Starting Over

Starting Over 

By: Elan Leem

“All right, we’re here,” Dad said as he opened the car door. I was jittery all over. I stepped out of our rustic blue Honda and marveled at our new home. Wow. It was…big. Tall, wide, modern. Picture this: white walls, wide windows, wide tile front yard with palm trees, shouting “exciting tropical vibe.” I peered through the side door to the backyard. It was big. I think I saw a pool. Dad opened the trunk and pulled out a few big suitcases. My flip-flops slapped my heels as I took steps. “You excited?” I shrugged. Maybe, maybe not. I wasn’t the excited type. I’m not sure I was very exciting, either. Probably not to Lindsay. Maybe she was just faking all her kind and generous moves to me, to just get me on my side so I’ll be happy when she marries my father. I feel angry just thinking about it. Maybe she was just all on Dad. But how was I supposed to live in the shadow? I’d been in the light all the time. With Dad, at least. Not until stupid, smart, that dumb blonde Lindsay came along and stole the spotlight. 

”Welcome!” Lindsay said in a sweet, drippy voice. I glared up at her and tried not to snap at her, “I didn’t even want to come here! I would love living here if it weren’t for you!” But I just fake-smiled and bit my lip when I hugged her, trying not to shudder but also breathe in the aroma of lavender perfume on her light peach skin. Dad came in and planted a kiss on her cheek. “We’re so excited, Lin.” Typical Dad. I guess he got over it soon. The tragedy was pretty big to me. Did he love Mom as much anyway? Isn’t he basically betraying her to find a new wife so soon? I felt horrible about that, sourness dripping from my glassy eyes. I looked around the hallway and crossed over to the dining room. A classy setting completed the fancy Lindsay house. A candlestick like Lumieré in Beauty and the Beast sat on the neat, wooden table, with a short stack of plain napkins under a fancy napkin weight. Matching, fabricated chairs circled the round table. A long, modern chandelier hung from the ceiling, lighting the room dimly. A bunch of wine glasses hung upside down from the wall on a glass shelf. It kind of looked like the new Steak 48 on the neighborhood Lindsay took us to between her home, California, San Diego, and our home, Fort Myers. It’s where Mom…I blink my eyes hard thinking about it. Mom left there. Because of the flooding. 

Fort Myers, even though known for its beautiful beaches and tropical sights, it was also known for it’s flooding. And when Mom and Dad moved here when Mom was pregnant with me, they moved to the closest house they could to the beach so they could spend their days with me playing in the sun. Until I turned around 6. The flooding started. It would flood the whole place, destroying homes and destroying everything. Especially the houses closest to it. Sometimes when the students rush home from school because there was flooding, I would find my home five feet deep in water. And after Mom almost drowned after playing in the beach with my new baby brother, Umami, Mom left. With Umami. That’s when Lindsay, the real estate agent, came to deal with the crumbling houses. And that’s when Dad saw her. I miss Mom so bad. I shrugged it off and turned to Lindsay, who was talking with Dad. “James, when will we start…?” Dad chuckled and said, “I don’t know. Too soon to start planning! We’ve just moved in here.” What are they saying? I huffed. “Oh,” Lindsay said, turning to me. Had she just noticed I was standing here with my new backpack Lindsay had bought for me(since my old belongings were drenched in water because of flooding and tore apart), and my suitcase(that Lindsay also bought for me. I guess she’s nice to me…but it can also be part of a plot!(Yes, I’m still holding on to that thought.)) Lindsay smiled and said, “We’re thinking of sending you to a new school here, Brigitte.” I fake-smiled and said, “wow! I’m so excited!” Even though I was freaking out. 

I went upstairs to my room and looked around. Clean white walls, a twin bed with crisp white sheets and matching bedding pushed against the opposing wall, a small, reach-in closet, blank, waiting to be filled Brigitte-style. There was modern, wooden desk on the middle of the right-side wall, with a lamp and a hard white rollie chair. Nothing much other than that, maybe a big dark gray bean bag next to a large, white storage cabinet on the left wall. Oh—and also a circular gray rug in the middle. Blank, waiting to be characterized. I set down my large dark-green suitcase and opened it. I took out my pajamas, folded them neatly, and placed them in the lowest drawer on the storage cabinet. Then I put my other clothes in the storage cabinet, leaving the reach-in closet blank. After I put every single thing I had in place, I checked the suitcase one more time…and pulled out a rabbit. 

Not a real rabbit, of course, just a doll. Chunks of fur ripped off at various places, one cute button eye gone, leaving a place with a stain of hot glue where the eye was supposed to be. Raggedy and straggled, this doll was nothing to look at. But it was special to me. Mom had given it to me the day before she ran away. All of us were oblivious that Mom was planning to escape Fort Myers—until the next morning when we saw a note on the countertop. 

The next day I arrived at Jingles Harbor Private School. It was…big. Modern. Looked a little classy to me. Maybe even a little bit mean. I got out of Lindsay’s Tesla. “Wait, Brigitte!” She called out through the window. I turned. “What?” Lindsay touched my cheek and said, “I’m sorry that you don’t have your real mother…” a lump formed in my throat. “But I’ll try my best to make up for it.” 

My feelings about Lindsay had changed a little. Was all she wanted just to be my new mother? Maybe not a mother, but at least to make up for it? Maybe. I stepped into the school and marveled. It was fancy and pretty. The campus was pretty wide. I took off my backpack and looked around to see if I had everything. Folder? Check. Pencil case? Check. Some books? Check. New Apple Watch? Check! The Apple Watch was the most surprising thing so far. “Open your backpack,” she said. I had opened it and gasped. “Thought you might have needed a device to fit in,” I had mustered a smile and said, “thanks, Lindsay.” I slipped my new, smooth gray Apple Watch, the biggest model, on my left wrist. I zipped my backpack on again and bounced nervously to the line. 

“Hello, Mrs. Nimm.” I squeaked when I met her, trying to ignore the stares of the kids watching me. Trying to ignore the whispers. “Welcome, Briggite! Welcome to Jingles Harbor. I’m sure you’ll have lots of fun in your seventh grade class.” Right then, Mrs. Nimm snapped her fingers. “Mona!” She yelled. A girl stepped forward. She looked mysterious. Long, straight dark brown hair, pale skin and deep green eyes. She was skinny, wore fabricated dark green clothing, silent and sheepish. “Hi, Bridget.” I corrected her. “It’s Briggite. Bry-gote.” Mona shrugged. “Sorry.” She muttered. This was turning out to be an awkward conversation. “Mona will give you a tour of the school once you settle in.” Mrs. Nimm said darkly, clearly unhappy of Mona’s enclosed personality. 

I walked in and found a desk with a nametag on it that said “Briggite.” Each desk was connected to another desk, in pairs. The seventh graders all turned their heads to stare at me in the back. There was a girl named Kylie who sat next to me. She had orange-brown hair with French curls at the tips. Long, thick eyelashes. She was taller(but not lanky. More like demanding) and wore a white, textured crop top that showed her shoulders. She had tan, shiny skin and full lips. Narrow, beautiful, chestnut eyes and dark, neat eyebrows. Her hair was silky and perfect. Long, manicured, gleaming pink nails. Her right wrist had an Apple Watch just like mine. The biggest model(but her wristband was navy blue and woven). She wore skinny, ripped jeans and Jordan sneakers. She stared at me and narrowed her eyes. She was beautiful enough to be a model. I noticed a large, light pink Stanley on her desk. She’d decorated her nametag,(Kylie Brown,)with hearts and doodles. Her golden hoop earrings jingled. I looked around. Everybody looked from me to Kylie. I heard whispering and looked at the paired desks next to us. There was a boy and a girl. The girl whispered to the boy and I heard something. “…popular girl…” ”…ruin her life…” “…unless…” 

”Hi…” I muttered to Kylie. She looked down at me. “Hi.” She said in a deep voice. Something told me that she was no good. No good at all.

The bell rang and I bumped into three kids who were my age. One of them was a girl who wore a classy uniform skirt and jacket. The jacket wasn’t buttoned, so I could see a crisp white shirt and a tie that matched the skirt. The jacket was soft white, and it looked cozy. In fact, all three of them were wearing the uniform. On the right side of the jacket, there was a small plaque that said the student’s name and “Jingles Harbor, Christian Private School.” There was one boy, who wore glasses and instead of a skirt, plaid, navy blue khakis and a matching, crisp jacket. He wore glasses and had freckles. Tousled, messy brown hair. He kind of looked like Harry Potter, but cuter. The two girls were “Zoey Harbor” and “Melinda Harbor.” The boy was “River Harbor.” I figured they were siblings. Zoey had her bangs cut, dark brown hair just like River. She also had freckles. So did Melinda. She had brown hair, too, but with a streak of white. She had a high ponytail with a scrunchie that matched her skirt. Preppy. They all wore a bracelet that had a seashell charm hanging from it. “Oh, sorry.” I muttered sheepishly. “It’s okay. You the new kid?” River asked. “Yeah, I’m Briggite. Bry-gote. I’m from Fort Myers.” Zoey raised her eyebrows and widened her wide, doe eyes. “Really? That’s 35 hours from here or so! Did you move because of the flooding?” “Yup. Also, my dad moved in to his girlfriend Lindsay’s house.” Melinda rolled her eyes. “Sorry ‘bout that, Zoey’s a big social studies nerd. She knows everything about all the cities and countries.” Zoey blushed and stuck her tongue out at her. “We’re all siblings, I’m Zoey, that’s Melinda, and that’s River. But you can call him Harry Potter.” I giggled. “I know!” I’m proud to say I think I made three new friends. On the first day! 

Finally, Winter Break started. I’d come to school just the week before. I gasped at the giant Christmas tree that Lindsay and Dad had put up when I came home. Lindsay wore a Santa hat—so did Dad—and offered a bowl full of candy canes. “Want one?” She asked. I’d warmed up to Lindsay over the week. Maybe she wasn’t so bad after all. “Sure,” I took one and bit into the delicious, minty sweet. “Happy Winter Break!” Dad said, coming in and giving me a giant bear hug. “Dad!” I groaned. We spent the dinner happy together. But there was lots of whispering and looks between Dad and Lindsay. I wondered what was going on. 

Then came Christmas Eve. I sat under the Christmas Tree, on the white rug facing a warm fire. I sipped a mug of hot cocoa in fuzzy socks and pajamas, glancing up every so often to catch a glimpse of Santa. My phone vibrated in my pocket with a ding. I took it out(Dad bought me a new IPhone 16.) It was Melinda. We had made a group chat—Me, River, Zoey, and Melinda. We called ourselves the Four Musketeers. I know it’s a bit childish for seventh graders, but it makes me happy anyway. Kids in class had warmed up to me. I think Mona warmed up to me, too, even. She talked more and more to me and showed more respect, reactions, emotions. But I feel sorry for her. She looks lonely. No one really talks to her, maybe just whispers about her behind her back. I think I’m her best friend. I looked at myself in the reflection of the phone. Sometimes, even, I wanted to look just like Kylie. Tall, glamorous, exotic and fashionable. I figured out soon that Kylie was the most popular girl in our grade. And she was mean. I think I was right about the feeling that she was trouble. Always followed by Christine, Jamara, Giddette, and Lopelia. Those kids were her “crew.” Kinda weird but also interesting. Ding! My phone vibrated again. 

Melmel2024: it’s almost Christmas!!!!! Merry C!!

Briggiettar Kae Lindar: merry christmas 

River joined in. 

TheamazingRivian: big name…I’ll just call you BKL. 

Melmel2024: Harry Potter!! That’s not nice. You have an extended name, too—Rivian Loren Harbor. 

Zoey Harbor: oh—did you know our dad is Jonathan Harbor? The principal of Jingles Harbor—and our mom created the school? She named it after her old dog, Jingles and our last name, Harbor. 

Briggietarr Kae Lindar: just popping in, Zoe? And yes, I already knew that. Two by two together, dude. 

“Briggite?” Lindsay jolted me from my texting. “Um…yeah?” I said nervously. “I’m happy you made friends. I’m best friends with Narnia Harbor. You know, the founder of Jingles Harbor. She always talks about how her children are best friends with you! I’m really glad you like it there.” I bit my lip. Who did she think she was, to snoop into my life? I stopped myself from rolling my eyes and shrugged. “Whatever.” I said, raising my shoulders, and turned away from her. “Briggiettar Kae Lindar!” Dad boomed. Uh oh. Always bad when he calls me by my full name. I slowly turned around. “Um…” I stuttered, heart beating. “How dare you say that to your stepmother?” Then I exploded. 

“STEPMOTHER?!!” I screamed. “First you meet her, then the next second she’s my mother? Did you forget about mom? My real mom?” My dad breathed heavily, eyes almost bugging out, his face tomato-red. Lindsay seemed like she was holding back tears. “Go to your room!” Dad yelled. That’s not fair! I can’t believe it! “But—” 

“Now!” I huffed angrily and stomped upstairs. 

I sat on my bed, now decorated with plushies, heart-shaped pillows, and soft blue bedding. I stared at the window next to my bed. Stars twinkled above the sky. The silence,(though I’m don’t want to admit it) gave me a sense of calm. Maybe…just maybe, there was problem with Lindsay. Maybe I was just overreacting. Maybe she was just…just trying to be a good mom. 

I blinked my eyes open. Weak light shone down onto me, warming my face. Birds chittered. I checked my alarm clock on my nightstand. 9:56. It was Christmas! I hopped out of bed, still in my nightgown, rushed downstairs. Sure enough, there was one giant present under the Christmas tree. What’s this? Anyway, I ripped my present open and…there was a dog inside! A beautiful, golden dog. He’s a Labrador, I think. He(or she?) jumped out and immediately started licking my face. “Oh my god!” I squealed, unable to contain my excitement. ”I’m naming you…” I thought for a moment. “Kara.” Dad came downstairs and, despite yesterday, smiled slightly at me. “What’s her name?” I took a deep breath. I don’t know if he’ll like it. “Kara.” Dad looked at me, eyes wide. He put a hand on my shoulder. “Are you sure?” I smiled. “Yes.” 

“Merry Christmas, Briggite…” Lindsay said shyly, still in her nightgown and slippers, a cup of coffee in her hand. I rushed over, and taking her by surprise, hugged her. “Oh!” Lindsay yelped, almost dropping her cup of coffee. “Thank you, Lindsay.” I don’t know why, but I knew the dog was from her. “What are you naming her?” Lindsay said, after overcoming her shock. “Kara.” She gasped. “After...your mother?” I took a breath. I was ready. “Yes. Thank you…” I stared into her deep blue eyes. “Mom.”