"I don't want to move." I said for the umpteenth time as I stared out my window and at the gorgeous skies of LA. I knew we had to, but that didn't mean I liked it. I had to leave my best friends and that was not okay with me.

"Max, we've been over this." My mother sighed, gripping the wheel so tight her knuckles turned white. Her usual warm brown eyes flcikered with worry as she watched the road. "We had to."

"Besides, the house is great," My little sister, Ella, said. She smiled at me reassuringly, but I just sighed. She tried again, her voice softer, "Besides, it means that we get to meet new people as well as connect with our old friends over time. Its not the end of the world, Max..."

I rubbed my face and started rifling through my bag, in search of my iPod and notebook, "Yeah... Alright." I shot her a quick, slightly forced smile then pulled out my black earbuds, which were connected to my orange iPod. "I'm going to try and rest before we get to the house," I sighed, leaning my seat back, getting a grunt from my older brother Ari, who was in the very back of the van.

I put the earbuds in, closed my eyes, and let the music take over me.

~

Twenty minutes later, my moms voice woke me, "We're here." Her voice was filled with cheeriness and slight worry as she took the key out of the ignition and turned to smile at us. "Come on, now. Everythings inside already. You'll love it."

I stared at the big, red brick house with a wrap around porch and giant windows. The roof was a dark brownish-red color and the door/window shutters were a dark brown. In front of the house was a large oak tree with a swing on one of the branches, along with a few wild daisies and butterfly bushes.

I pulled out my dffle and stared at the house, wishing it would go away and would be replaced by our way smaller ranch house. Damn, I hated LA already. Ella grabbed my hnd, pulling me into the doorway of the house ad I stared at the big recliers, the large couch, big TV, and then looked away.

"Ari, your bedroom is at the end of the hall, next to Ellas. Ella, yours is the second door on the right, and Max yours is the first door on the left. Max and Ella, you share a bathroom. And Ari--"

"Gets a bucket in the backyard?" I asked, fake hopefullness coloring my voice. My mother sighed and continued her instructions.

I walked up the carpeted stairs, when she was done explaining, to the first door. The wooden door was a simple white color with my name in foam blue letters. I stared at the door as Ella and Ari passed behind me, opening their bedroom doors, and shutting them. I vaguely heard Ella shout, "HECK YEAH!" before I opened my door slowly.

My walls were a soft lavender purple color, pictures and words floating across the wall. Above my bed a big wire 'M' and around that little dragonflies. My bed was a simple white headoard with no footboard, the covers a dark blue with little string flowers crawling up the covers like beatiful ivy. In the corner was a simple, white wood desk that had a can of pencils on it, a desk lamp hooked onto the wall and books/papers for my new school it looked like. My closet was a giant, walk in that could have been a second bedroom. I decided to make it into the Max cave. Next to my door was my bookseller filled with my favorite books of poetry and fantasy.

I set my duffle down and kicked off my berkenstocks, my socked feet hitting the soft carpet as I walked over to my desk, looking at my class schedule at LA Arts Highschool. Three of my classes were AP-Honors classes (Writing/Language, History, and Drama) while my other ones were ordinary. There was also a paper that had the best routes to each class and the times I would have a study hall.

I sighed, staring out the window that night, letting one simple tear fall down my cheek as I thought of my friends in Arizona, and how I ruined my life from being in that one stupid alley.

I laid my head on my pillow, staring at my cieling, shaking the memories out of my head.

This is for the best, I thought, sighing as my eyes closed. This is for the best.

Now, if only I could convince myself it was.