Yes. I did. I changed the name to Cody. A new chapter will come, oh, maybe monday- tuesday? What say y'all?

Cody's got a lot on her mind... moving to Cali, meeting a new family, talking to ghosts. You know, just like every other teenager- Umn. NOT. Now there's a hot ghost haunting her bedroom who won't go to rest because the woman he loves is missing! Not her body- her soul. How's Cody gonna get out of this mess? (SxJ)

Chapter 1

There are palm trees.

Sure, they told me it would be cold, but they said nothing about palm trees. For some reason, my new familia didn't tell me about the palm trees.

I looked around me from my view on flight 215, a flight from Boston to Carmel. Dressed in my ever-so-comfy black hoodie and ripped jeans, I caught a chill in the air, despite my warm dress.

Of course, I was worried about my new family, having met them only once. You see, my Dad found this dating website – Eharmony or something – and totally hooked up with this widowed chick in Cali. They got married last summer, and the only reason I hadn't moved in with them yet is because Dad wanted me to finish the school year, my freshman year. I'd been living with my grandmother all year and was finally out of her cat infested house- Ah, to breathe again!

Anyways, the plane touched down and I was back on my land legs, though very, very wobbly. As I was hopping off the platform leading from plane to airport, minding my own business, saying excuse me to everyone I came near, suddenly- looming out of nowhere;

"Welcome to California, Cody!"

"Good God, this is not happening." I muttered and averted my eyes, hoping that by some inconceivable chance someone else in the airport was waiting for their crazy family to pick them up.

"Sweetie! Over here!" I looked up, feeling my face grow warm as I stared at my father.

Ok, about my Dad. He's no Ricky Martin but he certainly isn't ugly. Plus, he's extremely nice and caring, always sticking up for me, and now his new family. However, when he says sweetie, it just doesn't sound right. I feel like his middle-aged lover.

Oh, how I've begged him not to call me 'sweetie'. Does he listen? Kind of. I'll bet you were about to say 'no' right along with me. Heh. You were wrong.

"Dad! How many times?" I muttered under my breath so that only my dear, beloved father could hear.

"Don't ruin the moment," he playfully hit me on the head.

"Like, welcome to Cali, Cody!"

Ow. The whole 'like' thing just totally killed me as I looked into the eyes of my new, college-bound sister. Blonde hair, blue eyes, tan skin- the perfect image of a valley girl, not to mention the perfect stereotype.

"Thanks, Jackie." I said in the sincerest voice possible.

I looked over the rest of my family; Andrea, my new mom, was tall with brown hair and blue eyes, a beautiful figure to fit a beautiful person. She looked way too young to be the same age as Dad. Lauren, brown hair, brown eyes, tan skin, tall, pretty- but not gorgeous. She was such a pain, being the same age as me and a million times more immature. For some reason, she hated me. I don't know what the hell I've ever done to her, but she- no, hate is not a strong enough word. Loathes me. Yeah, that sums it up.

The youngest is Tanya. She's the sweetest, shyest, smartest kid I'll ever know. I love her to pieces! The rest of her family is a little iffy, but with her I feel at ease- and she was only thirteen too!

"Yes, welcome, Cody!" Tanya's large, round green eyes stared into my own, brimming with truth and joy.

"Thanks," I said nonchalantly, though, truthfully, the sign kind of touched me.

"Well, we should be getting to the car then, eh?" Dad, finally, interjected and began to lumber off in the direction of the car.

Finally. Dear God, finally. We reached home hours later. Another thing my Dad didn't tell me- 99 Pine Crest Road (where our house was) was kind of in the middle of nowhere. Why, God, why?

Anyways, we got to my new home. It's beautiful. Simply gorgeous. Dad's a handyman so he was able to fix the place up all fancy and the like.

"Used to be a hotel." Dad said at my stare.

"Used to be? You mean- it's old?" Uh-oh. Old meant trouble.

"Quite. It was made around the 1850's and it wasn't called a hotel back then. It was called a boarding house." Tanya squeaked in with a fact.

"That's… old… shoot…" I was in soooo much trouble.

"Why? You don't like it?" Andrea looked extremely worried for some reason.

I gulped and smiled casually, "Ah, I love it, actually. It's just that it's… old. I have a – uh, thing, we'll say- about old places."

"You know what they say," Tanya said, "the older the place, the more ghosts hang around."

"That's exactly what I was afraid of." I sighed and followed Dad and the others carrying my bags into the house.