Chapter Text
I rocked back and forth on my bed. To say I was nervous was the biggest understatement of the year. I was a new transfer from California to this tiny town in the middle of nowhere. I closed my eyes tightly and groaned. Our new house was titchy small compared to the one we had in California. I was kinda mad at my parents for making us move. Not mad, just really upset.
I had the perfect life in California. I had four best friends, I was popular, I had a great guy friend, my cousins were all there, we had a giant house compared to the one we lived in now- I inhaled sharply. I seriously had to stop thinking of my old home. It was making me even more upset.
Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I hopped off my bed and began shuffling through the boxes that covered the floor of my room. I still hadn't unpacked. Finding an oversized t-shirt, I slipped off the pajama top I was wearing and pulled the other one on. It was black and had a cat with sunglasses on it. I pulled out a pair of capris from the box of clothes and was just buttoning them on when someone knocked on the door.
"Just a sec-" I desperately yanked the pants the rest of the way on and breathed a sigh of relief. "Come in."
The door swung open and was stopped about half ways because of the unpacked boxes in front of it. My oldest brother peeked his head around the door. His chocolate brown hair hung in his eyes and matched his eyes. "Hey Nicky, you 'bout ready? The others are all ready to go."
"Yup." I nodded. Then I hesitated and looked at him. "Are you as nervous as I am? Or am I just being stupid?"
He blinked and stared back at me. "I am, actually. I thought I was the only one. Titus and Andy and Cameron are all super hyped so I thought I was being stupid." he chuckled nervously.
My breath came out in a whoosh and my shoulders relaxed. "Oh thank goodness."
Hudson smiled and ruffled my hair that was only a shade darker brown than his. "I think we're probably worrying about nothing." He said without much conviction.
"You're right." I admitted doggedly. As the oldest of us kids, he usually was right.
"Come on, we'll be late if we don't run."
I grabbed my grey and black backpack, swung it over my shoulder, and followed Hudson out the door, closing it securely behind me.
My dad was waiting on the driveway in our fifteen-seater van. It was brightly painted with the whole smatter of colors; red, yellow, purple, orange, blue, orange, pick, green, black, you name it. My brothers and I had painted it two years ago when there we’d discovered half-used buckets of paint in our garage and begged our parents to paint it. At first my dad had said no, and mom had said yes. But eventually they’d both agreed and gave us permission. That was before they’d split up.
Now as I clambered into the back seat along with Elijah as usual, it seemed almost like this could be a normal day.
“Everyone ready?” The Sir hollered back at us checking his rearview mirror and backing out into the road carefully. ‘The Sir’ was my dad of course. He’d learned that with eight noisy boys and an equally noisy tomboy that you have to be loud yourself to be heard.
“Ready Freddy!” We shouted back.
”Then off we go!” The Sir threw the van into drive and we pulled away, heading for school. The school where we didn’t anyone.
Suddenly my stomach felt sick. The trees flashed by in a blur. I was nervous. But I refused to show it.