Dear Diary,

Moving is hard. I should know. Moving from California wasn't a choice I would have made. My parents and I aren't on good terms because of it. It has been five hours exactly since we touched down in Tulsa, Oklahoma and I already miss home. I miss my father and older brother, who I had to leave behind. You see, my parents divorced four months ago. It wasn't a terrible divorce, really, they left my brother and me out of the entire thing. That was until Mom told me to pack my bags...Austin called me. I just got off the phone with him. He says Los Angeles isn't the same without his annoying buddy there. I'm still wiping away tears from the things he said. Dad isn't any different, he went back to working full time at a Ford dealership and refuses to answer my calls. Fine by me. He didn't fight for me, he doesn't deserve to talk to me. Mom has been fairly understanding, when she's home to talk. She was promoted to chief of police here.

Gosh I miss Austin. He would tell me to stop crying and be brave. He would hug me when I couldn't stop and tell me it was okay. Mom tried to comfort me, but it just isn't the same!

I dropped my pen as my mother walked in the door. Her chestnut brown hair was pulled back in a lose ponytail and her bangs were stuck to her forehead. Her eyes make-up was smudged around her light blue eyes and she desperately needed a shower.

"The kitchen is unpacked and I wanted to see how you were doing..." she trailed off. I was lying on my bed, on my stomach facing her. She walked over and wiped under my eyes with her thumb. "I'm sorry sweetheart. Life sucks huh?" I nodded and sobbed into her shoulder. "But, on the bright side, we'll have more money here. And the school system will be better for you. I think you'll like it here, baby. You just have to let go of California and find your future here instead." I wanted to scream. There was no bright side of Tulsa! As far as I could tell no amount of money was going to make me happier. All I said was "Thanks Mom. I'll try to see the brighter side." She smiled proudly and patted my back. "That's my brave girl." The second she walked out the door I stuffed my diary under my mattress and grabbed a box from the floor and started to unpack. It was almost midnight when I had finished unpacking my room. My bookshelves were full, so was my closet. Photos of my friends and different places in California were framed and hug on my wall. I took pictures of everything and wanted to be a photographer when I was older. I plopped down on the bed again. What a way to start a new life. Damn, Tulsa.