The Day I Lost Everything

I was only nine when my mom told me we were moving. She was marrying a man she had been dating for about two years now. He was a funny man. Always making puns and letting my youngest brother, Zach, climb him. He spent a lot of time doing math for fun and he would help us with our homework. I liked him but I hated that he was the reason we were moving away.

I had been living on that street since I was four. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to my school friends or my best friend, who was homeschooled, but I had too anyway. My four siblings and I slowly packed up our things getting ready to move a five-hour drive from our hometown.

My friends at school gave me hugs on my last day. I was going to miss them so much. I took the short walked home with my siblings none of us really speaking to each other. I wished I could've had a proper goodbye with my best friend, but she was in Germany for a week with her grandparents. I had so much I wanted to say, but I couldn't tell her any of it.

The day of the move finally came, and I wasn't ready. Our neighbors came by and helped us load the truck. My siblings and I helped where we could but even my older brother, he was eleven, couldn't help with the bigger stuff. All the boxes were in the U-Haul and my siblings were eating the last lunch we would have in this house. I couldn't bring myself to eat. I couldn't stomach it with all the thoughts racing through my head. What were my neighbors going to be like? What would it be like living with our new stepdad? Would I make any friends at my new school? How would we visit our dad? I didn't have any answers to these questions.

My family finished eating and, with my best friends address in my pocket, I climbed into the U-Haul with my brother and my mom. I took the window seat and we drove away from

the only home I'd ever known. It really hit me when we were on the freeway that I would probably never see those friends again. A sharp pain stabbed my chest and the tears finally fell. Silently, I cried as I watched my hometown fade in the distance, further and further away from my friends, my dad, and my home.

My brother and mom didn't say anything to me until we made our gas stop halfway through the trip. We hopped out of the U-Haul and headed into the gas station for snacks.

"You ready to switch seats with Eric?" My mom asked as

she waited for us to grab our snacks.

"Yeah," I nodded. My mom paid and we headed back to the truck. We climbed back in the car this time with me in the middle seat and Eric looking out the window.

"I'm glad you managed to sleep for so long," My mom

started the U-Haul and we headed onto the road again. It took me a second to realize that she thought I had been sleeping the entire ride. A stab of pain stuck in my chest. She couldn't tell I had spent the last two and a half hours crying.

"Yeah," I stared at my lap, and just muttered," I didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

"I'm sorry," Mom patted my leg, "I hope you sleep better tonight."

"Yeah, I hope so too," I shrugged, and we fell into silence. I reached into my bag and pulled out my book. I read until I got too car sick to continue. I watched as the scenery changed. first it was flat dry desert and huge rock formations. Soon, I could see the mountains in the distance, and they grew larger and larger as we got closer to our new home.

We entered the outskirts of the city. and then into the center. Skyscrapers towered over head and the huge temple shone in the sunlight. Then, into the suburbs until, eventually, we stopped next to our new home. My stepdad's car parked next to us.

We all climbed out of the cars and met our new next-door neighbors, our step cousins. Our new home was a two-story house with ivy climbing the blue, brick walls. The large backyard had five large trees, and a row of bushes along the far fence. Another, smaller tree stood in the front yard by the large porch. It didn't have our tiny clubhouse, but it looked like a nice place to play. Our step cousins helped us unload and little by little our belongings made their way into the house. After an hour and a half of hard work the U-Haul was empty and my mom and stepdad, Hank, drove off to return the U-Haul. My siblings and I sat on the floor inside eating a cheap dinner.

"What do you think our new school is going to be like?" Eric asked before shoving a chicken nugget in his mouth.

"I don't know but I hope its got a good play ground." I shook my head. I threw my trash away and sat back down and we chatted some more.

By the time my mom and Hank returned it was time for bed and we all filed to our rooms. I now shared a room with my two sisters, Alana and Ellie. The room was bigger than my old room but not by much. The three of us would be a bit cramped. Our mattresses were on the floor for now and I read a book to help Ellie sleep. Ellie and Alana fell asleep after the first chapter, and I stopped reading. I set my book down and pulled the paper out of my pocket. I stared at my best friends address and tears poured down my cheeks.

"I'll write to you soon," I whispered, "and I promise I'll never forget you."