Eliza just moved from a tiny town that no one has heard of, unless they have lived there, to a giant, rich city with snobby people. Her mother had just gotten a promotion and moved herself and her children to the city. Eliza doesn't even care, because she doesn't have any friends. But she doesn't know if she'll be able to hide in the shadows anymore.

Tomorrow is her first day of school, and her mother is going crazy. She has a five year old, a ten year old and a 13 year old that have to get ready for school, she has a house full of boxes that need to be sorted through and she has the new responsibility of being the vice-president at her work. She is under a lot of pressure, even though she is putting all of it on Eliza.

Being the oldest, she has to do the hard work for her mother and siblings because it turns out, if her mother isn't at her job, she is lazy. So, while her mother lays down watching Tv on the couch, Eliza is taking care of her brother, Aiden and her sister, Sadie, along with cleaning the house and cooking food. And once school starts, she'll have homework to do, too.

Being the oldest is harder than it looks.

"Sadie, can you please go and sort the boxes in your room and then help your brother clean up the mess?" asked Eliza tiredly. 

"Do I have to?" Sadie whined. Being a ten year old sister, she could be annoying. She also took her mother's trait of being lazy.

"Yes. Can you please do this one thing for me?" Eliza begged. 

"Fiiiiiiiiine!" Sadie said. 

"I'm coloring!" Aiden said. He was five, and a pain in the butt. He might seem all adorable and easy to handle, but don't leave him fool you.

 "Yes you are. Now how about you clean up your markers and then work on your picture on the table instead of the carpet," Eliza cooed. Everyone treats him like he was still a baby, even though he is five and going into kindergarten the next day. She used to hate him and she used to hate her sister, by now she loves them, no matter how annoying they are.

Eliza finally decided to go and do the laundry. "Mom, can you please watch your children for awhile?" She asked her mother. 

"Yes, yes, dear. Go do the laundry. I'll watch them," she said distractedly. 

"Ok. Good. Sadie is sorting the boxes in her room and Aiden is drawing. Now, stop watch in Tv." Eliza turned the Tv off. 

"Oh fine." Her mother whined. It was like having three kids of her own. Her mother and siblings acted like she was the mom.

Finally, Eliza went to the basement of the apartment building that she lived in to do the laundry. She didn't really like her apartment. It was so small compared to her old home. Even though she had lived in a tiny town, her family had lived in a big house. It had belonged to the mayor forty years before. Her father was the grandson of him.

Eliza thought of when she found out her father was dying. She was eight then, with a five year old sister and a brother on the way. Her dad had come home after a long day at work, carrying his brief case. Her dad was an accountant. He had sat down on the couch and Eliza had jumped on his lap. He had hugged her and played with her brown hair, which was shoulder length at the time, but is now to the middle of her back. 

He had closed his eyes and sighed. "Elly, we have a lot trouble ahead of us." He had said. 

"What do you mean?" 

He sighed again. "I have something to tell you. And your sister and mother. But I want to tell you first." 

Eliza squirmed. "What is it, daddy?" She asked. 

Tears were running down his face. "Do you remember when I took all those tests at the doctors office?" He asked. 

"Yep. I asked to come along but you said no." 

Her dad answered,"That's right. That's because you're old enough to figure it out. The doctor calls today and said that I have pancreatic cancer. He said I only have two weeks to live." 

Eliza started crying," But you don't look sick. You look fine. Maybe the doctor was lying. And that isn't good to lie about." 

Her father said,"I am sorry Eliza. They found it too late and even though I am not hurting, it is still incurable. I'm sorry Eliza." 

She was crying hard now.

"It is going to be hard telling you mother and sister." 

Eliza said, " I can tell them for you." Then she ran to her mother and stated,"Daddy is dying. The doctor said so." 

Her mother looks pale and then ran into Lisa's dad's arms. 

Sadie walked in and asked,"Why at mommy and daddy crying?" Since her parents were crying, she told Sadie. They all cuddled together, crying. The doctor was right. He died in two weeks. At least he died sleeping, so he wasn't in too much pain.

Her family has never been the same. Aiden wasn't born yet and Sadie was only five. But she remembers. And she was still sad about it.

Eliza realized that she was standing in the middle of the stairway, just thinking. She kept walking to the basement with the laundry. When she got there, she saw someone else already in there. Eliza was shy. She always has been. She has never had friends. And this was a boy. She has never really cared about boys. But this guy here, you'd call him cute.

She blushed at the thought and walked into the laundry room and started sorting. She sorted whites, darks, colors, whatever you could think of. She liked doing everything perfect. The boy looked right at her, but he kept work in on the laundry. He looked about her age and wasn't dressed all fancy like most of the kids she has seen in the city. He was just wearing simple jeans and a t-shirt. He has blonde hair and blue eyes. His smile lights up his face, and she loves everything about him. Well, his looks.

She realized she was staring straight at him. She blushed and kept working. The boy kept looking at her. Finally, he started talking. "Are you a new resident at this apartment building?" He asked. His voice was deep and he didn't have that weird accent she has heard everyone else talk in. 

She nodded her head, too shy to talk. 

"Cool. Are you going to South Junior High?" 

She shook her head yes again. 

"Cool. I go there. You'll like it." He smiled at her. "By the way, I'm Casey. What's your name?" 

Casey. Wasn't that a girl's name? Whatever. She liked it. She realized he had asked her a question and she answered,"I'm Eliza. But my friends-I mean family, call me Elly." 

He looked thoughtful. Then he said,"Eliza. I like it. Nice to meet you. Maybe I can show you around school tomorrow." He flashed a smile and continued, "And maybe you can sit by my friends and I. Unless you find a different friend to sit by." 

Wait, did he just call me his friend? She cleared her throat and asked, "I'm your friend?" 

He answered, "Of course. If you want me to be. I thought you would like a friend before you came to school." 

Eliza smiled and said, "Yes. That would be nice."

"Ok. Cool." He said, getting up to leave,"What's your apartment number by the way?" 

Eliza thought and said," 7A". Casey smiled and said, "That's funny. I am in apartment 7D" He laughed and said good bye, leaving Eliza alone with just her laundry. She couldn't wait for school tomorrow. Maybe it would be different.