Chapter One

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Noah and I load the last two boxes into the U-Haul.
I slid the door down and pull the latch shut, locking up eighteen years of memories, all of which include our old home. Dad found a new job in Ottawa, my mom didn't like the idea of my dad spending almost his whole week alone. That's why we started looking for houses and we finally found one.
I'm sure I won't love it here. Toronto is my hometown. I can't believe how we're leaving everything here, the only home I've ever known.
"Lilie, stop being such a downer" my mom says, handing me the keys to the house. "I think you will love Ottawa"
I was so pissed. "Mom stop being such an upper" I mimic my mother's tone, "I'm going to hate Ottawa."
She glanced at me letting me know that I should hurry up. I get the glance and walk up the porch steps and head inside the house to make a walk-through before the final turn of the key. The house was empty. It doesn't seem as thought I'm walking through the house where I've lived since the day I was born. I never thought about moving out our old home. I just expected it to happen at the earliest after the end of my senior year.
I was in the kitchen now when I started thinking about all the memories and friends I have here in Atlanta. How do I allow this? Leaving everything behind me and starting again? I wouldn't find new friends easily if we moved out, I'm sure. Noah walks into the kitchen to interrupt my flow of thoughts and worries. "Mom says to hurry Lilie" he says. I head back out the door, locking up my home for the very last time.

Noah is content with moving out. Well he's nine and  doesn't have as much memories as I got. He always tries to cheer me up. "You are an amazing sister. I'm sure you're going to make new friends there" he said to me when I was crying in my room. Although he's strange sometimes but I love my brother. We don't have this brother-sister-realationship. We are more like friends and I love that.

My mom, dad and I alternate driving my Jeep and the U-Haul. We complete the last exhausting two-hour stretch through the night. We close in on our new town and as I make a final right-hand turn onto our street, my GPS informs me that I've "reached my destination".
I'm not gonna lie, it looks like a decent neighborhood. The lawns are manicured and the sidewalks are clean. Our "home" was small. Really small compared to our real home. Since the door is open, I see an older man who I assume is our new landlord. He comes outside and wave.
I drive about fifty yards past the house so that I can back into the driveway, where the near of the U-Haul will face the front door. I look at Noah to see him sleeping. "Noah, wake up" I whisper, trying to wake him up. He stretches his legs out and yawns, then leans his forehead against the window to get a look at our new house.
"Hey, there's a kid in the yard!" He yells. "Do you think he lives in our home too?"
"He better not" I say. "He's probably a neighbor. Hop out and go introduce yourself" dad replies.
My parents get out as well and greet the landlord while I put the gearshift in park and roll down the windows. I look at Noah to see him already laughing with his new friend. I'm jealous of him. Jealous of the fact that he can accept the move so easily. He even found a new friend in couple minutes. Wow. I could never.
I mean I understand why we had to move and I'm sure that my dad is going to be happier if we were with him. But was it really necessarily?

I open the door and climb out. Noah's friend was standing behind him as if he was afraid of me. I was about to introduce myself when I realize that he wasn't afraid of me. He wasn't looking at me either. He was looking at a stranger who's coming from across the street. The stranger looks a couple years older than me and quite a bit taller. Well I'd guess he's 19. "Hot" would be how most girls would describe him, but I'm not most girls.
I think he's the brother of Noah's new friend. Unlike Noah and me, these two are unmistakable siblings. Aside from the obvious age difference, they're almost identical. They both have the same smooth olive skin, the same afro black hair, even the same hairstyle. They both have these blonde dreads.
"Elom, I told you to not leave home, didn't I?"
"Zion please don't tell mom. I swear this is the last time"
His brother "Zion" laughs letting Elom know that everything's fine and that he isn't going to tell their parents.
Zion looks at me. "Hey, I'm Zion. We live across the street" he says, pointing to the house directly across from ours. 
"I'm Lilie, I guess I live here" I say as I glance toward the house behind me. He smiles. Our handshake lingers as neither one of us says anything. I hate awkward moments.
"Well, welcome to Ottawa", he says. He pulls his hand from mine and puts it in his jacket pocket.  "Where are you guys moving here from?" 
"Toronto" I reply. "Toronto huh?" he says. The awkwardness intensifies when I fail to respond. He glances down at his brother and bends over, grabbing him by the ankles.
"We should go now, Elom needs to get a nap" he says as he swings his brother up and over his shoulders. "There's a cold front coming through tonight. You should try to get as much unloaded today as you can. If you guys need help unloading this afternoon, let me know."
"Sure, thanks" I say. They head across the street, and I'm still watching them when Noah stabs me in my lower back. I drop my knees and and clutch at my stomach, crouching forward as Noah climbs on top of me and finishes me off. I glance across the street again and see Zion watching us. He waves goodbye and goes inside.

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