her niece was paying attention to her, but didn't took it seriously…

"Maybe, I guess we will have time for that, but now, do you think that we can start taking the things out of the car?"

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Gabriella re read the last pages from her Diary, protected by the close door of her new bedroom:

August 2009:

A bit of gray sky between the buildings is cut through the window. I get the smell of my dad but I don't see it so I believe that everything is the same, but I know that when I stop writing and return to the room I'll find him on his wheelchair, staring, probably missing as the same as me, our house a thousand kilometer away.

Everything was fine a year ago, that I think this is a nightmare. And to end the bad mood, the thing about my grandma; I know that I didn't liked her so much, and that I barely speak to her, I almost didn't knew her, but always is the same, when I start to like someone, something happens, and all is bad again.

This apartment is dark, and it smells so bad that I wanted to throw up, but not being here mean to be with my mom on the funeral, and that's worst. I don't like death.

How much I miss Candy. She wrote me telling that she's now with Thom, I almost can't believe it. For now, I'll have to get used to continue talking to her via mail. Maybe later, if my dad surgery is good we will go back. But it's going to be so long, more now that they're going so far away. If the school year had finished, things would be different, and I could go with them. Instead I have to stay here, in this boring house, with an aunt that I still don't know.

The time goes so slow, that I think I'm on jail…

She wasn't on the mood to write anything more, so shut her diary and hide it behind her books.

It was the beginning of September, there were almost 3 months till school finish, and now she had to live that time –that seemed so long- on the big house, with her mother sister, until the return of her parents.

Gabriella was out on the park, smelling the air of the morning; she walked a little with her hand on her jeans, and her eyes lost, remembering the day she went with her mom to the airport; when she saw Alice out of the plane, she knew for the hug she and her mom shared, that that person was her aunt, and couldn't help but feel against that excentric woman, with long curls. She was dressed with a long skirt that had painted elephants. All in her was strange, the coat that was on her shoulder, her mini bag, and the sunglasses, that seemed little black circles on her eyes.

"She smells bad, I can't stand it" She told her mom when they were alone "and I hate more that she speak like a Spanish person."

She wanted to laugh when she remembered it.

Alice was walking to her from the park, with her hands full of mud, and Gabriella felt annoyance because she interrupted her thoughts.

"Do you want some tea?"

"Tea? No thanks, I don't drink that, my dad doesn't like it, so we never have it on my house"

"Well, if you want, you can try it… and I can tell you some things about when your mom and I were little. The other day you asked me so…"

"Maybe in another moment, today I have a lot to study"

And she was out to her room, saying without words, that she wanted to keep distance…

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That was the first chapter hope you like it, I need a beta, so if someone want to be one, send me a PM.

I accept all reviews, good, bad, everything is welcome, it's a way to improve….

Thanks for reading…