1: Home Sweet Hell

Kali:

We were moving again.

For the third time in two years, I had to leave my school, the friends I had barely made and the life I had just begun to get accustomed to, because of one person.

Growing up, moving never meant anything to me. As a clumsy child, I had naively believed it was nature’s way of giving me a second chance each time I messed up, but I was almost sixteen now, and it no longer made sense.

“We’re almost there,” mom squealed, peering at us from the rearview mirror, but I glared in return. How could she be excited at a time like this?

I didn’t bother to plaster a smile on my face, even when Olive, my little sister looked up at me with a small smile on her face, waiting for my reaction.

Nothing about moving here should cause anyone to smile.

“The new house is bigger,” mom cheered on, probably thinking her excitement would rub off on her two daughters. “You’ll have separate rooms this time, no need to share anymore. The neighborhood is very peaceful and beautiful and I’m sure you’ll blend right in. I’m sure this is the place for us.”

I scoffed and looked away.

“Just like Primrose and then Dreville were, right?” I muttered drily, remembering the last two places we had been before now.

Mom sighed.

“I know it’s a lot to take in, but you have to understand. I don’t do this because I want to. Just give this place a try. I put a lot of thought into it,” she said.

“I’m tired of giving new places a try. In the next few months you’ll find yet another place that’s even somehow better than this ‘wonderful’ estate we’re moving into and then we’ll have to move just when I start blending in.” I crossed my arms over my chest to keep my anger from showing too much, but it was not possible. I didn’t want Olive to see us argue, but with a mom like ours who could break your arm and give you a million reasons why it was the right thing to do in a nurturing voice while she bandaged you up, it was inevitable.

The car stopped in front of a very tall building and after a few minutes, the garage door opened and my mom drove in. As we stepped out of the car, I immediately felt uncomfortable.

The large building could have housed a hundred people at once. I couldn’t imagine adding to that number. Although only a few heads peeked out to look down at us, I could imagine there were several more people stealing glances at us from their windows, wondering who their new neighbor was.

“It’s so big, Kali,” Olive whispered as she got out of the car and held onto my arm. I pressed my lips in a thin line; the closest thing I could do to a smile as I looked down at her. Mom was discussing with someone I supposed was the building manager because of the technical way he spoke about the house.

“We’ll be living with hundreds of strangers, thanks to mom,” I said drily.

My mom shot me a disapproving glance when she heard what I told my sister. I rolled my eyes.

“Gee, mom,” I muttered when she was done with her conversation and opened the trunk of the car for us to start bringing out our things. “I can already see how perfect this place is. When you said the house would be big, I didn’t know you meant big enough to house hundred people packed like sardines. The neighbors are so inviting, not one person has even said a word to us since we got here. The cracks on the wall should be nothing to worry about. Even the dirt plastered everywhere…”

“Can you just shut up!” She snapped at me in a loud voice, even I jumped. Olive hugged me tighter. The hushed tones I had been hearing from all over, quietened. “Why can’t you just understand? Why can’t you just be supportive? Must you make everything about you? Why can’t you act as if you have sense for once? You know the only reason we had to move here was because your dad found us. If you hadn’t convinced your sister to make that call…”

“So this is all my fault?” I snapped back, interrupting her. “Is it my fault you got pregnant not once, but twice for a psychopath that hates you so much?”

I couldn’t believe I had said that about my own dad, but no matter how much I loved him, it was the half truth.

“Go ahead. Announce this to the whole world. Maybe for the first time, we’ll have to move for different reasons…” my mom argued, waving her hands in the air.

“Stop!” Olive cried, placing her palms over her ears with her eyes closed. “People are watching.”

In our rage, we had forgotten there were others here, watching us curiously. And now, after this outburst, they now understood that their new neighbors had daddy issues. Yikes.

“I’m so sorry,” I said, bending to Olive’s level and hugging her small body. “I won’t let that happen again.”

My mom said nothing for a while, just looked between my sister and I, and then around and chuckled nervously at the people poking their heads out shamelessly to watch the drama unfold.

“Can we unpack now?” She asked, smiling at me. “Your three thousand dollar theatre lessons really paid off. One would really think your father was after us. But now is not the time to practice your acting skills, silly. You can do that in school, not here with me. I’m tired of helping you play out your script again…”

“Let’s just unpack.” I said, unable to deal with hearing her voice anymore.

Who did she think she was fooling?

Taking a deep breath, I pulled out two big boxes from the trunk of the car and started to move them toward the elevator, following the man my mother had been speaking to earlier, while Olive trailed along behind me.

“Welcome to Sunrise Valley,” the man said with a smile. “Your mother said you’ve never been here. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”

“Thank you,” I said politely. “Welcome to hell,” I whispered to my self.