"We are moving." I thought I heard.
Wait. What? Did she really just say that. I turned and looked at my mother. God knows what I must of looked like. I mean what facial expression says 'shocked, angry, excited and intrigued' all in one. My mother had been going on about her dream to move to America for years, all my life in fact, but we never actually got this far with the planning. I say 'planning' but I actually have not had any input in any of this before now. In fact I'm not even entirely sure she means to America, that's just a presumption.
"B-but what about school and work? We can't just pick up and leave!" I attempted to argue. I don't know why I bother really, moving wouldn't really affect me. I don't exactly have that many friends and any other kind of commitments.
"This is where the news gets even more exciting," she started, her grin spreading from eye to eye. "The business is opening a new branch, like the one in Seattle, in New York and is offering a few employees the opportunity to relocate there!" I really do t understand my mum's enthusiasm half the time...
She stood there grinning at me, her hand giving a doing a weird action as if to ask me to tell her to carry on, or guess. I shrugged and gave her a questioning look.
"Oh come on Ava! You know what his means don't you?" Great my mum has gone mad and now thinks I have some kind of Godly psychic powers.
"I really don't know mum!" I chuckled to myself at my mums excitement.
She sighed. "Julie's coming!"
No way. No way. No way. Julie is not only like a second mother to me, she is also the mother of my closest friend, Ben. Who is also, coincidentally, is my next door neighbour.
I have lived in the same two bedroom house for the whole of my 15 years alive. I'd say it's small, but that's an understatement. Trying to get out of my living room when we have a few friends over is like trying to battle my way out of a mosh pit for a lost prophets gig, or so I have heard. The architect of this house obviously never though practically, either that or he has never heard of the word 'guests'.
My mum and Julie have worked together since well before I were born, but Ben isn't Julie's biological son. She adopted him when he was just a couple of weeks old, I don't really know the real story behind it, or anything about his real parents. You wouldn't know that they weren't really related if you had just met them. They have a brilliant relationship and they even have some similar features. They both have big, grey eyes and brown wavy hair. When you get to know them you recognise odd things that make it quite obvious they aren't related, like the way he is incredibly smart. I am not saying Julie isn't smart but she is no where near the IQ that Ben has. Julie loves to go for an early morning swim with my mother before work at the local swimmings baths, whereas Ben is quite obviously intimidated by water.
Let's put it this way, if I had to take one person anywhere it would have to Ben. Well that's if I couldn't choose my mum. My mums my rock, we get on so well. Me being me I don't really have a large range of friends, there are other important than having more than six hundred friend on silly coil networking websites. I am quite content with the brilliant people in my life now.
As for the other parent issue, I don't know my dad. He was from America himself, which always makes me wonder if that is really why my mum wants to go there. When my mum was pregnant he said he had to leave and return home. Sounds bad right? It isn't to bad, after all he did set up a bank account for me that transfers half of everything he earns into my capable hands. See that sounds forgivable doesn't it? Well I suppose not all people would think that, but they must not have someone as great as my mom. They say I am undeniably a younger clone of my mum. With our matching mass of caramel ringlets and our big brown eyes. Some say mine have more of a golden glint to them though. One thing I really wish I didn't have though, the scatter of freckles across my nose. It makes me look so dorky.
"When was this arranged?" I asked fatherly loudly, and may I as excitably.
"The CEO has been considering it for a while but he only opened the relocation option yesterday, I presumed you wouldn't mind if I signed up." She looked at me and bit the side of her lip, nervously. I should have been a little upset she didn't talk it over with me, but really I couldn't care less! At least I would be starting a new school alone.
"When do we go?" I asked.
"As soon as everything is set and ready to go."
I stared at my mum, trying to make her think I was distraught, then suddenly jumped up and down, squealing. I couldn't contain my excitement any longer. I flung my arms round my mums neck and started forcing her to dance around the living room. Eventually she came round and joined in with my enthusiasm.
"What are we doing, mum, we are wasting all important organising time!" She laughed at me before digging out her company laptop from in it's case. She flopped down on the cream leather sofa, patting the seat next to her for me to join her in home hunting.
I couldn't get my head around it, I'm going to be living in New York!