"And from West seventy-sixth avenue you are gonna turn..." I squinted hard on the small map in my hands. "Right."

"Where next?" My mom leaned over.

The car began to slowly turn to the left. "Mom!" I put my hands out in front of me. "Watch the road."

"Oh sorry, hun," she apologized with a slight grin.

"Geez," I sighed. "Why are you smiling?"

"Just trying to lighten the mood," she flashed her perfect smile in my direction.

"Whatever," I mumbled, holding up the map again.

The car came to an abrupt stop. "Rosie," she put her hand on the center console between us. "I've had about enough of your attitude. All you've done is complained and whined this whole trip and I am going to ask you to change this attitude right now before we see my sister because if you have this attitude around her and your cousin, you will lose privileges. You understand?"

I rolled my eyes and sank down into the passenger seat. "Yeah," I muttered.

"What was that?" she questioned.

"Yes ma'am."

"Good," she pulled of the side of the rode and began driving again. "That's what I like to hear."

We pulled into my aunt and uncle's house soon enough and as I was unbuckling, my mom's hand slid over and held my hand clutching the buckle. "Hey," she spoke softly. "This is a fresh start for you."

She looked around the car to Lucas, who was in the back drawing something. She placed her other hand on his knee to get his attention. "This is a fresh start for all of us."

"We know," Lucas spoke for me.

Lucas didn't like the situation either, but it didn't affect him as much as it affected me. "Yeah, me too." I smiled.

I decided that the easiest way for everyone to leave me alone was to act like I was fine. It's what I do since it's what I'm good at.

We all got out of the car and trudged up to the front door. My mom rang the doorbell and turned to us to make sure we looked even the slightest happy to be here. The front door opened and there appeared my Aunt Janice. She quickly unbolted the screen door and pushed it open to engulf my mom in a hug, while squealing in the process like a little girl.

I always liked my Aunt Jan. She was very real and honest with people, even if they wouldn't wanna hear the truth.

"Linnnnn!"

"Jannnn!"

The two women squealed in unison as my brother tapped me on the shoulder and motioned for me to lean down so he could whisper something in my ear. "They sound like you when you see your friends."

I playfully smacked his arm and smiled. "Shut up," I whispered.

I heard a gasp. "Oh how you've grown, Rosie!" The blonde woman came up to me and hugged me tightly.

When she released she still held me in her arms and looked me up and down. "I mean, I'm supposed to, right?" I flashed her a smile.

"Yes, of course, but you grew up to look so different from when I last saw you," she continued. "And you didn't have these," she motioned to my boobs

"Jan stop it," my mom demanded as I laughed hysterically.

"Oh you know I'm just kidding," she patted my mom on the forearm. "Oh sorry you guys have been standing out there, come on in!"

"Women," Lucas pretended to gag and roll his eyes.

As we entered, my Uncle David had approached us. "Hey Linda, hey Rosie, hey Lucas!"

He proceeded to give us all side-hugs and then stand back with his wife, resting his arm around her. "Well, you guys can come into the kitchen. Dinner is almost ready," Aunt Jan spoke to us.

"Oh that's very sweet but we'll have to pass."

I was very perplexed when my mom said that. Usually she would totally be up for a family meal. "Oh why not?" my aunt looked disappointed.

"Well, I want Luke and Rose to make themselves at home first. Y'know, unpack and unload," she forced a laugh at the end.

"I see," she looked down. "Well, if y'all need want to come over later when you guys are done, we have a cake from Griffin's birthday that needs to be eaten."

"Speaking of that, is he here?" Lucas spoke up.

"Uh yeah, he's upstairs," she motioned to the stairs to left of us. "He should be in his room finishing homework but I don't think he's mind seeing you."

Lucas ran up the stairs to Griffin's room. I chuckled and made my way up too.

Lucas barged through his door. "Gee, what ever happened to knocking?" I sighed.

Griffin looked up from his textbook and his whole mood changed. "Lucas! Lynn Lynn!" he exclaimed.

Him and Lucas ran to each other and gave the biggest embrace to each other. After they let go he bolted to me. "Hey Griff," I said as he nuzzled his face into my stomach.

"I missed you guys so much," he breathed out as he let go.

"Well now we're here to stay!" Lucas grinned.

"Really?!?" Griffin's happiness lit up the room. "You're dead-serious right?"

"As dead as Grandma," I chuckled.

Both boys looked at me with jaws dropped to the floor. "Woah it's really not that deep, but yeah, we are here to stay," I smiled.

Griffin shook his head and began to smile again. "We are gonna have so much fun this summer!"

Once we got home, which wasn't more than one block away from my aunt's house, I decided to plug in my Walkman and tune out the world. I let my mom know first because if she didn't know she'd probably think I'm mad at her.

I gathered my suitcases and took them up the stairs into my room. I took another two trips to get everything from the car to my room. My mom paid the moving guys ahead of time to bring all the furniture in ahead of time so all we'd have to do when we got there was take off all the bags off of them and set everything we brought with us up.

My room had everything in it, but I just need to rearrange everything before I started unloading my stuff from the boxes.

I put my bed in the left corner, near the window, my nightstand next to it, my desk on the right side of the room and my dresser was next to my desk. It was a fairly small room, but it was big enough for me, and that's all that matters.

Waterloo by ABBA began to blast in my ears as I began putting my sheets on my bed. I put every knick-knack in its place in my room.

After about an hour or two I was done. I stood back and felt content. I then laid back and stared at the ceiling for a minute. It looked so... blank.

I ran down the hall to my brothers room. "Hey Luke?" he turned around from putting a Fantastic Four poster on his wall.

"Mhm?" he acknowledged me.

"Do you have any of those glowing stars that go on the ceiling? I know you said you had some but I was just wondering if you threw them away or not," I spoke quickly to get my point across.

"Uh, I think so? Lemme check," he replied as he began digging through a box that had 'Miscellaneous' scribbled across the side of it.

He pulled out a clear plastic bag with an opened box of stars in it. "Here," he said tossing them to me.

"Thank you," I said leaving his room.

"No problem."

After hanging them, I felt accomplished. My room was finally perfect. As I headed downstairs to see if my mom needed help, a knock on the door could be heard. "Comin'!" I heard my mom holler as she speed-walked to the front door.

A ginger woman and a man with black hair stood at our door, the woman holding a dish which i assumed to be a casserole in. Behind them stood three girls: one with black hair, which was the tallest, and two with red hair, one my height and the other rather short who looked to be around five or six.

"Hello! We're your new neighbors! I'm Annie Stanley and this is my husband Isaiah," the woman, Annie, enthusiastically spoke.

"Well, hello there! I am Linda Nixon," my mom extended her arm out to the two, shaking each of their hands. "Please, come in."

The five stepped in, the little one clutched to her mothers leg. "You can put that on the counter if ya'd like? And who are you?" my mom pointed at the tiny girl.

"Oh that's Erica," the redhead smiled. "She's pretending to be shy, but in reality, she's anything but that!"

The two women laughed together. "Oh! And these are my other children; Emily and Estelle," she motioned to the two girls sulking behind her.

"Nice to meet you," my mom spoke.

"You too, Ms. Nixon," the black-haired girl smiled.

"Oh! Please, call me Linda. 'Ms. Nixon' make me sound old!" the three girls laughed in unison along with a chuckle from the other family's parents.

My mom looked around the room and made eye contact with me. "Here she is!" she walked over to me and pulled me over to the family. "This is my daughter, Rosalyn."

The older girl looked at me hesitantly but then greeted me. The younger redhead smiled at me and extended her arm. "Hi, I'm Estelle, but you can call me Essie."

I returned the favor and shook hands with her. "Nice to meet you! I'm Rosalyn, as my mom said, but you can call me Rose, or Rosie. Honestly you can call me anything I don't care that much."

The two of us made ourselves comfortable on the couch as Emily continued to talk with the adults. Erica was running around my house going into every door open.

About an hour goes by and the Stanley parents were ready to go. Even though Essie was my first friend, I had a feeling we'll be pretty good friends. I mean, I at least need one friend to get through the summer and I think it'll be her. She has a really sweet personality and I think we can get close. I found out she likes ABBA and Bowie which makes me really happy to have someone with such cultured taste as me.

I got ready for bed and relaxed out onto my bed. As I was about to go to bed, my mom popped in. "So, not so bad as you thought it would be, huh?"

"Honestly, no. I really think I could get used to this place."

"I'm glad to hear," she smiled heartily. "Well good night, darling. I love you."

"I love you too mom, good night."

She flashed one more smile before flicking the light off and leaving my room.

'I think I could actually get used to this place,' I thought before I drifted to sleep for the first time in my new home.