Chapter One
"Do I look like I'm alright?" the words came out of Sophia's mouth before she could stop them. She knew her father wouldn't be very impressed with her attitude, but it was his fault, really. The thoughts and emotions were still running through her head from the bombshell that her dad had just dropped on her idyllic life.
x
Okay, so you look at me and you think, "What could possibly be wrong with her life?" I'll tell you: everything. It's not enough that in the middle of Year 9, my dad decides to pull me out of my grammar school, where I've been for the last three years. It's not enough that then, he moves us all to California – in a different CONTINENT. Oh no, instead of letting me use the one thing that might be good about moving to California – the beaches, in case you hadn't guessed – he then sends me off to boarding school. In Seattle, where instead of being sunny 99 of the time, from what I can gather it rains 99 of the time. So yeah, Dad. Thanks. So much.
We arrived in California in the middle of August. When I stepped off the plane, I was shocked at the blistering heat that hit me – it had be raining in England when we left, big surprise, and the entire plane had been air-conditioned. I was wearing my favourite green-and-grey hoodie that had cost me fifteen quid at H&M, a pair of black skinny Diesel jeans and lime-green Converse All Star trainers. My favourite outfit. Getting off the plane however, I quickly realized from the weird looks people were giving me that in America, or California at least, no one wore jeans in the summer. Board shorts, sure. Abercrombie and Fitch, why not? But a green-and-black outfit comprised of stuff from cheapy high store shops? Not so much. In fact, I could hardly see any black at all, apart from on this weird looking group of kids with straggly black hair who were dressed in massive black metal band concert T-shirts and baggy black jeans with numerous chains hanging from them. I made an instantaneous mental note to go shopping as soon as possible.
My parents and younger sister, Jessica, had arrived in CA a month earlier, but they had at least been considerate enough to let me finish the school year. Jess had just been pulled out of her primary school a month before the summer, so she had more 'time to adjust' to America. Thankfully, however, they let me finish my year at school before dragging me to the otherside of the planet. Finally, I saw them waiting for me on the other side of the airport. I hurried over, clutching my hand luggage - the rest of my stuff had ben sent over separately - and wishing fervently that they wouldn't do any of those embarrassing things parents and little siblings are prone to do.
I guess it was too much to hope for - the moment Jess spotted me she started running towards me, screaming 'Fiaaaaaaa!!!! Yooooouu're here!!!', and my parents quickly followed her, talking with those voices which seem to magically magnify whenever we're in public. 'Oh, Sophia, darling. We were wondering about when you were going to arrive - the plane was late and we were dreadfully worried about you!' they fussed.
'Jeesh!' I replied, 'I'm only 10 minutes late for God's sake - I'm totally fine.' Obviously this was not the best thing to say. Despite trying to adopt the whole 'relaxed parents' thing, my parents were still the same tightly wound, stressed out weirdoes that they were back in England. The giant grins which they had implanted onto their faces were immediately wiped off and replaced with the more familiar you're-in-big-trouble-young-lady face that I knew so well.
'Now, young lady, we need to have a talk about your attitude prob..' my dad started, but thankfully he was cut off half way by Mum, or Mom as I guess I'd better start calling her, who whispered urgently to him, 'Not now, Richard. It can be saved until we get home.'
Great. Now I know that the moment I get home, there's a lovely argument waiting, all about how I'd better show more respect to my elders blah blah blah.
The journey back to the house my parents had purchased was a long one, elongated by the silence which had settled in the car. Eventually, my darling little sister piped up with, 'Fiaaaaa...'.
'Yes?' I replied, the tiredness in my voice clearly showing.
'Do you like America?'
'Um, well, I've only been here for half an hour so far, Jessy. I don't really know yet.'
'You'll LOVE it Fifi! It's amazing - we've got our own swimming pool and everything!'
'WHAT??' this they hadn't told me about. And, judging from the looks on my parents faces as they turned to look at Jess, they hadn't been planning to tell me about it either. It was going to be a surprise. But, like lots of things in my life, it had been ruined.
x
By the time we got home, the sun was starting to sink below the horizon, and I was exhausted - passing over four time zones does stuff to your head - although it was only 8pm, in my head it was nearing midnight, and I was shattered.
I headed straight upstairs into my room, guided faithfully by Jessica, not bothering to look round the rest of the house. Why bother? I was going to be stuck here for the next two months after all, I had plenty of time to look around. Opening my bedroom door and bidding good night to Jessy, I had just enough time to register that my parents had painted my bedroom white, and gotten that awesome patterned wall paper with red flowers on to cover one wall, just like I'd always wanted my bedroom to be in England. Then I collapsed onto my new bed, not bothering to get undressed I buried my head in the pillow and started crying, all the emotions I'd held back about the move flooding out in great salty drops of water. I cried myself to sleep, memories of good times with my old friends just adding to my sadness.