Charmed Again

Chapter One - Midnight

Lily-Anne

Moving to a new town is always difficult but what is scarier is starting at a new high school in a small town where everyone knows everyone. My dad, who is a veterinarian recently got a new job in Kentwood, New Orleans and we had decided to move the summer before the start of my junior year. School was four weeks away and I knew it was going to take a while to get used to a new place as well as meet new people who already knew each other. I literally had to be bribed with a new car in order to move to a town in the middle of nowhere. Growing up in upstate New York, where you are just a number and was invisible to the rest of the world had a certain comfort to it. I recently turned 16 and yes, I am a bit of a geek and I skipped a grade. My dad, Ian, tends to spoil me more than normal parents because it has always been the two of us for as long as I remember. My mum passed away when I turned 3 in a car accident and I do not have any memories of her. My dad is a really good looking guy and is still relatively young at only 40 years old. I have tried to get my dad to move on but he always insist that I am the most important person in his life and he needs to spend as much time as possible with me. I love my dad more anything in the world but I always wondered what it would be like to have a mum, who I could talk all girly things with.

"Lily-Anne," my dad called, breaking me from my thoughts. "Princess do you want to stop and get something to eat before we get to the house," he asked me.

"Sure dad, but can we do take out, I really want to go and start unpacking," I replied.

"Yes, that's a great idea and we have also been travelling so long, we need to freshen up," he responded. He pulled into a McDonalds drive thru and soon we had our meals and was back on the road.

As I looked to the left, I saw the sign that said 'Welcome to Kentwood'. I couldn't help but get the feeling that life as I know it is really about to change.

As we drove towards our new home I turned to watch the streets in either side which had massive homes. There was one house that stood out to me. It was a stunning vintage home with a modern twist which consists of a lot of glass. But it was the type that could look out but you could not look in. Dad and I pulled up to a huge gate with lions on it, which was across from the mansion I was admiring and next to another stunning home that had a sleek yellow Camaro parked in front of it.

Dad put in the code and turned to me and said, "the code is your birthday, so don't forget it."

I turned to him with a friendly scowl and responded, "ha-ha very funny old man, the only one that forgets stuff is you. So be careful or you may be stuck outside." We both burst out laughing as we drove up the long drive away. I turned to stare at one of the most beautiful house I have ever seen. Dad may have been a vet but he was actually a major shareholder at one of the biggest companies in the USA that my grandfather started years ago, called Carter holdings. It is one of the biggest investment company in USA. But my dad was not a business person and preferred working with animals, so he stayed as the chairperson of the company but got other people to run it. The house was modern but with a bit of vintage. It had a wraparound porch and was a double story, five bedroom, six bathrooms and a whole lot of other rooms we will not need. But it was stunning with the glass finish. The yard was massive with a garden on either side. My dad turned and looked at me and he started laughing when he saw the excitement on my face. "Go Lily-Anne, I know you want to explore every room in the house. You can choose any room you want. There is also a surprise for you inside," he said with amusement in his voice.

I rushed into the house, not even paying attention to my new surroundings so that I can figure out the surprise. I ran through the foyer and stopped when I saw a small cute black puppy in a little basket staring at me. It was the cutest thing I have ever seen. I always wanted a pet but my dad said I had to be responsible enough first, so I had to wait. It started barking when it saw me. I squealed and turned around stared at my dad with the biggest smile on my face. "Oh my word dad, you got me a puppy. I am so happy right now," I cried out.

My dad looked at me with a smile as he replied, "I know how much you wanted a dog and I felt this would help more with the move. It is a border collie."

I ran to hug him. My dad always gave the best hugs where you never wanted to let go. "Thank you dad, this is the best gift ever," I said. I ran to my puppy and picked it up. "Ooh you are a boy and I think I am going to call you Midnight little one," I said. Midnight started licking my face as I start hugging him.

My dad looked at me and said, "Midnight sounds like a great name, sweetheart. Let me give you a quick tour and you can choose your room and then we can go and pick out everything you would need for Midnight." I followed him to the kitchen. There was a petite, pretty lady wiping down the counters. She turned as we walked in.

"Lily, this is Carly Santiago, she is our housekeeper. Her husband, Matt is the groundskeeper and handyman around here and her son Mateo takes care of the pool and jacuzzies. Mrs Santiago is also our chef and she has two other employees under her that will assist with the cleaning. I believe their names are Jane and Michelle and they will come in every day. Matt and Carly stay in the guest house that is on the edge of the backyard and their numbers are by the phone so if you ever need anything call them."

I smiled at her. "It is so nice to meet you Mrs Santiago. And thank you for taking care of us."

She smiled at me. "It is so nice to meet you. You are a really beautiful young lady."

I held Midnight in my arms as I turned around and finally looked at the room we were in. It was simply stunning. It had glass windows from the ceiling to the floor overlooking a massive pool with a spiral staircase leading to the second floor. There was a bedroom with an en-suite, a lounge, dining room, kitchen, study and cinema on the first floor. The second floor consists for four bedrooms, the remaining bathrooms and a library. I peeped in the first room, which had a huge four poster bed and a balcony that had a view of the front garden. The room was green and black. The second room was a bit smaller, it also had a view of the garden and it was decorated in shades of purple. The next room was similar to the one before was decorated in shades of red and gold and had a view of the pool. The last room was my absolute favourite. It was massive and decorated in shades of blue and yellow and had a bit of a beach theme. It had a four poster bed that was so huge it could probable fit like six people comfortably. It also had a balcony that opened above the pool. The closet was huge and had massive mirrors all over. 

"I see you found your room," my dad said behind me.

"Oh my gosh, dad, this room is simply amazing. I never want to leave," I yelled.

My dad started laughing as he replied, "I knew you would love it. I asked them to include your favourite colours."

I ran to hug him as I yelled, "Dad, thank you. I absolutely love it. I honestly never want to leave here ever."

He really was the best dad ever. He decided he will take the first room as he wanted something closer to the stairs. "We can go shopping this weekend to fill up your closet before school starts. And maybe also pick up some books for the library?" he asked.

"I would absolutely love that. Dad, thank you for everything. This is absolutely incredible," I said.

He looked at me with a sad smile. "I know we never really used our wealth before and I thought it is about time I spoilt you before you go off to College," he replied.

"Dad, what if I do not want to go away for College?" I asked him. He turned to me as he said, "Honey, I want you to get the full experience live at the dorms or at an apartment, pledge for a sorority and go to parties. I want you to be a teenager and have fun. Explore every opportunity you can."

I looked at him with tears in my eyes and thought to myself, I could not have found a more amazing dad than the one I have now. I looked at him and vowed to find him someone soon so he would not be lonely when I leave home. "Let's go get what we need for Midnight," I said as I picked up my puppy to put him back in his basket. I locked arms with my dad and we walked to car to go and go shopping for Midnight.