"God, you're so difficult sometimes I don't know why I bothered to house you!" My mother yelled
"Well it wouldn't be this difficult if you could just let me live my own life! Your taking it all away from me in the blink of an eye!" I yelled back. I ran upstairs to my room and I slammed my door shut and slid my back down the middle, hiding my face in my arms as I pulled my knees close to my chest. my eyes started to water as I looked around my room. I got to decorate it all by myself, to my specific liking.
The floor was polished wood with a black carpet, not shag, but something that wasn't flat, but still hard to clean. My bed was an old victorian bed with green bedding that had silver linen. my curtains were green and black to keep light out but give it that forest-y color. the walls were painted brown and all my furniture fit the old victorian times. I had a desk given to me by my grandmother, on my fathers side, who died of lung cancer about five years ago that I used so many times to write my stories. My closet was a walk-in because my mom decided that since my shoe collection was growing, I might as well have the room with that closet, which was nice of her. But now, I have to go to a new house and get a new theme that won't remind me of my old life. goodbye forest theme, I had no idea what other theme to think of.
I picked myself up and slowly walked to my closet. I brought out all my trunks and organized my clothes into them. I didn't wear many fancy dresses but I did have plenty to get me through any occasion my mom was throwing. I only had stuff I dared to wear. Like my skater and rocker junk. well, it's not junk, I just call it that. Anyway, I packed it all into my trunks and dragged as many as I could downstairs, I had to make a couple trips. when I came up for the last trunk, I got one last look at my old room. I did, however, remember something important. I ran to the loose floor board and lifted it up and set it aside. I dug through straw material and pulled out a rubie necklace. It was my birthstone and it was very valuable, but I kept it hidden under the floor board so it wouldn't get stolen. I tucked it tight in my bra and grabbed the trunk and left.
I reached the car and my mom smiled "I knew you would come around to it" She said placing her hands on her hip. I turned to look at her. This women had taken care of me and had to go through so much pain just to get me here.
I understand that but what I wanted to say to her, had defied all that, but instead, I ended up saying "Well I didn't really have a choice now did I?" then I turned back around and got in the passanger seat. my mom circled the car and spoke through my open window
"You will stop talking to me like that, I am your mother and I will not be given attitude by my daughter!" she said. I didn't respond, I just looked at our ex-house. She sighed and rolled her eyes as she climbed into the drivers seat. she started the car, but took a minute to back out of the drive-way. I looked at her. she was looking straight at the house. Then the car budged and i put my seatbelt on. we backed out first and then the movers did. I looked in the rearview mirror and whispered "Goodbye."
It took a couple days of passing scenery to get there. We stopped for bathroom breaks. I didn't leave the car more than once. I only left once to go pee. But other than that I would wait and listen to my MP3 and read a magazine. I hadn't spoken one word. I just listened to my mom rambling on, or singing old songs from the radio, or her talk to the movers through a walkie-talkie. I got bummed each mile we moved.
My mom shook my shoulder to wake me up "Evangeline, wake up. We're here" I heard her say. I opened my eyes to reveal and even bigger house. It had to have at least another floor to it.
"Mom? This house is huge!" I said
I know. I have a surprise!" She squealed. I opened the door and slumped out of the car. The sun was shining brightly. *Here we are, sweet home, Kentucky* I thought. I walked inside and instantly was welcomed with a new scent of freshly dried paint and cleaner. I covered my nose and walked upstairs. My mom had labeled the doors so I knew which room was mine. I had found a polished oak door with a piece of paper with my name on it, Evangeline Haven, it read and I twisted the brass handle and walked inside. The room was beautiful. The walls were white and a really large window, seperated into squares my window panes sat at the front.
One of the Squares opened up to let fresh air in. *Not to self, change in bathroom* I saw my bed in there, the movers had made a head star when my mom stopped at McDonalds. I know, gross. I didn't like my empty room. It needed to be decorated, quick. I brought my trunks into the room and set them down on my victorian trunk. I guess I would keep the furniture, since, well it's furniture. I just have to change the color scheme so I thought, and thought, and thought. I couldn't get anything. I unpacked all my clothes and set them on hangers, in dressers, on shelves, anything really. I stripped my sheets and threw them in a dresser drawer. I was going to get new sheets and move all my stuff into a spare room till I was finished painting my room. I closed my door and locked it shut. I got a hammer and pulled up another floor board. I place my necklace inside and hammered the board down again. I placed a brown x on it, one that blended but you could see it if you got close, and smoothed my rug over it.
I was still disgusted with my room. I grabbed my purse and checked for my wallet. It was still in there. I had plenty of money to get everything I needed. I walked downstairs. My mom was directing furniture. I rolled my eyes and grabbed the keys to the car.
"Where are you going evangeline?" she asked. I winced and turned around.
"I'm going shopping mother. My room is bland and needs things" I said
"fine" she replied and let me go with a flick of her hand.
I turned back around and walked to the car.
"Crap!" I said. I didn't know where any malls or stores or antique shops were. I got back out and sat in the grass. I thought and thought. Then I eventually lay my head down.
"It's Beautiful grass huh? it's especially nice when the sprinklers turn on." someone said. my eyes popped open and I jumped up. It was a boy, about my age, sixteen. He was really tall and wore skater clothes.
"who are you?" I asked
"My name is Josh Hutcherson." He said smirking
"okay?" I asked
"What? you don't know me?" he asked stunned
"Um, no. should I?"
"I'm an actor, I'm in movies. You know, like 'Journey to the Center of the Earth'? or how about 'Bridge to Terabithia'? Come on! I did 'Howls Moving Castle' too!" He said
"Howls moving Castle? That's my favorite movie! who's characters voice did you do?"
"Markl." He replied.
"Woah" I breathed out. "That's awesome"
"Well at least you know something I was in" He said
"Well I've never met a celebrity before. This is pretty cool." I said letting out my hand, he shook it and smiled. "So Josh, I was wondering if you could help me, I'm trying to find a place to shop but I'm confused. I just got here today and I can't find anywhere to go."
"Well I would be delighted to show you around, as long as my brother can come with. His name is Connor. I warn you, he's a little bit of a flirt around girls." Josh said. I blinked twice and watched a smaller boy but still a bit older came to Josh's side. "Hey Connor this is...um- I'm sorry I didn't catch your name?" Josh asked
"Oh it's Evangeline, Evangeline Haven. it's nice to meet you Connor." I said shaking his hand.
He firmly grasped my hand and kissed the top of it.
"No, the pleasure is all mine." He said
"A little cheesy fellow isn't he?" I asked smiling up at Josh. He started laughing. Connor punched him in the stomach playfully.
"Shut up Josh, your the reason Every girl I meet just laughs at me!" He said. That made Josh burst into tears.
"I'm sorry I'm sorry, I just had a little..problem, it's gone now, it's gone now" He said holding his very sore stomach.
"Um, shall we go?" I said point to the car with my two thumbs.
"Oh yeah, sorry." Josh said as he climbed into the passenger side and I climbed into the driver seat. Connor hopped in the back. I started the car and drove away from the cul-de-sac. Josh would point out everything while we were driving. LITERALLY! he pointed out bakeries and parks, museams and arcades, he pointed out friendly neighbors and houses he heard were haunted. He showed me little antique shops and malls and showed me schools and nice restaurants. Pretty much everything there was to see. I especially loved the craft and book store.
We visited this old antique shop when I saw it. The most beautiful sculpture i'd seen in years. It was hand blown glass in the shape of a green and blue dolphin, a mermaid circling around it and kissing the dolphins nose, her hair was blowing everywhere, she was beautiful. I immediately took it from the shelf and took it to the front counter. it was only $15, which was a steal.
"It's about time someone bought this old thing, it's been sitting in my shop for twenty-five years" The old store owner said. He looked over and saw Josh standing next to me "Hello Joshua, who's your friend here?" He asked pointing to me
"oh This is Evangeline, Evangeline this is Nick. He's owned Saint Mystere for years." I giggled a little and shook the store owners old frail hand
"It's very nice to meet you, I love your shop." I said
"Well you have good taste miss Evangeline, come back anytime." He said and I waved goodbye. we got back in the car and an idea hit me so hard in the back of the head, I could've flown through the windshield
"I GOT IT!" I said. Josh jumped and let go of his seatbelt, since he was buckling up.
"What? What?" he asked startled. I looked at him with wide eyes
"My room theme, back home in New York, it was the forest, but I figured out what I want my theme to be here, in Kentucky."
"what?" Connor asked
"The ocean. Mermaids and dolphins, fish and reefs, the whole thing!" I said excitedly, I placed the sculpture carefully in the seat next to Connor, having him promise not to break it. Next, we went to the store and I decided to look for some curtains and bedding.
Josh helped me look through catalogs while Connor volunteered to see what bed displays were beds and which were just cardboard boxes decorated like beds. Josh and I had looked through over four catalogs before we found the right bedding. It was a silk comforter that was an aqua color and the pillow cases were green and blue, a couple swirled and I bought a couple pre-made pillow's that had mermaid patches on them, and pictures of colorful reefs. I walked through the curtain section, but forgot I was shopping, because Josh, Connor, and I played a little game of hide and seek. The curtain displays worked so well. I was hiding behind some curtains when I heard josh's voice
"Hey Evangeline, did you know your standing behind some curtains that might work for your room?" He said I walked out and Josh wasn't even facing me "I FOUND YOU!" he said. He had cheated.
"You cheater!" I yelled.
"No, I wasn't! The curtains you were standing behind are green." He said. I looked.
"They're teal." I said.
"same thing." I just looked at him. They actually really matched my bedding. so I paid for them. Just two more things to take care of. I needed a new rug and wall paint. I had a few hundred dollars left, maybe $400 left. I bought aqua colored paint and light blue, so I could make my room look like the ocean, I also bought different shades of gray so my mom could draw a dolphin or two. I ended buying a blue rug and that would delivered the next day. My room was all ready for Kentucky. Josh suggested that we stop at an ice cream shop before we headed home and crashed for the night.
"So, that was an eventful day wasn't it?" he said. I took a bite of my peppermint ice-cream and nodded my head. Connor got chocolate and Josh got mint-chocolate chip. I left a tip for the nice waitress and drove me and my new friends home.
Connor immediately went home but Josh stayed and helped me load all my new items into my room. He brought in the last of the bedding and I rested our hands on our hips to get a good look at the room.
"Thanks Josh, I may have only met you today but you've been such a big help, I don't think I could've done this all on my own." I smiled and whipped my head in his direction to flash it his way. He was eyeballing my empty walls and stripped bed with the boxes everywhere.
"Would you like me to help you paint it?" He offered suddenly. I looked over the room and went over all the work I had cut out for me in my head. I scrunched my nose.
"Yeah I might need your help, how about Saturday?" I asked. He scratched his head and looked at me, then at my room again.
"Yeah that could work, I have to be here around three, is that okay?" He asked
"Yeah.""Alright I'll see you then.""yeah see you." Then he turned and walked downstairs. I hear him say G'bye to my mom and then I watched out my window as he walked to his house. He was about to walk inside when he turned and looked straight at me. He waved. I had felt a tingly sensation travel up my spine and took the courage to wave back, having felt silly for watching him go. But he had turned around and walked inside, his door shining a ray of light on the blackened road of a cul-de-sac in lil 'o' Kentucky.