You would bitch about not being able to call your friends because your bloody I-phone doesn't get proper reception in the middle of bloody no-where Montana. Hell you would bitch about bloody Montana itself. Well wouldn't you? Would you expect to get sent to boarding school because of it?
I doubt it.
Every story has an effing beginning. Mine does too.
The day my life decided to jump up and flip over and stay that way, was October 19. You can totally see me, blonde hair, blue eyes, perfect body, talking away on the phone with my best friend Serenity, about some girl that had stolen some other girl's boyfriend. Typical gossip.
I had walked up to the elevator and the elevator dude (as I liked to call him) pressed the button to the penthouse. Yes, we lived in the penthouse in the upper class area of New York City. Daddy was some head of some company that built laptops. This was why we had a million computers all over our house. Hell I had four computers of my own, but I only used one.
I was still talking to Serenity, when I saw my Mom and Dad talking in the living room. That was odd; Dad wasn't ever home before seven-thirty. It was only five. They hadn't noticed that I had come home so I just walked into my room and put the Bluetooth in my ear, and went on with the normal routine. After changing my clothes and emptying my backpack I stopped talking to Serenity, and walked into a kitchen to get a snack. A bag of chips and Coke was what I going to get, but for some reason it was waiting for me on the counter. I looked up to see my mom looking at me looking cautious.
"Thanks Mom."
"You're welcome Clarissa." Something was up because she used my whole name, usually everyone called me Clara.
Mom sat down on the stools next to the counter, and Dad did the same.
"So Dad why are you home so early?"
"About that…well…I wanted to talk to you about that. Just wait until your sister gets here." And then he proceeded to call Jenna from her room. She was 13, and we were pretty normal sisters. She touched my make-up and she knows that she'll have hell to pay. I touch her curling iron, and I'll have hell to pay. She was girly, and so was I. We got along well, or as well as two sisters with four year age differences could.
She came out of her room, and saw Dad, and gave him a kiss on his cheek, because she was "Daddy's Little Angel". It's not like my parents had preferences, but sometimes, there was a parent that you got along better with. And it's not like I didn't love my Dad. But what I was about to hear didn't make me like him so much.
She asked why Dad was home so early as well, because we didn't see much of him, during the week. I was class president and I was constantly at some school meeting or something else, and I didn't see him until really late, when I started my homework. Jenna was in the school cheerleading squad, and they had a cheerleading competition coming up in a few months, so she was always at practice. Mom was an interior designer, but she worked from home, and her work was almost always finished before we reached home.
So moving on Dad finally answered our question.
"So girls, I want to talk to you about something."
We nodded for him to continue.
"I was talking to Jim today," Ah Jim, the man who did nothing but cause hell for my father. I don't know how many times Dad came home and started to complain about how horrible this guy was, and how he was ruining everything, because he was there for his own personal gain and he couldn't care less about the company. "He wants to promote me."
"That's great Dad! I'm so happy for you." Jenna said. I just smiled because I knew he wasn't finished yet.
"We're going to move to Montana."
And that's when he dropped a nuclear bomb right on top of my life.
I spat out the Coke that was in my mouth.
"Clara!" My mom scolded, and she got up to clean the mess I made.
"Moving?" I croaked. I looked at Jenna. She had frozen, and her she had started biting her finger nails. It was a habit that she had dropped long ago, but apparently she was so worried that she had started again. Dad noticed.
"Jenna stop. The job pays a lot more than we get here. I'm not saying we're poor, but I'd like to have more money to support you guys. We'll live in a mansion! It'll be great."
That was his weak attempt of trying to get us excited about moving there. No way.
"Dad, please don't do this to us."
"I'm not doing anything to you but trying to secure a better future for you. We leave in two weeks."
"But I've lived my whole life in New York. I can't leave now. And school, and Serenity, and I'm class president. And Jenna she has those competitions coming up."
"Yeah Dad, do you know how hard I've worked? And you're going to drag me away from it all? You can't do this to me Daddy!" Jenna wailed.
"Jenna, Clara, relax, it's not going to be that bad. We're going to live in a mansion!'[
"So? We could live in a castle for all I care, but I still wouldn't want to move to that shithole."
"Clara! Watch your mouth! I know your upset but you can't go around and show your attitude."
I was usually a much behaved person, but it was only when I seriously lost my temper, that I cursed. And most of the time I was able to keep control of my temper but not this time.
And the thing I didn't get about attitude was that when are parents got mad at us, and yelled all their crap, it wasn't attitude. But when we decided to get angry and yell a little it was considered attitude? Maybe my logic was messed up, but that's how it seemed to me. I know you're supposed to respect them and all that shit, and I do respect them, but apparently I'm not allowed to get angry because it would be called attitude. What happened to 'express your feelings' and "don't keep anything locked up inside'?
So I just didn't respond.
"The movers will be here next week, so I was thinking through-out the week you guys slowly sort out the stuff, which you're going to want to keep with you, while the bigger things, the movers will take care of. Alright?" Dad said.
No way. It sure as hell wasn't alright.
"So that's it? You don't care if I don't want to move there or if that my whole life is here? You have a better job opportunity that you THINK is better for us (emphasis on think), and you're just going to drag us away? Just like that."
He looked guilty for a second, but he let it go in a second. "Yup, just like that."
"I'm glad to know that you care so much about me and Jenna. It doesn't matter what we want. Jim decided to be an asshole and wants to get rid of you so he promotes you? And you agree? Fine, then Father dearest, you can do this all on your own. I'm not going to help with the packing, or any of that shit."
Mom just stared at me. I rarely ever used bad language. The last time it was when I broke my leg (doing a cartwheel) and I just had to curse my lungs out. It hurt pretty badly.
I got up, and left the kitchen, and Jenna followed behind me.
She went into her own room and I went into mine. She was going to call her best friend Lacey, while I called Serenity.
I speed dialed her, put my Bluetooth on and paced around the room.
She picked up.
"Hey! What's up?"
"We have a serious issue, Ren." Ren was the nickname I had given her.
"What?" She sounded worried. "The school committee didn't cancel the October dance or anything did they?"
"No, its worse. "
She waited.
"I'm moving."
"Excuse me," She laughed. "I think I just heard you say that you were moving? Yeah right."
"I'm serious Ren. My parents are deciding to move me to the middle of bloody no where Montana. I mean seriously? Montana, I am moving to bloody effing Montana Serenity!"
And then Serenity being the great friend she is (no sarcasm intended) started yelling profanities into the phone.
When she stopped she asked, "How long?"
"Two weeks." I whispered.
And again with the profanities.
"That's it? Just two weeks? You can move in with me, my parents aren't even home most of the time."
Ren lived down the street, and her parents were always working so she could do pretty much whatever she wanted.
"Can I come over? I just need to get away from this house, like now."
"Of course! We'll have a girl's night, and you can sleepover. I'll get the movies and popcorn ready."
We said good-bye and I hung up. Jenna walked into the room.
"Clara this is a really big problem. What are we going to do?"
"I'm not really so sure about that."
I started to walk around the room grabbing the stuff I would need.
"Where are you going?"
"To Ren's house. I'm going to sleepover."
"Its Monday Clara, you can't have a sleepover on a weekday."
"I can. I'm taking all of my stuff, and clothes for school tomorrow, and all my homework. And then we'll go to school together tomorrow."
"Lucky you, but are you sure Mom will agree?"
"I don't really care. We have two weeks left in New York City. There is absolutely no way mom will be able to stop me from spending time with Serenity."
"Go call Lacey and see if you can sleepover, and I'll drop you off. You have 10 minutes."
She left.
Lacey of course immediately said yes once she found out we were moving. Jenna was waiting for me at the door. And Mom was standing next to her waiting for me.
"Where do you think you're going?" Her tone was clipped.
"I am going to Ren's and Jenna is going to Lacey's because we have all of two weeks left in our beloved city and I wouldn't want to waste any of my precious time, doing nothing at home."
Mom sighed, her expression said please-don't-do-this-to-me.
I felt bad for her, almost.
Almost.
But then I recalled I was being dragged to Montana, and I wasn't having any of the guilt-trip stuff.
"Go, and have fun. I'm sorry that we're moving Clara. Really. Please don't do this."
"You're sorry, my foot." I hissed under my breath.
"C'mon Jenna."
I dropped Jenna off at Lacey's and I was off to Ren's. The first thing she had done was hug me, and we discussed, if there was any way for me to stay here. We didn't find a way.
So we decided to watch movies.
She had picked hilarious romances that I loved. And the popcorn she had made was perfect. But I didn't enjoy a single second of it, because my mind couldn't focus on 27 Dresses, my mind could only focus on moving.
"I'm moving." I moaned into my hands. Serenity wrapped her arms around me.
"I know and it sucks."
"But what am I going to do? I can't move their. I can't just start all over."
"I'm not sure. And I'm going to miss you so much. Life is going to suck with you gone."
I sighed dramatically. "What will you do without me? I mean you can't even walk into your own closet without me." I wrinkled my nose and then grinned.
She laughed, "It'll be tough but I think, I can go into my own closet and pick out my own clothes. But I'll call you just to make sure."
We laughed, and for the rest of night we just pretended that I wasn't moving.
Two weeks later, I was standing at the airport, hugging Serenity good-bye. Serenity had started crying and so did I. Mom, eventually had to drag me away from Serenity because we needed to board the flight.
As I sat in my seat I thought about the last two weeks. I had practically ignored my parents, and Jenna had done the same. I was always with Serenity, and just as I said, I didn't help with any of the moving and packing. Mom had put aside my favorite things, and had made sure the packers didn't touch them. I was kinda thankful, but I was still really angry.
Dad had tried to talk to me about this, but when he said that I had to sell my car I was beyond reasoning. He promised to buy me a new one, but my red Porsche 911 Turbo, was my baby.
I had put up such a tantrum that I needed to keep my car that Dad finally agreed to let me keep just so I would stop crying.
He's still scared that the slightest thing would set me off again, so when he absolutely does have to talk to me he acted extremely cautious. It was hilarious, because he looked so afraid, and when he was gone I'd laugh my guts out till I started crying. My parents thought I was sad.
My car had been shipped to Montana, last week, and so had our furniture. Mom had gone the same week to give her interior designer instructions of what our house should look like when we got there.
When we finally got to our new house, I cried.
I cried because I had known we were going to move, but in a second it seemed all too real, for my brain to comprehend.
Mom tried to hug me, but I just pushed her away.
I ran up to the room that closely resembled my old one, closed the door, and cried.
I didn't come out until the next day, and I only came out because I was so hungry I felt that I was going to faint.
When I walked into the kitchen, with my puffy red eyes, Mom asked me if I was okay.
"No, I'm not okay. How can you expect me to be okay?"
She was silent, which seemed to be a good move on her part, because I would've exploded if she had answered my question.
I made myself some coffee (because apparently someone had already stocked our house with groceries) and had some cereal.
I was on my way back upstairs to sulk some more, when Mom stopped me.
"You're going to start school in two days."
I just nodded and went back upstairs. I looked out of my window, and all I saw was trees. I mean when I looked outside my window in New York I had seen the city, but not here. Trees, trees and more trees.
I had tried calling Serenity on my phone but I literally got zero reception. I was so pissed, I complained at dinner.
"I don't even get cell phone reception in this place. Remind me why we moved here? I remember, is it because Jim hates your guts, and wanted you to get away from him? I think it is."
"Clara!" My mom said shocked.
"What? It's the truth! And wanna know what else is true? I hate it here."
And Dad lost it too.
"I have enough of your complaining and sulking. If you hate it so much here, than you can leave! Either you stop, and accept this or I can send you to boarding school, and then you'll be away from Montana. And you can be away from us, since we are not exactly your most favorite people in the world right now!"
I got up from the table, and started to make my way up to my room.
"Where are you going?" Dad demanded.
"I'm going to pack."
"Pack?" I rolled my eyes.
"It's obvious I don't want to be here, and right now I don't want to have anything to do with you guys. So I'm going to boarding school."
"You're not going to boarding school!"
"Yes I am. I mean you said it yourself; if I stay there is no way in hell that I'm going to stop complaining about this. And if I have a chance to leave this shithole, then so be it."
Mom had gasped, when I cursed.
"That's exactly how I see this place mom. It's either a shithole or a hellhole. Take your pick."
"Clara you can't go to boarding school." Jenna said.
"It wasn't my idea. And Daddy's not going to back out is he? I mean unless he wants to hear me bitch until the day I leave for college?"
"Fine, you're going. Pack your bags Clara; I know the school, because Jim's daughter goes there. It's in England. You're leaving in two days."
Within two days, Dad had made all the arrangements and I was on my way to England. I didn't hug Mom good-bye, but I did hug Jenna. I was going to miss her.
Mom looked at me, a hurt expression on her face. Dad's expression was neutral when I got on the airplane. I boarded the plane, without looking back.
So you see that's my story. Now I'm at boarding school, and I ask myself if this was the biggest mistake of my life or the best decision I could have made…
It doesn't matter though, because I was a free woman. I was Clarissa Adams, the girl who could live her life the way she wanted.
I was scared.